Fossil Creek Air Quality Monitoring
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The Fossil Creek Air Quality Monitoring Team assists the Forest Service with the weekly replacement of air sampling filters at the Ike’s Backbone Air Sampling Station, located 2000 feet above the confluence of the Verde River and Fossil Creek.
The air sampling station is one of 156 nation-wide that are in the IMPROVE program, the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments. The program addresses visibility degradation in national parks and wilderness areas that have been designated by Congress as places to be afforded the highest level of air quality protection under the law.
On Tuesdays, a pair of volunteers makes the drive to the Ike’s Backbone ridge in the Fossil Creek Corridor to replace the air sampling filters. It is a long, bumpy ride but very scenic. The ride and filter replacement tasks take about 5-6 hours round trip from the ranger station. Volunteers are usually scheduled to go twice per quarter with opportunities available to fill unscheduled absences. The Forest Service supplies a vehicle for the trip.
Participants must have a valid US Government Driver’s License, issued by and obtained through the Forest Service. The project has a limited number of participants, recruiting of new members is contingent upon vacancies arising.
