1 - Consideration of the Final Draft Eldorado Mountain/Doudy Draw Trail Study Area Plan
CITY OF BOULDER
OPEN SPACE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AGENDA ITEM
MEETING DATE: October 11, 2006
AGENDA TITLE:
Consideration of Final Draft Eldorado Mountain/Doudy Draw Trail Study Area Plan.
PRESENTERS:
Mike Patton, Director, Open Space and Mountain Parks Department
Don D’Amico, Wetland Ecologist, Project Coordinator, Presenter
Joe Mantione, Environmental Planner, Project Planner, Presenter
Dave Kuntz, Planning and Technical Services Division Manager, Project Sponsor
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Final Draft Eldorado Mountain/Doudy Draw Trail Study Area Plan is presented for
consideration by the Open Space Board of Trustees. The plan includes a vision statement, goals,
planning context information, and planning recommendations for the Trail Study Area (TSA).
The plan summarizes plan benefits, planning issues, and public input on these issues.
An inventory report and alternatives analysis report were used to generate management
recommendations for the TSA. These documents are all available on the OSMP website
(www.osmp.org). Information from these documents was incorporated into a draft TSA plan
which was released for public review in August, 2006. OSMP staff reviewed and considered
public comments, gathered additional information, and performed additional analyses to develop
the final draft TSA plan.
Map 1 identifies the location of site or area-specific plan recommendations. The TSA is divided
into four subareas to better facilitate planning, and these are shown on the plan map. Map 2
locates trail alternatives suggested by the public but not recommended in the plan. Map 3
identifies the location of undesignated trails and their recommended priority for management
actions (either designation or closure/re-vegetation); it also identifies roads for official vehicle
use. Map 4 identifies recommended dog management for specific trails and areas.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff requests that the board provide feedback and recommendations for the final Eldorado
Mountain/Doudy Draw Trail Study Area.
IMPACTS:
Economic: Providing new opportunities for recreation and resource protection on Open Space
and Mountain Parks lands adds to the economic vitality of the city and helps meet community
goals established by City Council.
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Budgetary: The plan estimates new one-time capital costs to be about $600,000 (see p. 40 for
costs and scheduling of recommended TSA programsand projects). Capital funds for this TSA
have been previously identified in the OSMP Capital Improvements Program (CIP). Ongoing
programs and projects to implement the Eldorado Mountain/Doudy Draw TSA plan, involving
new trail maintenance, education, enforcement,and monitoring activities, will be executed by
strategically refocusing existing staff and other resources. Additional capacity (funding and
staffing) may be required for future implementation and will be determined as part of the
department’s annual work planning and budget process.
Environmental: Improved management of visitor access and activities will enhance
environmental conditions in many areas by:
Providing sustainable trails designed to encourage users to stay on trail and contain
visitor impacts to corridors rather than disperse impacts through off-trail travel.
Eliminating numerous undesignated trails; implementing on-trail requirements in the
Habitat Conservation Area (HCA) and selectively in the Natural Area (e.g., dogs and
equestrians).
Implementing area-specific resource protection measures such as seasonal closures and
on-leash requirements.
New resource impacts will occur from increasing visitor use on new trails and from dogs being
allowed on trail and on leash on the trail connection crossing the Doudy Draw/Spring Brook
subarea. However, the proposed location of trails and restrictions on certain types of activities in
sensitive areas should minimize or mitigate mostof these impacts. Proposed restrictions on
visitor access and activities contribute to the balance between providing new visitor opportunities
and ensuring adequate resource protection. For example, one third of the TSA will be closed
seasonally for three months to protect ground-nesting birds. In addition, a monitoring program
will allow on-going assessment of the success of management activities and allow adjustments to
be made, as needed, to ensure that resources are adequately protected.
Social: Recreational opportunities will be provided by proposed trails and trailhead
improvements, including:
New hiking opportunities in areas where there are currently no trails.
New bicycling opportunities and trail connections west of S.H. 93.
