The Board meets every 2nd Thursday of the month. The meetings begin at 7PM and generally last for about two hours. Board meeting locations vary from month to month. Contact any board member for meeting locations and agendas.

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Articles In This Issue

It's been another busy year, with the usual mix of successes and disappointments.

BATCO sponsored trail projects with the County at Walker Ranch on National Trails Day, and with the Forest Service on the North Sourdough Trail. Our contributions included planning, financial support and volunteer workers. The Forest Service, in particular, has been a most willing partner in our efforts to maintain and improve Boulder trails. We also provided support for the Common Ground Movement (see the article on page 6).

We were discouraged by the City of Boulder's lack of progress on previously approved trail projects. Because 91% of Open Space funding is from sales taxes, the poor Boulder City economy has certainly been a contributing factor. This year we plan to target a specific project and enlist volunteer resources to make a difference.

On a more positive note, Boulder County continues to create new trail opportunities. The County constructed a new multi-use trail at the Hall Ranch, made progress on the Rock Creek/Coal Creek trail system, and approved future trails at the Caribou Ranch Open Space.

For several years now, the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Department has been formulating a Visitor Plan which is intended to direct future land management decisions. Early this year the department created a 12-member Visitor Plan Advisory Committee to continue the process. We believe the plan should incorporate a balance that accurately represents the majority viewpoint of our citizens. We hope to be involved in the process and to continue to represent your interests there.

There's been little done on City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (COBOSMP) projects. As we've previously reported, the COBOSMP Board of Trustees in their August 23, 2000 meeting adopted five "near-term" projects following a series of discussions of BATCO trail recommendations.

The first of these, a short (approximately 0.7 mile) connection north from Lookout Road to the Cottontail Trail was completed and opened early in 2001.

During 2001, the City approved final alignments for two of the remaining projects: the Greenbelt-Plateau-to-Coalton trail connection, and a connection from Greenbelt Plateau to Flatirons Vista Trailhead via the Highway 93 underpass. We hoped to see these trails completed last year, but lack of funds and other complications prevented both trails from being constructed.

The final proposal for the Greenbelt-Plateau-to-Coalton Trail defined an alignment on open space property at the east and west ends, and on the Highway 128 right-of-way in between. BATCO worked with the Open Space and Mountain Parks staff to develop this alignment in lieu of the initial configuration that was entirely in the highway right-of-way. Despite extensive efforts by the COBOSMP staff to meet various CDOT concerns, CDOT ultimately did not grant permission to use the right-of-way for a trail. We will continue to work with COBOSMP to define a new trail alignment, and are hopeful we can keep the possibility of this trail connection alive.

Progress stalled on connecting the Greenbelt Plateau and Flatirons Vista trailheads through an existing Highway-93 underpass. COBOSMP does recognize the serious safety issues associated with crossing Highway 93, and has been actively negotiating to provide a safer alternative with FRICO, the company responsible for the Community Ditch. The most recent proposal uses the existing ditch underpass as a trail connection. The suggested design features a bridge within the ditch underpass that would allow pedestrian and bicycle traffic without impeding the flow of ditch water. We support any improvements in the safety of the highway crossing and hope that the ditch underpass will be constructed in the future.

Another approved trail project, the Boulder Feeder Canal Trail from Boulder Reservoir to Niwot Road, is on indefinite hold due to City of Boulder Utility Department concerns about water quality impacts. Despite offers from the Open Space and Mountain Parks Department to take mitigation actions that could actually improve water quality, the Utility Department refuses to approve the project. Because of the importance of this regional trail, BATCO will continue to pursue the issues with the City of Boulder.

The final approved project is still under active consideration. The 3.5-mile Marshall Mesa to Superior trail will run east from the Marshall Mesa Trailhead to 66^th Street, south along 66^th Street to Coal Creek Drive, and then east to the Town of Superior. The County is moving forward to vacate the southern portion of 66^th Street and the western portion of Coal Creek Drive to create a trail corridor, and is committed to a trail component on the Mayhoffer-Singletree Open Space to the east. We hope to have additional discussions about specific trail alignments this year. Given all the recent complications that surfaced with the other previously approved trails, the Marshall Mesa to Superior Trail may be the most likely to be constructed during the next several years.

During the past summer, Boulder County Parks and Open Space constructed a new 1.0-mile trail at the County's Hall Valley Ranch. The trail connects the north-east corner of the Bitterbrush Trail to Apple Valley. Those who worked on the project, which was sponsored by the Boulder Off-Road Alliance, can attest to the beauty of the surroundings. After the County com-pletes a small parking lot at the end of Antelope Road, the trail should be opened to the public early next spring. To minimize effect on the local neighbors, visitors should park at the main trailhead off Highway 7, and access the new trail by way of the Bitterbrush Trail.

There's been continuing progress on the Rock Creek and Coal Creek trail system. Ultimately, the system will consist of two trails following Rock and Coal Creeks from the west side of Highway 36 in Superior to the east County border, where the trails will merge. A large portion of the Coal Creek trail east of Highway 36 trail is already a reality. The trail stretches continuously from Dillon Road in Louisville to 120th Street. Attention is now focused on the western end of the alignment and on completing missing connections along the Rock Creek trail.

