The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative needs your help! I encourage you to help out if you can.
For years I have been a strong supporter of the
Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) and make annual contributions to help the
organization. Since I saw their first projects completed on Mt. Belford and La
Plata Peak, I’ve been very impressed with their work and realize that this
organization is vital to the restoration and sustainability of our 14er trails.
With more and more climbers on the peaks each year, I couldn’t imagine what some
of the standard routes would look like without CFI’s trail work.
Recently, I was asked to join the CFI Board of Directors and I accepted. I felt,
at a minimum, I could help raise awareness to their mission and how our impact
on the 14ers has grown dramatically. Many people who visit 14ers.com may not
have heard of the CFI or it’s projects. Well, the more you climb 14ers, the more
you will see their work first-hand. It’s important to mention that
14ers.com and 14ers.org
(CFI) are entirely separate organizations which just happen to have similar
Internet domain names and a growing partnership.
So we can keep track of donations made by 14ers.com members, the following PayPal link takes you through a process where 14ers.com will collect the donation on behalf of the CFI. Donations are then forwarded to the CFI along with donor information. Donations can also be made through the CFI website at www.14ers.org. For questions about donating to CFI, please call Lloyd Athearn, Executive Director, at 303.278.7650 or e-mail at cfi@14ers.org.
| Paypal Donations | Check Donations |
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When you click on the button, you will be taken to a PayPal form that starts the process. You can contribute securely using a credit card or from an existing PayPal account. |
Check or Money Order donations can be made out to "The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative" and mailed to: The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative 607 Tenth Street, Suite 107N Golden, Colorado 80401 Please include your phone number on the check and make a note that you’re a 14ers.com member. If you’d like to make an anonymous donation, please include a note so we don’t add your name to the CFI mailing/donor list. |
CFI’s Mission
14ers.org (CFI) is a non-profit 501©(3) charitable organization which has a
focused mission "to protect and preserve the natural integrity of Colorado’s
14,000-foot peaks through active stewardship and public education."
Goals and objectives in carrying out its mission are to:
- Create a structure for local community involvement in 14er stewardship;
- Educate hikers about Leave No Trace principles and sustainable recreation practices;
- Establish and maintain sustainable hiking routes for the protection of alpine resources;
- Restore damaged and eroded areas to protect sensitive alpine plant communities.
Past Projects:
Since its inception in 1994, CFI crews, volunteers, and youth corps crews, under
the guidance of the U.S. Forest Service, have restored social routes and
delineated 21 new sustainable routes on 20 peaks: Mt. Elbert, Mts. Belford &
Oxford, La Plata Peak, Humboldt Peak, Huron Peak, Mt. Harvard, Mt. Bierstadt,
Missouri Mtn., Grays & Torreys Peaks, Quandary Peak, Capitol Peak, Tabeguache
Mtn., Mt. Sneffels, Mt. Evans (Chicago Lakes to the summit), Mt. Massive (North
Halfmoon route), Wetterhorn Peak, Pyramid Peak, and Mt. Massive (East side).
Paying it forward:
As they become increasingly popular, Colorado’s 14ers are sustaining considerable
damage to their fragile ecosystems due to a lack of proper trail systems and
education. While most 14ers are free for people to use, the
amount of money needed to build sustainable routes, restore damaged areas,
maintain trails, and educate users about Leave No Trace principles is
considerable. Without private funds to match funds from federal and state
sources, CFI cannot accomplish its mission. The CFI depends on donations from
climbers and peak project volunteers. I know times are tough right now, but a
few bucks donated to CFI can make a big difference. Non-profit organizations
like the CFI often have a more difficult time raising money when the economy is
in a downturn. Many of us spend hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars each year
climbing the 14ers, so even if a fraction of us donate to the CFI, it will make
a big difference.
Thank you and have a great summer,
_____________________
Bill Middlebrook
14ers.com
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