New paragliding / hang gliding opportunities in the Flatirons Vista Mesa area.
New dog walking opportunities on the Fowler to Doudy Draw Trail in an area where
dogs are currently prohibited.
Improved management of wildlife viewing opportunities and protection of wildlife
habitats.
These recreational opportunities will be made available to persons of all economic levels.
Accessibility to recreational opportunities will be provided to mobility-impaired persons with
selected trail and trailhead improvements. Management of the TSA will result in changes for
visitors on how they currently use OSMP lands in the TSA and comply with new restrictions and
regulations designed to increase the overall level of resource protection.
OTHER IMPACTS:
Fiscal: New maintenance, education, enforcement, monitoring, and other management
activities will be covered by currently projected funds from existing revenue sources.
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Staff time: New work activities performed by existing staff will be augmented by fixed-
term staff and consultant work.
PUBLIC FEEDBACK:
Extensive public discussion and input has occurred during the planning process, beginning in
January 2006. The major public involvement activities include:
Numerous meetings with community groups and individuals throughout the planning
process, including meetings to contribute information to the inventory report, help define
alternatives to be considered, and review staff proposals.
Two open houses to review the draft alternatives report (May 9 and 11, 2006).
Two public meetings to review the draft plan (August 22 and 29, 2006).
Numerous public comments (inventory report, alternatives analysisreport, draft plan)—
over 350 written/email comments on the alternatives report and over 60 written/email
comments on the draft plan.
Information distribution via email, website, and public notice.
Project completion public questionnaire (to be distributed).
Several community groups submitted detailed comments including Plan Boulder County, Friends
Interested in Dogs and Open Space (FIDOS), Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance (BMA), Boulder
County Nature Association (BCNA), Boulder County Horse Association (BCHA), Boulder
County Audubon Society (BCAS), Boulder Area Trails Coalition (BATCO), and Boulder Trail
Runners (BTR).
Written and email comments on the draft plan received from the public can be viewed on the
Eldorado Mountain/Doudy Draw TSA website at www.osmp.org.
ANALYSIS:
I. Background information
The Eldorado Mountain/Doudy Draw Trail Study Area (EM/DD TSA) is one of ten Trail Study
Areas identified in the Visitor Master Plan.TSA plans are intended to provide more detailed
plan direction for specific areas with respect to new trails, resource protection measures, and
opportunities/management actions for specific recreational activities.
The EM/DD TSA is an exceptional place that offers opportunities for recreational activities and
protection of natural and cultural resources. The TSA’s qualities contribute to its uniqueness—its
diverse mix of overlapping grassland and mountain habitats (at the transition zone between
plains and mountains), relatively intact ecosystems that provide high habitat values, a feeling of
remoteness due to its location removed from development and roads, and diverse terrain suitable
for a variety of existing and potential recreational activities.
Opportunities exist to enhance visitor access in the Trail Study Area. New sustainable trails to
popular destinations are proposed that will lessen the impact of current visitor use on natural and
cultural resources by getting people to travel on sustainable trails, eliminating undesignated
trails, and implementing special resource protection measures.
The EM/DD TSA includes the Doudy Draw Natural Area (NA) and the Eldorado Mountain
Habitat Conservation Area (HCA). The TSA Plan is designed to implement the respective
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management emphases that are different in the HCA and NA. The plan provides an overall
package of recommendations that balances visitor opportunities and resource protection.
The TSA plan provides a continuum of opportunities for visitor access and resource protection
matched to the specific natural and recreational qualities of various areas:
In the eastern and northern portions of the EM/DD TSA, relatively more opportunities are
provided for visitor access, with somewhat less emphasis on resource protection. These
areas are closer to the city or rural subdivisions, closer to roads, closer to the trailheads,
more human-modified, and they have fewer highly-sensitive or unique resources.
