Turn up the quiet!

Join us for the 2005 Quiet Commotion

Click here to download the registration form (registration deadline: Oct 7).

Here is what some of last year's 57 participants had to say:

• "Inspiring!"
• "Very worth doing and worth attending"
• "Overall outstanding way for me to begin learning about Quiet Use issue"
• "This has been one of the best organized conferences I have ever attended. Experience and quality of all of the presenters was exceptional. All presentations were very relevant and focused. Good diversity of participants with considerable experience and expertise."
• "Great for info and networking"
• "Very good, good energy and results"
• "Ski break was awesome and kept energy up for the evening session. Great content...."

What: 3rd annual Quiet Use Forum

The Quiet Commotion is a weekend forum in which human-powered recreationists gather to exchange experiences, share inspiration, and learn skills from national experts to enable effective advocacy for protecting the quiet non-motorized experience in the places they cherish. The 2005 Commotion is all about learning how to keep the backcountry pristine
through two days of field visits to places whose fate will be determined in the San Luis Valley Travel Management Plan.

When: October 14-16, 2005. Click here for a tentative schedule.

Where: In beautiful Crestone, Colorado at the Colorado College-Baca Campus surrounded by the jagged peaks of the Sangre De Cristo range to the east and the San Luis Valley to the southwest

Why: Motorized recreation vehicles, including dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles, jet skis, and snowmobiles, are taking a toll on the backcountry. Wildlife, water, wilderness, and human-powered recreation are all suffering. Without strong and consistent advocacy for quiet places, our backcountry will lose its remote character and future generations will not have the privilege of enjoying wild places. The forum is designed to help concerned citizens better understand Federal Land Management Agencies planning processes through hands-on studies of real-life ongoing travel management plans and to promote the concept of Quiet, Human-Powered Recreation.

This year’s citizen conference will be focused on case studies of the San Luis Valley BLM travel management plan of some 500,000 acres throughout the San Luis Valley. Through actual case studies participants will gain and build upon their experience of working effectively within federal land management planning processes leading to the protection and restoration of our treasured resources.

How: Organizations and individuals throughout the Southern Rockies are providing expert knowledge, materials, and experience. We will learn about what works and what does not, acquire essential skills for being an effective advocate, and together strategize how we are going to preserve quiet use. We will have a few plenary sessions to set the stage, and then will learn through hands-on field trips to the BLM lands in the San Luis Valley.

How you can help: Although sponsoring organizations are providing resources and dollars to support the Quiet Commotion, we still need more support to ensure its success. Please consider:

• Making a financial gift – providing support for the entire Forum or for a specific event or session;
• Donating gear for silent auction; or
• Attending the forum and adding your voice to the growing clamor for a quiet backcountry.

Benefits accrued by supporting this grassroots forum:

• For financial gifts of $1000 or more, you receive one free enrollment in the Forum, and the opportunity to be the sponsor of the evening musical entertainment event in Crestone, CO, which will be advertised locally. You will also be listed as a major supporter on Forum announcements and materials, and be able to hang a promotional banner;
• For financial gifts of $500 or more, your organization or name will be listed as a major supporter on Forum announcements and materials, and be able to hang a promotional banner;
• For donated gear, food or financial gifts between $250 and $500, your organization or name will be listed on materials as a supporter of a specific session, event, or meal;
• Tax deductions for all donations; and
• The satisfaction of helping preserve and restore the quiet backcountry experience in the Southern Rockies.

Brought to you by: Western Resources Advocates, The Wilderness Society, The Colorado Mountain Club, the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Project, and the Southern Rockies Conservation Alliance.

For more information: contact Aaron Clark at 303-324-7031 or aaron_clark@tws.org, or the Colorado Mountain Club at conservation@cmc.org.

Click here to download the registration form (registration deadline: Oct 7)
Click here for a tentative schedule.