During 2001, Louisville obtained the necessary rights-of-way for a trail segment west from Dillion Road to Highway 36. Last year, the town of Superior obtained an easement for a trail segment west of Highway 36 to McCaslin Boulevard. The County is taking bids for construction of both these segments and hopes to have a trail completed by March of 2003. A new trailhead and interpretive center on Public Road in Lafayette will also be constructed as part of the contract.

Superior, Boulder County, and the City of Boulder are committed to a trail component on the Mayhoffer-Singletree Open Space, west of McCaslin Boulevard. This segment will eventually connect with a future trail alignment along Coal Creek Drive. This trail section was originally scheduled for completion in 2002, but has been delayed by permit processing backlogs at the US Fish and Wildlife Service. If the process cannot be expedited, construction will probably be delayed until 2004.

Significant progress has also been made on the Rock Creek trail components. The City of Lafayette completed a new 2.5-mile trail section east of Highway 287. The trail runs through the new Lafayette Park, southwest from 120^th Street. As part of the construction of the C-470 Parkway, additional trail components are being built through the highway right-of-way and underpasses. When the Parkway is completed in late 2003, these trail segments will connect to the east end of the County trails on the Rock Creek Farm Open Space.

West of the Rock Creek Farm, RTD acquired property for a parking lot that could provide a trail connection to Highway 36, Interlocken and Superior. The property is in the City and County of Broomfield. Construction of this trail connection has not yet been scheduled. Negotiations are ongoing between Louisville and Storage Tek regarding future development of the Storage Tek campus. Discussions have thus been delayed about a potential alignment along the west edge of the Storage Tek campus that would complete the connection from the RTD property to the existing Superior trails.

In the November 2001 election, Boulder County residents approved a 1/10th of a cent sales tax to fund a seven-year Boulder County Transportation Improvement Program. This tax will raise approximately $35 million over seven years, of which up to $4 million is earmarked for regional trail projects. The Boulder County Commissioners have formed a committee of city and county staff to help prioritize the regional trails throughout the County. The membership includes representatives from Boulder County, Superior, Longmont, Lyons, Erie, Louisville, City of Boulder, and Lafayette. The committee will identify regional trails from the Boulder County Trails Comprehensive Plan that have a transportation component, and develop criteria to prioritize them. This spring, citizens will have an opportunity to provide comments and input during a series of committee-sponsored open houses.

The list of potential candidates includes a trail following the Diagonal Highway from Boulder to Longmont (the LoBo trail), the Saint Vrain Greenway between Lyons and Longmont, the UP Rail Line between Boulder and Erie, and the Boulder Feeder Canal between the Boulder Reservoir and Lyons. Also under consideration are some badly needed highway underpasses, including one on Highway 52 to connect the Cottontail Trail with the Niwot trails, and another at Four Mile Creek under the Diagonal Highway. A number of Gunbarrel and Niwot connections are also being studied.

Last year, BATCO applied for and received a Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) grant to support our map project.

The map project will produce a single map covering the entire county. The map will show all the designated trails in Boulder County, over a topographic base. Trails will be color- and pattern-coded to show:

• routes open to various user groups
• trail surfaces such as single track, 4WD road, and concrete
• urban bicycle routes
• other recreational amenities.

Each public land management agency's acreage will be shown in a distinctive color, to help resolve the current confusions about ownership and changing regulations as trails pass from one jurisdiction into another. The map will also contain:

• Information about each agency's trail regulations and contact persons
• suggestions for trail etiquette and safety
• material about various outdoor and environmental organizations
• user-friendly sketches, photographs, and text pertaining to observing and protecting Boulder County's diverse natural resources.

A BATCO subcommittee has the project well underway, and is providing input to Stuart Watada, who is producing the map for BATCO. Several drafts have been prepared and the design is making good progress.

For more information or to offer your assistance (financial or otherwise) for this project, please contact Suzanne Webel 303-485-2162.

In 2001, Congress passed a bill establishing the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site as a future National Wildlife Refuge. Sometime after 2006, most of the Rocky Flats site between Boulder and Golden will come under the supervision of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In additional to providing urban open space buffers and a wildlife preserve, Rocky Flats' 6,000 acres could include a trail system to provide public opportunities for wildlife observation, photography, environmental education and interpretation. This trail system could connect to other trail systems in Boulder and Jefferson Counties. Last summer, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service took public comment in advance of their draft plan preparation for the area. The draft is scheduled for release in mid-2003.

Although the bill that established the refuge provides for recreational use, it is not clear that the draft plan will include trails at the refuge. Equestrian and bicycle access is very much in question. As wildlife-dependent recreational activities, the bill lists hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, and environ-mental education and interpretation. Although a trail system at the refuge is essential to provide these public opportunities, the initial maps of the Rocky Flats surroundings show proposed trails only on properties external to the refuge. Many of these properties are privately owned or unavailable for public use. For instance, the northwest corner of Standley Lake is closed to protect bald eagle habitat. We can only hope these maps reflect suggestions made prior to the establishment of the refuge and that the planning process will lead to the creation of trails inside the Rocky Flats boundaries.

