Category Archives: Public Meetings
The Time is Nigh for the UPRR / RTD Rail Regional Trail !
Ta Da!!! It’s been a long time coming, but with your help we may soon have an amazing new trail extending more than 9 miles between Boulder and Erie!
BATCO identified this trail alignment waaaay back in 1996 and we have been carrying it as one of our “Top 10 Trail Projects” ever since. It would utilize the former Union Pacific Railroad bed and would connect several favorite trails such as Walden/Sawhill Ponds, the East Boulder Trail at Gunbarrel (which in turn may someday be part of the Trail Around Boulder), and a network of trails in the Town of Erie. Boulder County and several partner agencies have been working diligently on this project since 2003.
NOW is the time for all non-motorized trail advocates to support this exciting opportunity! Please open the following link and familiarize yourself with the project: https://www.bouldercounty.org/transportation/plans-and-projects/union-pacific-trail/. Write the Regional Trails Planner Tonya Luebbert at tluebbert@bouldercounty.org by August 31. There are also a few opportunities to join a virtual townhall on Aug 26 and 27.
That’s less than two weeks to get your voice heard! GO!
OSMP Trail Projects Open House Feb 26
https://bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/trails-open-house
Rabbit Mountain Elk Management Plan Open House
Thursday April 6, 2017
Boulder County Parks & Open Space Headquarters
5201 St Vrain Rd
Longmont
Have you ever sighted an elk as you ride the trails at Rabbit Mountain? Have you noticed an increase in the number of elk up there over the past decade?
BCPOS has done some elk telemetry studies that indicate the herd has not only increased dramatically but has ceased to migrate from Rabbit Mountain to the high country. Instead, they stay at Rabbit Mountain year-round, causing damage to shrubs on the preserve and to crops on neighboring agricultural lands. Staff says they have evaluated several management actions to mitigate the elk impacts, including encouraging adjacent property owners to “harvest” them, administering fertility control, trapping and transplanting them, professional culling, fencing, less palatable crop alternatives, and hazing by walking behind the animals. Staff claims none of the listed techniques will be effective enough, so they now conclude that the only remaining alternative is hunting. In the proposed scenario, the entire property would be closed to all other recreation during hunting season. However, trails were not even discussed as an elk management technique, nor was more aggressive hazing.
In 2013 BCPOS began a comprehensive “Rabbit Mountain Management Plan” which would have evaluated many different aspects of how to manage the property, including what’s working and what isn’t with regard to the wildlife, weeds, access, and trails. However, The Flood of 2013 diverted staff’s ability to do planning in favor of flood mitigation, and the Rabbit Mountain Management Plan has never been revived.
BATCO submitted a detailed plan in 2013 for how the trail system at Rabbit Mountain could be significantly improved, and all of the points we made then are still valid today.
We believe the original comprehensive plan process should be reopened now, and that elk management should be part of the overall plan instead of merely a stand-alone topic.
Here is a link to the web page about this meeting and the plan. Please try to attend the meeting and provide your input. If you can’t make it to the meeting but would like to submit comments online, enter them on the web page above.
Trail Planning Meeting for Rocky Flats
City of Boulder Open Space Board of Trustees (OSBT) Meeting
OSBT Meetings are typically held on the second and, if necessary, the fourth Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 1777 Broadway.
The next meeting will be on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at 6 pm