1.3 Preserve Unique Magnolia Association

Preserve Unique Magnolia Association (PUMA) was founded in 1993. The primary motivation at the time was the Forest Plan Revision, but many other issues also came to the attention of the organization. PUMA is dedicated to preserving the quality of life in the Magnolia area and maintaining the integrity of the residential community’s relationship with the natural landscape.

PUMA is a volunteer neighborhood environmental organization with affiliate non-profit status through the Boulder County Nature Association. As of 1999, PUMA has over 100 dues-paying members. The organization sponsors annual community events such as neighborhood clean-ups, Adopt-A-Road clean-up, thistle and knapweed pulls, and community potlucks. General membership is open to any interested party. The Board of Directors is elected by the general membership and includes a president, vice-president, corresponding secretary, and treasurer. Current standing committees include:

• Homeowner fire mitigation committee
• Weed management committee
• Insect, disease and forest management committee
• Gross Reservoir Relicensing Recreation Management Plan committee
• Noise pollution committee (Effects of Denver International Airport)
• New member welcoming committee
• PUMA website and listserve committee
• Y2K preparedness committee
• Adopt-a-Forest committee
• Adopt-a-Road clean-up crews
• Wildlife study committee
• 68J road management committee
• MEPP

PUMA has worked to educate all Magnolia residents about issues related to the community. PUMA communicates with its members and the Magnolia community by means of the following:

1. periodic newsletter to all residents (4-6 per year)
2. monthly meetings (first Thursday of each month)
3. periodic mailings on relevant issues such as noxious weed management, fire mitigation, transportation, and trails usage
4. periodic surveys to collect/update information on concerns directly related to the Magnolia community
5. project-specific meetings and workshops with public agencies, stakeholders and Nederland organizations
6. “town hall” meetings at the Magnolia Firehouse

PUMA has developed and maintained a moderated listserve for news alerts, email listserve groups for discussion forums and information sharing (puma-news@csf.colorado.edu), an e-mail address for writing to PUMA (puma@indra.com), and a website for the public (www.peaknet.org/webpages/puma/).

1.3.1 PUMA Survey

In 1996, PUMA mailed 350 surveys to landowners and residents as well as public agencies and private organizations that were involved in land use issues in the Planning Area. The purpose of the survey was for PUMA to better understand the desires of local residents. There were 75 responses (a 21 percent response rate). The complete survey and summarized results are included in Appendix 1.2. Selected questions and responses in the survey include:

Do you encourage growth and development in the Magnolia area?
Encourage-1, Encourage with reservations-14, Discourage-63

Do you support increased recreational use on National Forests in the Magnolia area, including more established trails and facilities?
Strongly Support-1, Support-13, Do Not Support-52

Please rate the following topics in terms of how important you think they are to our community.

Based upon this survey, PUMA concluded that the local community places a premium on preserving the natural landscape and maintaining the quiet and privacy that generally exist in the neighborhood due to the absence of intensive development.