Clare Tone

Why the City of Boulder Should Remove the Spring Prairie Dog Removal Moratorium

Advocacy-public lands-resources /

by Linda Parks Currently, the City of Boulder only allows Prairie Dog (PD) removal on Agricultural Open Space properties from June 1st to the end of February. Then they stop so the PDs can breed, and the removal process starts again on June 1st.    The current prairie dog removal moratorium from March through the end of May on City of Boulder Open Space properties is significantly interrupting the removal work and the efficacy of the management. Climate change and drought are real. We have to adapt our management program.    The current seasonal moratorium is counterproductive, as it allows thousands of prairie dogs to reproduce, resulting in a waste of management time and increased costs. The rationale for this is to satisfy PD advocates and their general distaste for killing the young. This policy has proved to be very inefficient and expensive.   City of Boulder OSMP has found that PDs rapidly recolonize previously cleared areas each spring, and populations explode during the pupping season. By discontinuing the removal each spring, OSMP staff must return to previously cleared properties, resulting in lost time and increased taxpayer dollars.     By comparison, Boulder County cancelled its lethal control moratorium in the spring of 2022 and found that it has greatly improved control efforts, saved taxpayer dollars, and improved land management on County properties.   Please write to City of Boulder Open Space Board of Trustees to recommend a policy change that supports local agriculture, food production, and local farmers and ranchers, promotes soil health and soil carbon […]

Why the City of Boulder Should Remove the Spring Prairie Dog Removal Moratorium Read More »

Colorado SB25-149 The Equestrian Zones Bill

Advocacy-public lands-resources, Community News /

Grassroots Equestrian Group Brings SB25-149 to Colorado: A Step Toward Improving Equestrian Safety, Infrastructure, and Advocacy In a major push for equestrian rights and safety, Community Equestrian, a grassroots equestrian group out of Jefferson County, Colorado has successfully brought SB25-149 to the state’s legislative floor with sponsorship from State Senator Lindsey Daugherty and State Representative Lisa Feret. This groundbreaking bill is set to improve equestrian infrastructure, enhance safety for riders, and give the equestrian community a stronger presence in Colorado’s future development…(read more)

Colorado SB25-149 The Equestrian Zones Bill Read More »

Most Adorable Horse/Bike Education Day, Ever!

Community News, Trail News /

 On October 12th, Heil Valley Ranch was the place to be for kids on bikes, families and….horses.  The Boulder Mountainbike Alliance, Boulder County Horse Association and Boulder County Parks & Open Space combined to host a morning of learning about the beginner trails at Heil Valley ranch. Beautiful weather, enthusiastic mini cyclists, kid-friendly trails and horse ambassadors Ellie and Walker, came together to make one of the most adorable horse/bike education/outreach days ever. 

Most Adorable Horse/Bike Education Day, Ever! Read More »

Public Riding Sessions at the Boulder County Fairgrounds Cancelled!

Advocacy-public lands-resources, Community News /

By Carmen Porter, BCHA Board Member & Fun Show Committee Chair For many years, the Boulder County Fairgrounds offered public sessions from November through April, which was a wonderful but unfortunately underutilized opportunity for the equestrian community to bring their horses to the indoor arena to practice for the low cost of $5/horse.  With the recently approved updated Boulder County Fairgrounds Policy Manual, all those public sessions have been cancelled. If you were one of the users who took advantage of this, it is a big loss, as there is no other  indoor public arena opportunity for practice.  Some of you may not have been aware that public sessions at the indoor arena existed and might have used them if you knew.  Every year we try to remind the equestrian community about public sessions, but this year when we contacted the fairgrounds office to confirm the dates, we were informed that the public sessions have been cancelled. Traditionally, the public sessions consisted of Tuesday evening roping, Wednesday all day open riding, Thursday evening barrel racing (as well as a day in the exhibit building set up for dog agility course practice).  The cancellation of all these public events was proposed in the presentation of the updated fairgrounds policy manual to Boulder County Parks & Open Space Advisory Committee at their meeting held on May 23.  POSAC advises staff and the county commissioners on management of county Open Space properties, and the fairgrounds are one of those facilities.  As such, POSAC has quite an influence on decisions

Public Riding Sessions at the Boulder County Fairgrounds Cancelled! Read More »

CTRC Receives Funds From Broncos Sale

Community News /

Newsflash: Colorado Therapuetic Riding Center (CTRC) receives $37,500 from the sale of the Denver Broncos! CTRC was one of over 35 agencies and organizations to receive a portion of the nearly $1 million awarded to Longmont thanks to the sale of the Denver Broncos. For a therapeutic riding center to be recognized by civic leaders in this way reflects positively on equine organizations in general. And with CTRC’s two-year waitlist, the hope is to expand programming to help more people receive equine assisted activities. Read the Longmont Times-Call article here

CTRC Receives Funds From Broncos Sale Read More »

The Trails Committee is up and cantering with its first new members!

Trail News /

We are pleased to welcome Alex Rushford and Denise Marino! Might you be next? Please consider joining this volunteer committee of active BCHA members to create safer trails for equestrians through observation and reporting problematic or unsafe conditions for the equestrian trail riding community.  Through hiking or riding trails, members will report what they think could be a hazard to horses.  BCHA will then contact the appropriate Open Space authority and meet with them to resolve the problem. The ultimate goal is for riders to feel comfortable and safe so that they will return and continue to ride trails–especially where we’ve identified problems and have had them corrected. If you’re interested in joining, just click on the button below and we’ll be in touch! I’m interested in joining the Trails Committee

The Trails Committee is up and cantering with its first new members! Read More »

Ranch Horse Mentor Match-Up at the National Western Stock Show

Community News /

By Mea French, Easy Riders volunteer and Horse Leader’s Council member   A big “congratulations” to current Boulder County 4-H horse member Anna Thomas and alumnae Delaney Helgans (both a part of Easy Rider’s 4-H club) for doing so well in their Ranch Horse Mentor Match Up competition at the National Western Stock Show in early January. Delaney (with her mentor, Jesse Jolly from Agate, Colorado) took 4th place. Anna (with her mentor, Steve Schwartzenberger from Longmont ) was reserve champion earning $1,000 in scholarship money. They both had a good cheering section from their Boulder County 4-H friends and family! These selected riders get to work with talented industry horse professionals in the disciplines of ranch riding, ranch trail, reining and cow work… then compete against each other in this match up between 9 other riders. It was an exciting event all around. Congratulations to Anna and Delaney!

Ranch Horse Mentor Match-Up at the National Western Stock Show Read More »

Join The BCHA Trails Committee

Trail News /

Love to Hike and Ride Local Trails? Join this volunteer committee of active BCHA members to create safer trails for equestrians through observation and reporting problematic or unsafe conditions for the equestrian trail riding community.  Through hiking or riding trails, members will report what they think could be a hazard to horses.  BCHA will then contact the appropriate Open Space authority and meet with them to resolve the problem. The ultimate goal is for riders to feel comfortable and safe so that they will return and continue to ride trails–especially where we’ve identified problems and have had them corrected. Yes–I’m interested in helping!

Join The BCHA Trails Committee Read More »