Clare Tone

North Trail Study Area (NTSA)

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Learn more about this beautiful area, provide your input and help shape the future of the NTSA as an equestrian, hiker, environmentalist or simply as a citizen of Boulder County on the North Trail Study Area. This content was reposted from an e-newsletter by: City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks Steve Armstead Environmental Planner , Open Space and Mountain Parks  Starting in April, the City of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Department will kick off its development of the North Trail Study Area (TSA) Plan with a series of public workshops and online opportunities to gather input from the community. This plan seeks to improve visitor experiences and increase the sustainability of recreational amenities on OSMP’s northern lands while also conserving the area’s diverse natural, cultural and agricultural resources. It will include recommendations to modify and enhance the miles of trails on OSMP lands north of Linden Avenue and the Diagonal Highway. The North Trail Study Area Plan may include proposals for trail reroutes, and special resource and activity management measures. It will also direct how OSMP will manage undesignated trails – which may lead to the restoration of visitor-created paths that are not sustainable or are not compatible with conservation goals for other resources. OSMP needs your input to identify priorities for this plan and to help us shape it. We encourage you to learn more about this plan by signing up for email updates or by visiting NorthTSA.org in the coming weeks and months. For more information watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3h1epUHssM Linda P

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Forest Service Directed to Maintain Trails with Volunteers

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FEBRUARY 11, 2015 AHC WASHINGTON UPDATE Copyright 2015 American Horse Council National Forest Trail Bill Introduced On February 10, 2015, Congresswomen Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Tim Walz (D-MN) re-introduced the National Forest Service Trail Stewardship Act of 2015 (H.R.845).  The bill would direct the Forest Service to take several actions to help address the current trail maintenance backlog that is adversely impacting all trail users on many national forests, including equestrians.  The bill was first introduced during the last Congress.  The American Horse Council, Backcountry Horsemen of America, and the Wilderness Society were significantly involved in the creation of this bill. A June 2013, study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Forest Service has deferred trail maintenance needs that exceed half-billion dollars, and only one-quarter of the agency’s 158,000 miles of trails meets agency standards for maintenance. This maintenance backlog is causing access and safety issues for equestrians and all trail users on national forests. The National Forest Service Trail Stewardship Act would direct the Forest Service to develop a strategy to more effectively utilize volunteers and partners to assist in maintaining national forest trails.  It will also provide outfitters and guides the ability to perform trail maintenance activities in lieu of permit fees.  Additionally, the bill would address a liability issue that has discouraged some national forests from utilizing volunteers and partner organizations to help perform trail maintenance and would direct the Forest Service to identify and prioritize specific areas with the greatest need for trail maintenance in the national forest system.

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I also grow weary!

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I wanted to share the Joder Family Statement with you concerning the family ranch that was purchased by Open Space. I too grow weary, as Linda Andes-George stated in today’s Daily Camera Guest Opinion, and in my opinion feel that the management of the property, including agreements on what trails go where, to be done in the context of our Trails Study Area (TSA) process. If at all possible, I would like to see the TSA process done a bit quicker then previously stated, so we all may enjoy this beautiful new addition to our Open Space lands, this includes bears, bobcats, birds and then of course all us other users. Below is the Joder Family Statement: First, we need to say at the outset that we, the four Joder family members, are much like a microcosm of the Boulder community — we each have different outdoor activities we enjoy, we have somewhat different ideas about land use in general, and we also have slightly differing opinions on what should eventually be done with the city’s new acquisition. Therefore, the following points are somewhat general and may be slightly contradictory. When we sold the property, we knowingly put our trust into the Open Space process for determining land use and we believe that, once the process is completed and all voices are heard, the right balance will have been struck. Here are the main points upon which we have come together: 1) Whatever the use, we feel strongly that the impact on the biodiversity of the

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