In the western and southern portions of the TSA, relatively fewer opportunities are
provided for visitor access, with more emphasis on resource protection. These areas are
further from development and roads, further from trailheads and more remote, and they
possess more natural qualities and have a greater abundance of resources that are highly
sensitive to the presence of humans.
The TSA plan recommends building sustainable trails, trail connections, and loop trails.
Physically and environmentally sustainable trails, links, and loops provide benefits to both
visitors and the land: 1) they provide travel ways for visitors to experience and enjoy the natural
terrain and environments; and 2) they are a way of directing visitor use and impacts to travel
corridors and areas with less sensitive resources. The TSA plan recommends where recreational
opportunities will be provided and resource protection measures that will ensure that visitor
access and activities are compatible with resource protection.
II. Major Plan Recommendations
Several recommendations were added to the final plan that were not included in the previous
draft plan. These include providing additional educational and interpretive opportunities in the
TSA (see recommendation A.7), and providing sufficient staff resources to effectively enforce
visitor use regulations (see A.8). In addition, based on additional analyses and public comment,
several of the recommendations in the draft plan were changed. Two of the major changes
include restricting dogs west of the Doudy Draw Trail by allowing them only on trail and on
leash on the Fowler to Doudy Draw Trail (see D.7) and evaluating additional horse trailer
parking at the Doudy Draw trailhead (see B.1).
The major plan recommendations(see Map 1 and Map 2) include:
Recommendations for Sustainable Trail Improvements
Existing trails improvements. (see recommendation A.1). Improvements are intended to
improve physical and environmental sustainability and improvevisitor experience.
Doudy Draw Trail switchback and creek crossings.
o
Re-route of Doudy Draw Trail connection from Flatirons Vista Trailhead.
o
Trailhead improvements. Improvements are intended to improve visitor safety and
convenience. Minor parking capacity improvements are proposed, given limited number
of days when parking congestion and overflow occurs.
Safer pedestrian crossing at S.H. 170 from the Doudy Draw Trailhead to the
o
South Mesa Trailhead (see B.1).
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Improved functional parking at Doudy Draw and Flatirons Vista trailheads and
o
County Road 67 parking area (see B.1, C.2, D.4).
Consideration of possible pull-through horse-trailer parking within the existing
o
Doudy Draw Trailhead parking area (see B.1).
Addition of new pull-through horse trailer parking at the Flatirons Vista Trailhead
o
by enlarging the trailhead parking area (see C.2).
New trails, trail connections, and loop trails. New trails channel visitors to sustainable
trail corridors and provide an incentive to travel on-trail. In the Habitat Conservation
Area, the intent is to provide a reasonable amount of visitor access with a minimum
number of trails and trail density. In the Natural Area, the intent is to provide a higher
level of visitor access while protecting resources. Existing trails in the Trail Study Area
include 7.2 miles; proposed new trails to be constructed are 8.7 miles, more than
doubling of designated trails, for a total of almost 16 trail miles in the TSA.
Natural Area Trails:
Doudy Draw-Flatirons Vista Trail Loops (see C.1).
o
Fowler to Doudy Draw Trail (see D.1).
o
Doudy Draw-Spring Brook Loop Trail (see D.2).
o
Habitat Conservation Area Trails:
Mickey Mouse Access Trail (see E.3).
o
Goshawk Ridge Trail (see E.4).
o
Management actions for undesignated trails (see A.2, C.8). The intent is to add
undesignated trails to the designated trail system (if needed and sustainable) and to close
and re-vegetate (where unneeded or unsustainable). See Map 3 for recommendations on
specific undesignated trails.
Recommendations for Resource Protection Measures
Location of trail alignments (see trail recommendations). The intent is to locate trails
where they compatible with protection of habitats and species of concern and
cultural/paleontological resources. Trails are located to avoid sensitive resources and
minimize impacts.
Closing and re-vegetation of undesignated trails (see A.2, C.8). Elimination of
undesignated trails restores natural habitat values and processes, contributes to the
functioning of habitat blocks, and reduces vectors for spread of invasive weeds.
