More than 30 years ago, BATCO had a dream — to convert an unused railroad grade connecting Boulder and Erie into a bucolic multi-use recreational trail. Thanks to perseverance and support from several stakeholder groups, staffs, consultants, citizens, towns, boards, and the Board of County Commissioners — we are finally about to move forward with this long-sought trail.Hooray!
Boulder to Erie Regional Trail (BERT) Plan Approval and Next Steps
BERT Plan adoption means the preliminary design process can begin and funding opportunities can be pursued
Boulder County, Colo. – On Thursday, October 24, the Boulder County Board of County Commissioners approved the Boulder to Erie Regional Trail (BERT) Plan in a 2-1 vote. Public testimony was taken during the hearing. Thank you to everyone who submitted written comments and spoke at the public hearing.
The BERT Plan evaluates multiple conceptual alignments and identifies a preferred alignment for further consideration for an 8.5 mile east-west multi-use trail connection between the City of Boulder and Town of Erie. The BERT Plan includes the project process, public and partner input and engagement, technical evaluation, conceptual level alignment, opinion of cost, and next steps.
With the adoption of the BERT Plan, local, state, and federal funding opportunities can be pursued, and the preliminary design process can begin. The plan’s preferred alignment is the starting point for more detailed engineering and in-depth technical analysis, including additional environmental analysis. Strategies to minimize potential environmental impacts of the preferred alignment will continue to be explored.
Partner coordination and community outreach will continue in the next phases of the project. Regular updates will be provided as the project progresses.
The Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Jan. 25, at 9:30 a.m. to review the East Boulder Creek Site Management Plan, listen to public feedback, and vote whether to adopt the plan.
The plan outlines the department’s land management strategies for 1,377 acres of public land that will be Prairie Run Open Space when open to the public. The plan embodies the department’s multifaceted mission of conservation and public use that reflects the community’s values. With respect to conservation and stewardship components, the plan includes the protection of wildlife habitat, the continuation of sustainable agriculture, and the restoration of wetlands and stream corridors associated with both Boulder and Coal Creeks.
Addressing community requests for access and recreation, the department’s plan proposes a variety of recreational opportunities while also respecting the important natural features of the site. The Parks & Open Space Advisory Committee unanimously recommended conditional approval to the Board of County Commissioner’s at the Dec. 14, 2023, meeting.
The meeting will take place in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room, Downtown Boulder County Courthouse, 1325 Pearl St., Boulder. Members of the public can attend in person, online via Zoom, or by phone.
After extensive analysis, field trips, and multiple conversations, the Boulder Area Trails Coalition (BATCO) supports this plan as outlined by staff in the document below. Furthermore, we believe that the original proposed trailhead location on 109th St will best meet the needs of the public and staff who will be managing the infrastructure, as well as providing desirable access to the future Boulder to Erie Regional Trail (BERT).
We urge you to contact the County Commissioners in support of this plan, in one of the following ways:
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Open House for the Boulder to Erie Regional Trail (BERT) Project Learn About the BERT Project and Provide Input to Project TeamBoulder County, Colo. – Boulder County, in partnership with the City of Boulder and Town of Erie, is evaluating options for the creation of a new soft-surface regional trail connection linking the City of Boulder and Erie. The project partners are hosting an in-person open house in Erie on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. During this public meeting, the team will discuss project updates, evaluation criteria for different trail options, and conceptual alignments.
What: Boulder to Erie Regional Trail (BERT) Project Open House When: Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 from 5-7 p.m. Where: Erie Community Library, Event Space East, 400 Powers St, Erie, CO 80516 A brief project presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by an open house.
Background: This connection was identified in the county’s regional trails prioritization process in 2003 and is eligible for funding through the Countywide Sales Tax passed by voters in 2007 and 2022. The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan and Boulder County Transportation Master Plan identify this trail connection as an important link in the Boulder Valley and regional trails systems.
Posted inEvents, Hot Topics, News, Public Meetings|Comments Off on Calling all Trail Advocates! Come to a meeting about the Boulder to Erie Regional Trail, September 13, 2023
This is a great opportunity to advocate for a beautiful new
regional trail!
Boulder County Parks & Open Space is preparing a management plan
for the East Boulder Creek (EBC) Site and is seeking public comments.
The area is just north of Erie and is primarily bounded by US Highway 287
on the west, State Highway 52 (Mineral Road) on the north, and East
County Line Road on the east. Kenosha and Jasper Roads form boundaries
on the south and east. The 1377-acre site is an opportunity to welcome the
community to a new public space while ensuring a thriving habitat and
agriculture values. The site is composed of five individual open space
properties that contain a dozen ponds and five miles of perennial streams
along Boulder Creek and Coal Creek.
The goal is to provide a welcoming space for all in the community
while conserving the open space values important to everyone.
Agriculture, wildlife, native plants, and public use can all exist in
harmony at this site. Public input will help shape the future of the site
and the priorities for conservation and community access.
Boulder County values your input and is reaching out to solicit your
participation in this process.
What can you do now?
Step 1: Watch the short introductory video on the website.
Step 2: Take the survey and share your feedback.
Step 3: Request additional input opportunities with the planning team
whose emails are included below.
Will there more opportunities for involvement? Yes, a second phase of the
planning process will begin in the spring and include more information
about the site, visits to the area, another survey, and additional public
meetings. The entire process is expected to last through the remainder of
2023 with further outreach and engagement later in the year.
Are you interested in helping guide Boulder County Parks and Open Space by serving on their volunteer advisory board?
