El Paso County Environmental

This Sunday, September 8th will be the last day of the season to drop off your tree/bush debris at the Black Forest Slash and Mulch site! (Mulch will be available for pickup until September 14th or while supplies last.)
See the flyer below for more information.

For alternate options, you may contact Rocky Top Resources, Inc. at 719-597-9103.
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El Paso County administrative and elected administrative offices and affiliated agencies will be closed on Monday, September 2, in observance of Labor Day. Offices will reopen at regular hours on Tuesday, September 3.

Also, there is no Board of County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, September 3. Regularly scheduled Board of County Commissioners meetings will resume on Tuesday, September 10 at 11:00 a.m., followed by the Land Use meeting on Thursday, September 12 at 9:00 a.m.

El Paso County Environmental Division and all services will be closed Monday, September 2, 2024 in observance of Labor Day.

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The outdoors are for us all!

As outdoor accessibility in the Pikes Peak Region continues to grow, the El Paso County Nature Centers would like to invite you to attend Outdoor Accessibility Day at Fox Run Regional Park on September 7th from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Attendees will attend a mini resource fair with partners from Cheyenne Mountain State Park, the City of Colorado Springs, El Paso County Nature Centers, the Independence Center, and more, showcasing resources available in our region. Attendees may also go on a test hike utilizing adaptive vehicles available at several parks and open spaces.

Free to attend
Accessible parking available
Saturday, September 7 from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

El Paso County administrative offices, elected administrative offices, and affiliated agencies will be closed Thursday, July 4, in observance of the Independence Day.

Happy Election Day! 🗳 If you are near the Household Hazardous Waste Facility today, you can drop your ballot off at the ballot box located on the NORTHERN part of the parking lot (next to the DPW building at 3275 Akers Dr.)

It’s Election Day! Make sure to get your ballot to a drop-off box or a VSPC by 7 p.m. tonight! Happy voting 🗳️

You are invited to the Paint Mines Interpretive Park Master Plan Open House to review the master plan concepts, and provide comments, and suggestions! To learn more or provide feedback before the open house, please visit: https://www.elpasoco.com/you-are-invited-to-attend-the-paint-mines-interpretive-park-master-plan-open-house/

Published in The Gazette, Saturday, June 8, 2024
Year Round Gardening - How to attract butterflies to your garden

Article by Amalie Fellini, Colorado Master Gardener
Photo Credit: Fredricka Bogardus, Colorado Master Gardener

With Spring fully in bloom, butterflies will be popping up everywhere very soon. Planting the right plants is a great start, there are additional ways to attract these fluttery pollinators to your yard.

Keep your plants insecticide free
Insecticides are very effective against butterflies in every stage. A great start is ensuring none of your plants have insecticides that will harm any butterflies that end up in your yard.

Establish a water source
Butterflies need a drink of water here and there; a water source is very important when attracting them. A shallow dish of water with a flat rock is ideal. You could also consider adding a mud puddle to supply minerals and salts.

Butterfly Food
There are a lot of plants native to the Pikes Peak region butterflies love. You don’t have to have the perfect flower garden to bring them in, just some of their favorites.

Larval Food
Including plants that butterflies will lay eggs on will encourage them to hang around in your garden, and will ensure future generations. While attracting caterpillars to your garden may seem like bad idea, they rarely do much damage to established plants.

Caterpillar host plants include:
Asceplia sp. two species are native to Colorado showy milkw**d (A. speciosa) and butterfly w**d (A. tuberosa) and are hosts to Monarch butterflies.
Willows and cottonwoods are hosts to many caterpillars, including swallowtails.
Gambel oak also known as scrub oak is a host plant to the Colorado hairstreak and other caterpillars.

Butterfly food
The following ornamental plants are great nectar sources for butterflies and will add to your enjoyment of your garden.
Rudbeckia hirta (black eyed Susan)
These plants are short lived but reseed easily. They tolerate the cold and wind quite well and are the perfect mid-season blooming food source.
Penstemon sp. (Beardtongue)
There are various Penstemons native to our region. A beautiful bloom that thrives in our area with little water.
Monarda sp. (Bee Balm)
M. fistulosa can be a little finicky, but they are a great option for nutrient rich soils that have a bit more moisture.
Lupinus argenteus (Silver Lupine)
This native grows well in poor soils and has no problem with crazy Colorado weather.
Gaillardia (Blanket Flower)
G. aristata is a native. Start seed indoors for flowers first year or buy plants. Easy and long blooming.
Erysimum capitatum (Wallflower)
Wallflower is very fragrant and typically reseeds itself, so you don’t have to!
Achillea lanulosa (Yarrow)
For those who want to bring in butterflies without wasting water, Achillea lanulosa is the perfect choice. It is easy to establish and loves lots of sun.

Here is a list of host plants for butterflies for El Paso County: https://elpaso.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/44/2022/09/Butterflies-Native-Plant-List-05-09-2022.pdf It’s not too late to make your dream of watching butterflies from your porch a reality!

Submit gardening questions to [email protected] or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help desk is open 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Mondays ,Wednesdays and Thursdays at 17 N. Spruce St.

Residents are invited to come load up on FREE mulch this Friday, June 7, between 4 and 7:00 p.m. Bring your buckets or your open-bed trucks and trailers to the Public Services Yard (101 Banks Place), and staff will help load the mulch. Heavy equipment will also be available to help load, with a signed liability waiver (available on site, during the event).