Use of trail construction / maintenance best management practices (see A.3). These
practices minimize soil erosion and compaction, trampling of vegetation, spread of
weeds, and disruption of wildlife.
Weed management (see A.6). Control of jointed goat grass and other invasive weeds is a
priority for land management in this TSA and elsewhere, and managing visitor access is
an important part of integrated weed management efforts. The treatments of weeds,
before and after trails are constructed, and monitoring results, provide an adaptive
approach to weed management.
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Area-specific resource protection measures. These measures are designed to protect
ground-nesting birds, bears, deer, prairie dogs, and other wildlife in certain places and
times that are needed to reduce their vulnerability to disturbance.
Visitor access closure for Lindsay Pond (see D.10).
o
Seasonal grassland bird-nesting closures from May 1-July 31 in about one-third of
o
the Doudy Draw Natural Area (see B.6, C.6).
Expanded seasonal leash requirements on the Doudy Draw Trail to protect fall-
o
feeding bears (see D.9).
Continuation of no-dog requirements in the HCA and most of the western part of
o
the Natural Area (and on-trail, on-leash requirement on the Fowler to Doudy
Draw Trail) (see E.2, D.7).
Encouragement of dogs on-leash in prairie dog colonies (see B.5, C.5)
o
Equestrian on-trail requirements in the HCA and the western part of the Natural
o
Area (see E.5, D.8).
Maintaining important un-trailed habitat areas. The intent is to provide some areas where
human presence is minimized to benefit wildlife.
Upper Doudy Draw/Bull Gulch area in the HCA (see E.6).
o
Areas in the HCA west of the proposed trails (see E.2, E.3).
o
Flatirons Vista Mesa area in the Natural Area (see C.4).
o
Recommendations for Specific Visitor Activities
New bicycling destinations west of S.H. 93 and bicycle trail connections to surrounding
OSMP, county open space, and state park lands (see trail recommendations C.3, D.3,
D.6).
New dog trail opportunities where not currently allowed (Fowler to Doudy Draw Trail
and the Fowler Trail in the state park) (see D.7).
Dog-free trail opportunities on the Mickey Mouse Access Trail, Goshawk Ridge Trail,
and the Doudy Draw-Spring Brook Loop Trail (see E.3, E.4, D.2).
Paragliding/hang gliding opportunities in designated zones in the Natural Area on a two-
year trial basis (see B.3).
Limited, low-impact visitor access through the HCA off-trail permit program (see E.7).
Accessibility for mobility-impaired persons built into desired and suitable trail segments
(see A.4).
Recommendations for a Monitoring and Research Program
(see A.10)
Under this program the success in achieving plan goals and implementing plan
recommendations will be monitored, which will allow adjustment of management
approaches and activities as needed.
Management of visitor travel and activities will be set up so that land managers and the
public can learn from experience, what works and what does not work in providing a
quality visitor experience and a high level of resource protection.
In this TSA, several experiments are proposed to find out what works for both visitors
and resources: horseback riding on a minimally-developed trail in the HCA, mountain
bikes on the Fowler Trail, paragliding in the Flatirons Vista subarea, and dogs on trail
and on leash in the Doudy Draw/Spring Brook subarea. In each of these cases,
monitoring is proposed to determine whether management goals will be met by the
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proposed visitor activity. If there is a high degree of success in meeting management
goals, then the way visitor activities are managed will be affirmed. If the degree of
success is lower than desired, then the way visitor activities are managed will be changed
to improve success in meeting management objectives (see E.4, D.3, B.3, D.7).
III. Major Plan Issues and Public Input
Visitor Access in the Eldorado Mountain Habitat Conservation Area
The Visitor Master Plan designates Habitat Conservation Areas (HCAs) with a management
emphasis on resource protection. The HCAs represent the largest blocks of wildlife habitat with
fewer impacts from humans remaining in the OSMP system. OSMP seeks to provide visitor
opportunities in HCAs with a minimum number of low-impact trails designed to accommodate
low levels of use. These trails are located in places that will protect the natural functioning of
these wildlife habitats as much as possible.This approach is designed to minimize additional
human influence and impacts on the high quality habitat and the wildlife species that are highly
sensitive to human presence.