The Boulder County Commissioners are now recruiting for Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee (POSAC) members to fill vacancies starting March 2023. We hope to get many qualified applicants!
Regards, Therese Glowacki, Director Boulder County Parks and Open Space
Information about POSAC, and the link to apply, can be found here:
Now recruiting for POSAC members. Deadline to apply is Friday, Jan. 13. Apply Now
The Parks & Open Space Advisory Committee (POSAC) reviews proposals and advises Parks & Open Space staff and the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on open space issues, new land acquisitions, and the management of existing properties.
The deadline to apply is Friday, January 13.
Posted inHot Topics, News|Comments Off on Boulder County Parks and Open Space wants YOU to apply for the Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee!
Colorado Gives Day is Here! BATCO is an approved non-profit affiliated with Colorado Gives Day. You can donate here: https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/BATCO. Don’t forget to check whether your employer will match your donation. If your company uses Benevity (www.benevity.org) to facilitate donations to non-profits like BATCO, we are certified through them — making it easy for everyone to do the right thing! Our trails will thank you!
Posted inHot Topics, News|Comments Off on Colorado Gives Day is December 6
May update: OSMP’s trail construction contractor will be utilizing a helicopter to mobilize materials to the Anemone Hill trail construction project site. Helicopter work will require a public safety closure on the Anemone Hill and Red Rocks area. The closure is scheduled for Monday, May 24, weather pending, or the soonest good weather day afterwards. Please visit this webpage again for any updates. View a map of the closure area.
February Update: Trail construction is continuing over the winter as weather allows on the new Anemone Trail loop. The existing Anemone Trail has been re-opened, while an area closure is in-place where trail construction is actively continuing. The area has been signed accordingly. Please stay out of closed areas due to rockfall risk, mechanized equipment, and rock blasting in these areas, and do not remove or damage signs. Trail closures are expected to change as-needed for public safety and project efficiency as work continues.
Mechanized equipment, rock blasting, rockfall, and other construction hazards necessitate closure of Anemone Hill trails during construction hours.
Anemone Hill trails are expected to be open evenings and weekends.
Nearby trails, especially around the Centennial and Settlers Park Trailheads and the Red Rocks Area, will have short-term closures when heavy equipment and helicopters are operating in the area to support the Anemone Hill project.
PLEASE DO NOT ENTER CLOSURE AREAS OR REMOVE CLOSURE FENCES AND SIGNS – doing so puts yourself and other visitors at risk, slows down construction, and increases project costs. No trespassing in closure areas. Violators will be ticketed and fined up to $1000 and/or 90 days in jail.
Anemone Hill project update, June 4, 2020
Trail construction has started! The crew has mobilized equipment to the site, and begun work on a large stone retaining wall and stone stairs. Here, the crew is preparing a stone that has been drilled and split to be moved by cable to the project site.
Project Overview
What work is being done?
OSMP is constructing a new three-mile loop trail – this new route will bring people to many of the existing popular locations on Anemone Hill, and some new areas. Additionally, existing undesignated trails in the area that are in poor condition and which negatively impact habitat will be closed and re-vegetated to reduce impacts to the environment.
Mechanized equipment is being used for this project. Helicopters are expected to be used for mobilizing materials for some aspects of the work.
Rockfall control fencing will be installed on the eastern part of Anemone Hill – this is needed to prevent rockfall over Boulder Canyon during construction. This barrier will be removed before project completion.
When is this project occurring?
The project will start as early as Thursday, May 14, 2020 and is expected to take approximately two years to complete.
Why is this project being done?
The new trail will replace existing trails, which have significant erosion and widening issues. These issues are negative impacts to the surrounding environment and are impossible for OSMP to adequately maintain. OSMP trail staff and ecologists have collaborated on the trail design with the goal of providing a fantastic recreational opportunity for trail users while minimizing negative impacts to the environment and habitat.
The Anemone Hill project is part of the OSMP West Trail Study Area (WTSA) management plan, which was approved by OSMP’s Board of Trustees and Boulder’s City Council and involved significant public input.
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OSMP will begin a trail project to re-route a 1/3-mile section of Bear Canyon Trail the week of May 24, and expected to last through November 2021. Bear Canyon Trail will be closed to public access from 6 am – 5 pm Mon-Fri during this timeframe due to rockfall hazard from the trail construction site. The trail will be open evenings and weekends. This project will re-route a section of Bear Canyon Trail away from sensitive streamside habitat, improve trail conditions, and reduce trail susceptibility to flood damage. Brief (up to one hour) closures on Bear Peak West Ridge Trail are also expected on Monday, May 24 (weather pending), or the first good weather day after, for helicopter work to mobilize equipment to the project site. View a map of the planned trail closure.
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BOULDER COUNTY, CO — Most Boulder County Open Space closures have been lifted, parks officials said.
The parkland is reopening “due to the decreased fire danger and current weather conditions,” Boulder County Parks and Open Space said in a news release. Heil Valley Ranch will remain closed for resource and safety assessments.
Level 2 fire restrictions remain in effect for all areas of unincorporated Boulder County, officials said. Information about what Level 2 restrictions entail can be found here.
List of properties that are set to reopen Tuesday:
Anne U. White
Bald Mountain
Caribou Ranch
Castle Rock climbing area
Grassy Top
Hall Ranch
Hessie trailhead
Mud Lake
Reynolds Ranch
Sugarloaf Mountain
Posted inHot Topics|Comments Off on Most Boulder County Parks & Open Space Back Open After Fires
