The first public meetings have been scheduled to discuss public access to this famous site. First archaeological survey in decades on-going.
From the Denver Post:
Ancient site becomes a jewel
N. Colo. officials mull best use of land
By Katy Human
Denver Post Staff Writer
12/20/2006 12:59:32 AM MST
Thirteen thousand years ago, people lived in northern Colorado's Lindenmeier Valley, hunting ancient, giant bison.
Five hundred years ago, people there built stone tipi rings and dug earthen ovens.
Today, the city of Fort Collins and Larimer County together own 23,000 acres of the famous archaeological site - and they're trying to figure out how people can enjoy the area without destroying it.
"It's a pretty amazing site, culturally," said Daylan Figgs, senior environmental planner with Fort Collins' natural-areas program. "If you're an archaeologist, you've heard of the Lindenmeier site."
Mark Stiger, an archaeologist at Western State College in Gunnison, said the cautious approach is appropriate.
"It's like all of a sudden the 'Mona Lisa' is getting out of a private art gallery and now being publicly seen," Stiger said.
Next month, Figgs and his counterpart at Larimer County will begin the first of several public meetings to plan the future of properties now called Soapstone Prairie Natural Area and Red Mountain Open Space.
Both were purchased about two years ago and are scheduled to open to the public in 2009.
At issue are the location of roads and trails, what paths may be traveled by foot, by horse or by bike, and whether people will be allowed off trail, Figgs said.
For more information and a photo of the famous "Folsom Point" see the
Denver Post article.
Something is not right. This message is just to keep things from messing up down the road