Mulch helps conserve and extend available water, protects the soil from erosion, reduces competition by suppressing w**ds, and it moderates temperature. The mulch is made up of local trees from the recent Chipper Days events, as well as the Neighborhood Chipping service. The mulch is clean, ready to use, and there is a lot of it. Come prepared to take as much as you can carry!

This service is provided to Manitou Springs residents only. If you have not entered the Public Services yard entrance by 6:30 p.m. staff will be unable to accommodate you.

El Paso County administrative and elected administrative offices and affiliated agencies will be closed Monday, May 27, in observance of Memorial Day.

El Paso County Environmental Division and all services will be closed Monday, May 27, 2024 in observance of Memorial Day.

Send a message to learn more

El Paso County Parks and Community Services Department-Environmental Division, in cooperation with the Upper Arkansas Cooperative W**d Management Area, invite land managers and stakeholders to an educational Noxious W**d Walk & Talk event on Thursday, July 25th! Come join us for:

🌱 Two presentations about noxious w**ds and their control.
🌱 A walk around Bear Creek Regional Park East to see noxious and unlisted w**ds in person.
🌱 A chance to network with other land managers and noxious w**d control cooperators.

The walk requires registration. Space is limited to 50 individuals. A waitlist will be available if the event fills up. Sign up for your spot today! 🪻🌿

Noxious W**d Walk & Talk 2024 Noxious W**d Identification and Management Tour

The Saturday, June 8th Clean Sweep event is full, but a waitlist is available. If you have tires, mattresses, box springs, or large TVs, call 719-520-7878 or email [email protected] to be added to the waitlist. (For paints, automotive chemicals, etc., visit the Household Hazardous Waste Facility during regular business hours).

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♻️We still have about 30 spots left for the Saturday, June 8th Clean Sweep event! Spots may fill up fast, so sign up for yours today to recycle those old TVs, tires, and mattresses! 📺 🛞 🛏

Saturday, June 8, 2024 Clean Sweep Event! (Registration Required) Hard-To-Recycle Event for El Paso and Teller County Households!

Enter your items in the 2024 El Paso County Fair Creative Arts Competition today. Deadlines are approaching, but we'd love for you to be a part of our Epic Story!

A great opportunity for Manitou Springs residents! 🌲🪵

🪵 Manitou Springs Fire Department is hosting a Chipper Day on Saturday, May 4th from 10AM - 3PM! Residents can bring tree limbs and shrubs to our Public Services Yard at 101 Banks Place, and staff will be present to help unload. This service is provided to City of Manitou Springs residents only. More information is available at: ManitouSpringsCO.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=241

Our Seasonal Gate Positions are now open. Save the date and apply in person at our Hiring Event on May 23rd! 10 days working for the biggest community celebration in El Paso County!

Spring has sprung, which means that sunnier days are ahead! As the weather warms up, don't miss out on opportunities to get outside.

Bear Creek Nature Center & Fountain Creek Nature Center has some great events coming up that you won't want to miss! Check out the activities here: https://communityservices.elpasoco.com/nature-centers/nature-center-programs/

April 27 is DEA National Drug Take Back Day! This is a great opportunity to clean your medicine cabinets and dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs.

There are several opportunities to dispose of prescriptions in El Paso County, including the drive-thru events at Pikes Peak Library District- Fountain and Widefield Parks & Recreation from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

To help prepare for DEA Take Back Day and find a collection site near you, visit https://www.dea.gov/takebackday

The Saturday, June 8, 2024 Clean Sweep is live for registration! The event is open to El Paso and Teller County households for recycling tires, mattresses/box springs, and large TVs. Click the link below to sign up for your spot!

https://cleansweepjune2024.eventbrite.com/

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City of Fountain Utilities, in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation's Energy-Saving Trees® program, is offering a limited number of FREE trees to homeowners beginning today, April 9. By planting the right tree in the right place, you can reduce energy consumption by up to 20% each year.

The benefits don’t stop at energy and money savings. Trees improve air quality, help manage stormwater runoff, sequester carbon, reduce energy consumption by producing shade and beautify our community.

City of Fountain Utilities, in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, is offering a limited number of free trees to homeowners through the Energy-Saving Trees® program. When you plant the right tree in the right place, it can help improve air and water quality, manage stormwater runoff, sequester carbon, help you save money on your utility bills, and beautify our community. Reserve your tree today at arborday.org/fountainutilities

NOTE: The El Paso County HHWF is hosting a special ticketed-only event on Friday, April 5th, 2024. Wait times and lines will be longer than usual. Consider utilizing another day listed below for hazardous waste drop off (paints, chemicals, small electronics, etc.) Call 719-520-7878 or email [email protected] for questions.

Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Hours:
* Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:30AM – Noon & 1:00PM – 4:00PM. (No Wednesdays)
* Second Saturday of each month: 8:00AM – 11:00AM

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Get your free sod today!

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It’s not luck. It’s awareness! Sign up for Peak Alerts today to receive alerts before, during, and after disasters. Visit, www.peakalerts.org for more information.

Registration is now open for CSFD’s Neighborhood Chipping Program!

The program is FREE and available to homeowners who live in the Wildland Urban Interface. Our crews assist with wildfire mitigation efforts and disposal of hazardous vegetation from your property. Individual homeowners must register EVERY YEAR to participate.

REMEMBER! Chipping services are not available citywide, they are only for community members living in the WUI. Before registering, check our website to learn what region you live in and when chipping will be available in your neighborhood.

All info can be found here: https://www.coswildfireready.org/neighborhood-chipping-program