The U.S. Forest Service provided a district update at Tuesday’s meeting, including staffing, trail work and a multi‑party agreement to make it easier for the county to collaborate on projects on National Forest System lands.

Patrick (Forest Service district representative) told commissioners a candidate for the permanent Salida ranger position declined late in the process and the agency is continuing recruitment. “We’re on the hunt again,” he said, and noted that housing and cost‑of‑living factors in mountain communities complicate recruitment for permanent staff.

Dispersed camping: the Forest Service said the dispersed‑camping management environmental assessment (EA) has completed the public comment and objection period and that no objectors had been registered at the time of the presentation; the objection window closes Sept. 8. If no substantive objections remain, the forest supervisor will sign the decision and the agency plans to implement the new management approach designed to reduce resource damage and better manage dispersed use.

Shavano trail restoration: the district reported multi‑year trail work funded by the Great American Outdoors Act is nearing the final stages. Crews are building a continuous sustainable tread from the lower approach to the summit; the district said the lower and upper sections will be joined in the coming weeks and final summit work and restoration will continue into next year. Forest Service staff described the work as engineering‑intensive and said crews carry rock and boulders to construct durable trail structures at elevation.

Intergovernmental agreement: Patrick said a challenge‑cost‑share, non‑funded agreement under discussion between county and Forest Service would facilitate greater collaboration on implementation tasks, and that the document is near finalization.

No policy decisions were required of the board; the Forest Service asked for ongoing coordination and indicated staff will follow up with the county on implementation details and site tours.

The presentation and Q&A included routine operational matters and invited commissioners to a field tour of a recently implemented RCPP project to view completed treatments and associated forest management plans.