Important goals for the Eldorado Mountain HCA include: 1) provide a high level of resource
protection, with an emphasis on limiting human impacts and preserving the natural
characteristics and processes in the large high-quality habitat block; and 2) provide high-quality
visitor access opportunities that are compatiblewith resource protection and provide a unique
visitor experience based on the area’s remoteness, relative “naturalness”, and low level of visitor
use. The major issue addressed by the plan for the HCA was how to best meet both resource
protection and visitor access goals with a limitednumber of trails and the HCA off-trail permit
program.
Public opinion on appropriate visitor access in theHCA was very diverse. Many people consider
the Eldorado Mountain HCA as one of the best places in the OSMP land system to preserve and
restore habitat for wide-ranging native ungulates and predators that prey on them, forest interior
habitat specialist species, and many species that are especially shy or vulnerable to human
impacts. Many people have suggested that the HCA offers a unique opportunity to preserve a
refuge for wildlife to live, move, and reproduce with little interference from humans traveling
either on trail or off trail. They prefer that no trails be designated or constructed in the HCA, in
order to not degrade its habitat quality or naturalprocesses, and they do not want any off-trail
travel in the HCA.
At the same time, many public comments expressed the desire to travel on a limited number of
trails in the HCA and travel off trail under the HCA off-trail permit program. Many recreational
activities are desired in the HCA: hiking and running, rock climbing, bicycling, horseback
riding, wildlife watching and nature study, and quiet contemplation. Many people want more
trails than are proposed in the plan. In contrast to what the plan recommends, many mountain
bicyclists want to be able to ride the challenging steep terrain in the HCA, and many equestrians
want the option of riding off trail under the HCA off-trail permit program. Also, in contrast to
what the plan recommends, many dog walkers want to hike and run in the HCA with their dogs.
The plan recommends that visitor access in the HCA be provided by connecting the Denver
Water Department road to the Mickey Mouse Trail (the proposed Goshawk Ridge Trail -
pedestrians and equestrians, no bicycles, no dogs) and a trail to the Mickey Mouse Wall climbing
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area (pedestrians only, no dogs), while minimizingthe resource impacts of visitor travel. The
proposed trails will be challenging to construct in difficult terrain. These trails will be designed
to be maintainable and to preserve the special qualities of the Eldorado Mountain HCA—both as
a place where visitors can feel they can get away and experience remote and rugged areas and
where wildlife can feel safe and secure and can thrive without a significant amount of human
presence and impact.
The Goshawk Ridge Trail and the Mickey MouseAccess Trail will be located in the eastern
portion of the HCA, leaving mostof the HCA un-trailed. These trails will be designed to focus
visitor travel to the trail and contain visitor resource impacts to the trail corridor (i.e., the area of
“trail effects”). OSMP estimates that over 3,000 annual visits currently occur in the HCA, and
the impacts of this unmanaged dispersed visitor travel are made evident by numerous
undesignated trails. While building the trails may increase the overall level of visitor use, it is
expected that resource impacts will be lessened by concentrating the impacts on these trails,
rather than dispersing the impacts with off-trail travel under the HCA off-trail permit program.
The expectation is that most visitors to the HCA will travel on the new trails, thereby reducing
the number of off-trail visits. In addition to reducing overall impacts, the proposed new trails
will provide a unique primitive backcountry trail experience for HCA visitors.
Dog Access and Dog-Free Opportunities in the HCA and the Western Part of the Doudy
Draw Natural Area
(See Map 4 that shows dog management for specific trails and areas.)
A major issue related to dogs addressed by the plan was how to best meet both resource
protection and visitor access goals for this TSAby offering an appropriate mix of dog walking
opportunities and restrictions.
