EPD dedicates River Trail
Monday - July 28, 2025 by Jeremy Wade Shockley | The Southern Ute Drum
Southern Ute Executive Officer, Lindsay Box helps plant trees and shrubs as part of the Grand Re-Opening of the River Trail, which encouraged participation from tribal departments and the community.
Key improvements included culvert placements along the new trail system which runs parallel to Ute Road and the Pine River. The nature trail was also expanded to create a loop that connects with the existing trail system, while also protecting critical waterways and wildlife corridors.
EPD air quality scientists, James Temte and Patty Peña, view the recently added informational signs that adorn the trail system along the pine river leading towards Scotts Pond. The trail signs highlight various topics such as Ute culture, traditional plants, regional wildlife and the role of wildfire on the natural landscape.
Southern Ute tribal member, Nathan Strong Elk prepares a Native shrub for planting along the River Trail; Strong Elk also provided a traditional blessing ahead of the morning program.
Volunteers work together to place native plants along the River Trail, in an effort to help restore the trail back to a more natural state following the Bear Dance Fire which burned along the river in 2022.
Photo Credit: Jeremy Wade Shockley | The Southern Ute Drum
Photo Credit: Jeremy Wade Shockley | The Southern Ute Drum
Photo Credit: Jeremy Wade Shockley | The Southern Ute Drum
Photo Credit: Jeremy Wade Shockley | The Southern Ute Drum
Photo Credit: Savannah Elk
The Tribe’s Environmental Programs Department hosted a Grand Re-Opening of the River Trail on Wednesday July 9, capping off the reconstruction and improvements to the trail system following the 2022 Bear Dance Fire and subsequent remediation efforts. The Environmental Programs Department, in conjunction with Cottonwood Consulting, LLC worked to expand the trail network that connects Scott’s Pond to Ute Road. The project was spearheaded by Mitch Dorsk, EPD Remediation Program Manager in partnership with Emma Miller, a staff scientist with Cottonwood Consulting, LLC.