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Cottonwood Canyons Foundation asks Brighton for grants to keep Silver Lake visitor services and trail stewardship running
Summary
The Cottonwood Canyons Foundation requested town grants for weed mitigation, an adopt‑a‑trail program and a new Silver Lake naturalist role; the foundation said it staffs Silver Lake Visitor Center and handles daily visitor services that the U.S. Forest Service cannot fully provide.
Joanna Wilson, executive director of the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation, told the Town of Brighton on Jan. 14 that the foundation will ask the town to fund three stewardship proposals for the coming fiscal year: a weed‑mitigation and native‑plant program, the adopt‑a‑trail stewardship program, and a new Silver Lake naturalist position.
Wilson said the foundation has requested $15,000 for weed mitigation and native plants, $2,500 for the adopt‑a‑trail program and $15,000 to create a Silver Lake naturalist program. She said the foundation currently staffs the Silver Lake Visitor Center under an interpretive agreement with the U.S. Forest Service and estimated the Silver Lake area receives more than 100,000 visitors a year.
“Through the interpretive agreement, CCF is responsible for providing the only full time staffing at Silver Lake,” Wilson said. She described the foundation’s daily duties as staffing the visitor center, selling parking passes, providing interpretive programs, performing daily trash sweeps and restocking and monitoring public restrooms.
Ella, the foundation’s plant stewardship lead, told the council the foundation’s early detection and rapid response work targets invasive species along Brighton Loop Road and nearby trails. She listed species of concern, including phragmites and oxeye daisy, and described revegetation work along the Silver Lake boardwalk completed with Forest Service partners.
Why it matters: Wilson told council that seasonal federal staffing and Forest Service budget constraints have left gaps in day‑to‑day visitor education and basic stewardship at Silver Lake. The foundation asked the town to include the proposals in the tentative budget; staff said the requests will be added to the May tentative budget for council review.
Council follow up: Council members asked budget questions and signaled they would discuss the requests during the town’s budget process. Staff said they will place the proposals in the tentative budget for further review.
Ending: The council did not vote on the requests at the Jan. 14 meeting; staff and foundation representatives agreed to include the items in budget discussions ahead of the next fiscal year.