Dog management in the EM/DD Trail Study Area is based on a continuum of recreational
opportunities and resource protections provided in the Trail Study Area. In areas containing
fewer sensitive resources and habitats, more dog walking opportunities are provided. In areas
containing high concentrations of sensitive resources and habitats, a higher level of resource
protection is provided with fewer dog walking opportunities. The plan proposes that dog
management strategies become more protective and restrictive when one moves from east to
west in the Trail Study Area.Specifically, dog management east of the Doudy Draw Trail offers
the option of voice-and-sight control; west of the Doudy Draw Trail to the Denver Water
Department (DWD) Road, dog management would be on trail, on leash on the Fowler Trail and
the Fowler to Doudy Draw Trail (dogs prohibited off these trails); and west of the Denver Water
Department Canal Road (in the HCA) dogs are prohibited. This continuum for dog management
is intended to offer the opportunity for dog walkers to have a continuous trail connection from
Marshall Mesa area trails to western OSMP lands to Eldorado Canyon State Park while still
providing a high level of protection for sensitive areas and resources. It also provides dog-free
trail opportunities on the Mickey Mouse Trail and Goshawk Ridge Trail in the HCA and the
Doudy Draw-Spring Brook Loop Trail in the Natural Area.
Public input was diverse on dog management in the TSA. Some people have advocated that the
current prohibition of dogs west of Doudy Draw be continued to provide extra protection for the
relatively abundant wildlife that persist. This means that no dogs would be allowed in the HCA
or any of the trails in the Doudy Draw/Spring Brook subarea.Other people feel that only the
“default” management strategies as identified in the Visitor Master Plan should be implemented
for Natural Areas (voice-and-sight control) and HCAs (on trail and on leash).
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The plan recommends continuing the current dog prohibition in the HCA and most of the Doudy
Draw/Spring Brook subarea. This dog prohibition is intended to continue these areas as a refuge
for wildlife that need minimal disturbance from humans and dogs. At the same time, by
allowing dogs on leash/on trail on the Fowler Trail and the Fowler to Doudy Draw Trail (dogs
prohibited everywhere else in the subarea), the plan recommends providing an opportunity for
dog walkers to have a continuous trail connection from Marshall Mesa area trails to western
OSMP lands to Eldorado Canyon State Park.
While not allowing dogs on this trail connection would continue the current high level of
resource protection in the subarea, it is expected that allowing dogs on leash and on trail only on
the trail connection will still provide a high level of protection for sensitive areas and resources.
Some people have expressed the opinion that allowing any dogs in the Spring Brook area, even if
they are restricted to on trail and on leash on the trail connection, would harm wildlife. In order
to provide a higher level of resource protection, the proposed dog prohibition in the HCA and the
on-trail and on-leash requirement for the trail connection in the Doudy Draw / Spring Brook
subarea (with no off-trail dog access) is more restrictive than would normally be employed in
Habitat Conservation Areas or Natural Areas.
If the compliance level for the on-trail, on-leash requirement on the trail connection is high, then
protection for wildlife in the Doudy Draw/Spring Brook subarea can be maintained. The plan
proposes that a standard of 85-90% for compliance be set. Monitoring will assess if this standard
is met. Given monitoring results, OSMP will be able to decide if changes in dog management
are needed to ensure that wildlife and other sensitive resources are adequately protected.
Changes could involve increased education and enforcement efforts to improve compliance or
restricting dogs from all trails in the Doudy Draw/Spring Brook subarea in the future.
Submitted by:
____________________________
Michael D. Patton
Director
____________________________
Dave Kuntz
Division Manager
____________________________
Don D’Amico
Wetlands Ecologist, Project Coordinator
____________________________
Joe Mantione
Environmental Planner, Project Planner
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ATTACHMENTS
A. Final Draft Eldorado Mountain / Doudy Draw Trail Study Area Plan (with maps)
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