The site has many existing roads that will be used in perpetuity to monitor the cleanup effort. These roads could provide the backbone of a multi-use trail system. Such trail use is allowed in existing National Wildlife Refuges across the nation. At the very least, a trail loop within the refuge boundaries should be created to allow public appreciation and enjoyment of its scenic and environmental values. Because of the size of the refuge and the regional nature of the surrounding trail systems, the trails should be made available to equestrians and bicyclists as well as hikers.

Rocky Flats' central location could also provide key connections for a whole network of regional trails. The potential north-south and east-west connections provided by Rocky Flats are essential to the regional trail plans of both Boulder and Jefferson Counties, as identified in the Jefferson County "Trails 2000" planning documents and in the Comprehensive Plan Trails Maps of both Boulder County and the City of Boulder.

On October 15, 2002, the Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the Management Plan for the Caribou Ranch Open Space property. The Caribou Ranch is located just north of Nederland and west of the Peak-to-Peak Highway. The purchase of the property began in 1996, when the City of Boulder Department of Public Works and Boulder County Parks and Open Space agreed to acquire the property from James L. Guercio. The City of Boulder funded the initial purchase. Boulder County will purchase the property from the City in a series of transactions extending through 2006. Ultimately, Boulder County will own and manage 2,180 acres in fee and hold a conservation easement on an additional 1,489 acres. The City will retain a conservation easement on the properly and a fee interest in the Silver Lake pipeline right-of-way.

The Management Plan reserves about 60% of the County-owned property as habitat preservation areas, which will be closed to the public. The remaining property will also be closed to the public during the spring elk calving season from April 1 to June 30, and may be temporarily closed for periods in the fall to protect rutting elk from human interference. Domestic dogs will be prohibited. Under the original terms of the acquisition the property will be open only to pedestrians and equestrians.

The plan includes a two-mile loop trail starting from the Mud Lake property adjacent to the south end of Caribou Ranch. The trail would utilize a short portion of the Switzerland Trail as far as the Bluebird town and mine site, returning via an old ranch road past the Delonde Homestead. Use of the northward extension of the Switzerland Trail, from Bluebird to the Rainbow Lakes Road, is still under negotiation. The County has pledged to find a suitable trail connection to the Sourdough Trail north of the property, and we are optimistic that the existing railroad grade will be the best choice. The County hopes to begin construction on the initial loop trail in 2005.

On September 21, 2002, BATCO, BCHA and FIDOS were among the sponsors of a public forum on the acquisition, management and use of public open space lands in Boulder County. Other sponsors of the forum included the Land Use Coalition (LUC), the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA), Rock Shox, the Town of Superior, the City of Louisville Land Management Department, and several private citizens. More than 50 stakeholder groups, ranging from weed managers to bird watchers, were invited to participate in the forum. Approximately 175 members of the public, land managers, and media people attended.

The goals of the forum were defined as:

Colorado Attorney Gen-eral Ken Salazar was the keynote speaker. He discussed the importance of land organizations in compensating for the failure of legislation to contain growth and described Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) as an example of successfully investing in the environment. His remarks were followed by individual comments from forum's panelists. The panelists included:

• Ken Foelske, Jefferson County Open Space Manager
• Lawrence MacDonnell, City of Boulder Open Space Trustee
• Kevin Probst, President of the Land Use Coalition
• Ed Mills, President of FIDOS
• Suzanne Webel, BATCO Vice President and BCHA President
• Ron Stewart, Director of Boulder County Parks and Open Space
• Justin Dombrowski, City of Boulder Wildfire Management Officer
• Gary Sprung, Senior Policy Advisor for the International Mountain Biking Association.

A lively question-and-answer session ensued, with hot topics including user conflicts and objective interpretation of "good science." Some participants called for increased education as a way to reduce user conflicts, while others emphasized that there is already far more cooperation on trails than conflict. Webel pointed out that if trails are constructed and managed properly in the first place, conflict and impacts could be reduced. County Commissioner Paul Danish reminded the group that communication does not necessarily mean agreement, but can define how we disagree. The forum then broke into smaller structured discussion groups and reconvened to summarize their results.

For additional information on the Common Ground movement, including how you can participate, please contact Suzanne Webel at suzanne_webel@iname.com, or 303-485-2162.

BATCO memberships are for the calendar year. We ask that members renew in the spring. Memberships received during the last quarter of the year are considered paid in full for the next year. You can use the membership form in this newsletter to avoid the spring rush!

We maintain an e-mail list of individuals who have expressed an interest in trail related issues. We use the list for special announcements that we think may be of immediate interest. We do not share the list with other organizations or allow it to be used for commercial purposes. To be included in our notices, send us your e-mail address (via snail mail, the response options on the BATCO web site, or e-mail to ericvogelsberg@cs.com). If you have been receiving e-mail from BATCO and do not wish to continue to receive it, just reply with a request to be removed from the list.