Boulder Outdoor Coalition

Monday, September 21, 2009

Candidate Endorsements

September 21, 2009

2009 Boulder City Council Election

The Boulder Outdoor Coalition, consisting of individuals and groups that value our public lands, is very pleased to endorse the following candidates in the upcoming City Council Election:

All four candidates exhibit the following qualities:

Have demonstrated an open and sensible approach to community issues - they do not bring in a personal agenda; they do listen to everyone, and then make rational decisions.
Are pragmatic thinkers, who wish to act in the best interests of all citizens of Boulder, not powerful interest groups.
Have an appreciation of the importance in this particular town, of public access to public lands.

Suzy Ageton - Voters have given Suzy some of the highest vote totals in any City Council election for good reason: she is smart, sensible, listens to everyone, and then makes good decisions. She has already proven these qualities in her service on City Council.

KC Becker - KC’s background is extensive, serving on Boulder’s Planning Board as well as an attorney for the National Park Service, and as a relatively young mother can add diversity to our Council. She “…wants to change the misconception that to be pro-environment you must be anti-business.”

George Karakehian - George K is a downtown small business owner; a voice that has been surprisingly lacking from the Council recently. He has been quietly involved for decades in keeping Boulder on track, and promises to take a practical look at the City Budget.

Barry Siff - Barry is a person of boundless positive energy and personal enthusiasm - qualities that could help reverse the current course of polarization and political fighting. After retiring from making every business he was involved in a success, he now attends every meeting possible, demonstrating his commitment to making Boulder a better place for everyone.

The Boulder Outdoor Coalition is composed of individuals who advocate stewardship, access, and appreciation of our public lands. Many are members of groups that represent thousands of Boulder’s hikers, climbers, runners, dog guardians, bicyclists, equestrians, conservationists, and environmentalists.

For more information, please contact Buzz Burrell: buzzburrell@mac.com.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

About the Boulder Outdoor Coalition

We will soon be featuring on our website / blog coverage of the upcoming City Council Election. Information about other the Coalition activities is available elsewhere on this site. See, especially:

Boulder Outdoor Coalition – Position Statement

Boulder Area Outdoor Organizations

Web Site Contents Page

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Snow on Flagstaff

Ponderosa and Snow

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Connecting / Not Separating

One of the big advantages of Open Space is that it allows scenes like this (Sawmill Ponds) where vistors can experience wildlife. Open Space needs to be managed in ways which provide these experiences while also protecting wildlife.

Friday, September 07, 2007

Open Space: Percentages Open and Closed

Questions frequently arise about the percentage Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks land that is actually open to the public. Two BOC members with extensive experience off their best estimates.

From Eric Vogelsberg

All the figures are somewhat inaccurate.

Of the ~43,000 acres about 7,000 is in conservation easements. For the conservation easements (like the Hogan property) the city has only restricted development. There is no fee ownership and no public access.

The fee ownership properties, about 36,000 acres, are divided into 4 categories:

Habitat Conservation Areas (13,433 acres, 38% of fee properties)

Natural Areas (14,145 acres, 41% of fee properties)

Passive Recreation Areas (4,220 acres, 12% of fee properties)

Agricultural Areas (3,291 acres, 9% of fee properties)

Note that these are 2005 figures. However there have been few significant new property additions since then.

In general public access is allowed in all of these areas, with restrictions increasing from Passive Recreation Area off-trail access to Habitat Conservation Area and Agricultural Area on-trail or by permit only access

From Suzanne Webel

The Final Draft VMP Management Areas are as follows:
38% Habitat Conservation Areas (HCAs)
41% Natural Areas (NAs)
12% Passive Recreation Areas (PRAs)
9% Agricultural Areas (AAs)

Of the 125 miles of trail on OSMP,
54 miles (43%) are in PRAs
48 miles (38%) are in NAs
19 miles (15%) are in HCAs
4 miles (4%) are in AAs

Of the total 43,000 acres,
72% are "open" to the public
19% are Conservation Easements, closed to the public
7% are closed to everyone for hazards and sensitive habitat

However, all of these categorizations are fuzzy, and many overlap. For example:
Much of the 72% "open" is de facto closed, because it is surrounded by fences and locked gates which discourage access. So the "72% open" assertion, while technically correct, is disingenuous at best.

Some of the Natural Areas are being treated as de facto HCAs, with stricter rules and no off-trail use by certain groups (such as Spring Brook Mesa).

Only a tiny fraction (less than 2%) of the HCAs are "open" to the public because they contain very few trails, the Off-Trail Permit system is only available to some user groups and not others, and then only to a tiny proportion of those groups.

Agricultural areas are mostly closed to public access.

My best calculation at this point is that about 68% of all OSMP lands are effectively closed to public access, which surely vindicates the term "Closed Space."

Permits Needed?

The new permit system will, increasingly require you to get a permit if you want to enjoy a spot like this a hundred feet or so off the main trail.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Boulder Outdoor Coalition – Position Statement

The Boulder Outdoor Coalition advocates stewardship, access and appreciation of our public lands.

The BOC represents people who enjoy visiting Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks lands, including: trail runners, hikers, dog owners, climbers, mountain bikers, hang gliders / paragliders and equestrians.

“It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it.” – Ed Abbey

Guiding principles:
We need to preserve the historic balance of visitor access and ecosystem protection in Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP). This balanced approach was codified in the 1986 City Charter, has worked great for decades, and enjoys the overwhelming support of citizens.

The protection and enjoyment of the land are synergistic activities, rather than incompatible.

Boulder’s OSMP lands are our most valuable resource. We live here expressly for the quality of life that these treasured areas afford, whether it’s for the wildlife, preserved natural habitat, or access to trails. Boulder is a national hub for the outdoor industry and passive recreational tourism. This is a huge economic engine for the city.

Exclusionary policies are in danger of eroding support for Open Space. In the words of the Visitor Master Plan, we need to engender a “sense of welcoming”. Many citizens report that they no longer feel welcome on OSMP land – land that we all paid for.

Actions we favor:
Educate and Engage not Regulate and Exclude: If visitors are informed and feel welcomed they will have a sense of ownership in protecting the environment; they will follow the rules with fewer conflicts and less need for costly enforcement.

The OSMP Department should make maintenance a higher priority; it is important to take care of the land we already have. Resource damage and social trails have become a real problem; this occurs in part because of poor condition of existing trails, or lack of trails in some areas.

Staffing of the OSMP Department should reflect its duty to ensure both quality recreation and conservation. Only one staff title contains the word “recreation”, while there are nearly 2 dozen ranger/naturalists, ecologists, natural resource specialists, and environmental planners.

Resource decisions should be made on the basis of sound, defensible science and common sense.

The Open Space Board of Trustees should reflect the broad citizenry of Boulder, and promote the equal balance of access and resource protection as specified in the City Charter.

While members of the Coalition are also members of Boulder area's many outdoor recreation organizations, these organizations are not formally affiliated with BOC.

Boulder Area Outdoor Organizations

For those interested in outdoor recreation, Boulder Outdoor Coalition recommends the following organizations (which are not formally affiliated with BOC):