Cleanup Letter from USFS

The clean up letter is here:

Page 1
http://www.karinzirk.com/rainbow/Cleanup_ltr_2009_p1.jpg

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http://www.karinzirk.com/rainbow/Cleanup_ltr_2009_p2.jpg

Please download and distribute.

Looks like cleanup is about done.

Saturday, July 25,2009 there were 9 vehicles remaining on site. Two
were being worked on (transmission replacement on one, timing chain
on the other). The last of the necessary parts had been delivered to
the parts store in Cuba and had been picked up. The last of the water
pipe was being wrapped and loaded. All of the trash had been removed
and recycled or taken to the transfer station.

The interior of the site was growing back beautifully. The late
afternoon downpours - called the 'monsoon season' here in New Mexico
- has come early this year. This has meant that our crews have faced
heavy rainstorms that last only a half hour or so. And that has
soaked the ground, meaning that where we have scarified and duffed
the soil, green plants have poked up and are growing abundantly.all
native species. So in all the high-use areas there is already green
groundcover. It's very beautiful. All the trails have been
re-naturalized. And there have been waterbars put where there is
chance for erosion. The FS has walked thru several times and I think
they like what they see. All the items on our mutual list have been done.

When I left the site yesterday evening the cleanup was in its final
phase: exiting the operating plan area. Everyone remaining was
aligned with a vehicle. There was one cleanup community firepit and
two small warming fires remaining. Heavy rains or something
unforeseen could slow the exit down. But I think we have done a sweet
job leaving Parque Venado and its surrounding woodlands.

Cleanup stuff

NM Rainbow Gathering Cleanup, Friday, July 18, 2009

There were about 120 people onsite yesterday evening. Just about
everyone was working busily on cleanup. Youngsters and oldsters
moving over the landscape with the telltale signs of Cleanup Crew: a
trashbag tied to the waist, falling apart gloves and a tool or bucket
in hand. In the morning we had a family cleanup council. Folks came
from just about every remaining campsite and we all talked about our
various plans for finishing cleanup and packing ourselves out. There
are five vehicles which either need help or have been abandoned.
Pretty much everyone is aligned with a running vehicle for exiting.

The inside of the site is looking 'almost 100%.' Regular late
afternoon showers have helped the high-use areas start greening up
already. Most of the trails were disappeared and all the fire pits
and kitchen areas vanished, scarified and re-duffed.

There is still population along the road by the trailheads and
handicamp - where cleanup is still centered, but that is all planning
to relocate to a different area so the trailhead/handicamp zone can
be re-naturalized too.

On last Monday the 13th we did a long walking tour with the FS
Resource Team and together identified areas that needed work. I'd say
we were in agreement about what was already done to high standards
and what still required attention. Except for what's along the road,
most of the walkthrough's list has been accomplished.

There was probably less overall 'Trash': mixed bags that find
themselves transported to the recycling areas than we've had in the
past. And almost every one of those was opened, gone thru and sorted
for recycling. The glass, metal, aluminum and #1 and #2 plastics
have been transported to recycle stations in Albuquerque and the
non-recyclable has been taken to the transfer station in Cuba,
NM where we have made an arrangement to pay for the excess dumpster
space used. Kitchens have set aside cases of unopened foods for the
local food bank. Warm clothing and blankets left behind are being
dried out, folded and accepted by a local service that can distribute
these next fall.

More later next week.

Consensus for 2010 is East Coast

Consensus at 4:40 pm July 9th, 2009 in Vision Council at Venado Parque meadow, New Mexico for the annual Rainbow Gathering, July 1-7 2010:

New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky.

Preacher Mike in Accident enroute to gathering

If you're in or near Albuquerque, please stop at the UNM hospital and visit Mike. He apparently has some spinal injuries. Ask for Michael Cardinal.

Updated on July 7th in AM - went to the hospital - he's been released and is heading home.