Please take the time to attend the Parks Board Meeting on Thursday, 4/12, at 7:30am. 1401 Recreation Way. Several will be there early with signs. This is your last chance to be heard. Sign up to speak for 3 minutes to public comments. Look for many Cheyenne Mountain High School student leaders to be present -- they are fired up. All students across the City are welcome. This is the people of Colorado Springs' park. It is your land. Ask everyone you know to sign the petition! Here is a link to the plan (maps of 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3 are now buried in the appendices). https://coloradosprings.gov/nccmasterplan 8.2 and 8.3 include the gated road closure of Mesa which dead ends into 7 Falls and accessible only to shuttles. At the first meeting of 2018, a traffic study was cited as grounds for closure, and the fact that this would be for the Broadmoor shuttles was stated. Now, they just say "shuttles" though unclear what other shuttles will be allowed to drive through gates down a road that dead ends at 7 Falls? A giant turn around can be seen in between 7 Falls and Strawberry. We guess if this is implemented, we can rent a shuttle and drive through that gate just for fun. That seems to be the latest implication, but you know how these have gone -- lots of vagaries and confusingly conflicting statements. Pages 65-68 are where the 8 "Tools" are delineated. If you want to cut to the chase, go read those, and be sure to look at the maps now in the appendices. And, send your email sharing your thoughts about the NCC Plan! It matters! Not sure what to say? Link to a sampling of letters: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CphxbUjKGQmUQxX7AAYmCdtfHvupVxey3G4XGuL6buo/edit Email: jsuthers@springsgov.com and for transparency, cc: NCCMasterPlan@springsgov.com, AllCouncil@springsgov.com, savecheyennemountain@gmail.com, zubeck@csindy.com, krdonews@krdo.com, mike.rausch@krdo.com, news@kktv.com, lmartin@kktv.com, news@koaa.com, kduffy@koaa.com, news@fox21news.com, jcole@kxrm.com, jpaul@denverpost.com, info@krcc.com, jim.alexee@sierraclub.org, friendsofcheyennecanon@gmail.com Also, the Friends of Cheyenne Cañon Board is looking for input as the Parks Department has asked for their endorsement. If you already sent your email to Suthers and City Council, just forward it on to them at: friendsofcheyennecanon@gmail.com We leave you with an articulate, thoughtful letter written by Morgan Meyer. Morgan is a 2017 graduate of Cheyenne Mountain High School. She took a gap year to work and learn in foreign countries. Mayor Suthers The fact that I even have to sit and compose an email regarding the commercialization of public lands is probably the first sign something is wrong. Public lands are instated for the public or at least, they should be. When Theodore Roosevelt first set out to protect public lands and preserve them as a gift for all, he had the foresight to predict human greed turning to corruption which would turn to capitalization of public lands for profit. The exact scenario occurring in my beloved Colorado Springs. I cannot imagine a North Cheyenne Cañon where tourists are stuffed on buses with locals and get dropped off at designated trails as if on a community school bus. If your desire was to protect the land, you would not be driving gas guzzling buses that are not only an inconvenience but also wreck havoc on the environment you want to "protect". I strongly detest any type of commercialization for presumed tourist gain that hurts the pockets of locals who value the integrity of the land. We are not puppets in a game to feed the Broadmoor or any sort of other tourist organization. We are Springsians who will fight until the end for the trees, creeks, and Cañon. If there's one thing not to take from Coloradans, it would be their access to their land of their beautiful state. This isn't right. If the adults cannot do enough to protect our city, then I as a mere child, will do everything in my power to stand up and fight whilst the adults cower in silence. Morgan Meyer