Archives-Advocacy & public lands

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 […]

Last month more than 35 people spoke at the Open Space Board of Trustees (OSBT) meeting, with 29 speakers in favor of trail access to horses at the Joder Arabian Ranch along with parking (this was a huge response). Even more incredible was that the OSBT and City Council received more than 350 e-mails on this topic. Thank you to all those who have taken the time to respond on this. Your response was completely unprecedented, and it shows the amazing level of support for equestrian access and the horse community’s personal involvement with the future development of the Joder Arabian Ranch. The future of the Joder Arabian Ranch is still in the planning stages and the discussion is still going on. The OSBT has scheduled another meeting this Wednesday, January 14th.   It is important to let OSBT and the Open Space Board of Trustees know how you feel about the Joder Arabian Ranch and trail access and parking for horse recreational use. Remember if you don’t say anything, they won’t know how you feel about the future of this special property. Please try to attend the next meeting of the Open Space Board of Trustees: Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at 6 PM Boulder City Council Chambers (Municipal Building), Broadway & Canyon Speak under the: Public Participation Items Not on the Agenda If you can’t make it to the meeting, click here to send a personal e-mail to the Boulder City Council and Open Space Board of Trustees. Please write a short paragraph about your interest in the