HomeMy WebLinkAbout6A - Foothills Community Park Prairie Dog Management UpdateTO: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board •
FROM: Jan Geden, CPRP, Director of Parks and Recreation ~~
Sarah DeSouza, Policy and Information Services Manager
Alice Guthrie, Parks and Planning Superintendent
Jamie Sabbach, CPRP, Recreation Superintendent
SUBJECT: Matters from the Department
DATE: January 24, 2007
A. Foothills Community Park
Prairie Dog Management Update
The current management of prairie dog activity within the Foothills Community Park
area is on-going with several pro-active strategies underway. These strategies will assist
in protecting the existing assets, most recently the Phase II completion, as well as future
site development according to the site plan.
In discussions with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) on the Urban
Wildlife Management Plan, the PRAB asked that staff incorporate design strategies and
elements that would prevent or reduce encroachment of prairie dogs into pazks as they are
developed. Staff considers the establishment of a temporary dog park at this site a pilot
effort in this vein. See map in Attachment A. It allows us to deternune if this is a viable
option for preventing prairie dog encroachment and is a non-lethal management tool.
This is being undertaken because prairie dogs have started to move back into the azea
south of the existing dog pazk - an area from which they were removed in the last few
years.
First, the passive relocation effort being conducted by Prairie Preserves LLC has been
underway in the northwest azea of the pazk since mid-December 2006 and will condnue
until February 1, 2007. It is not an ideal site for the passive relocation technique alone,
since there is nothing that will prevent them from moving into other areas. In the shor[
term, it will assist staff in managing prairie dogs, until a barrier of some type can be
installed to limit encroachment further into the park. At this time, if no negative impacts
are observed to existing prairie dogs, park staff will continue this effort until Mazch 1,
2007 when the city's wildlife ordinance prohibits any relocation activity from occurring
(Mazch 1 -June 1).
This azea contains the future phase of development (multi-use ball fields, tennis and
basketball courts). Most of this azea has been reseeded for vegeta6ve cover. Ttus area
will remain open to potential encroachment until the timeline for development is feasible
based on the Master Plan recommendations. Therefore, preventing encroachment now
will provide flexibility in the longer term.
~ ~~~~
"~~'``~
Establishment of Temporary Dog Park
The second strategic effort to protect the existing and future assets of Foothills
Community Park, yet still provide a community recreational service, is to establish a
temporary dog park. It will not preclude the future development of ball fields. The
current dog park will be extended southward to include an additional four acres that will
be temporary (two - three yeazs) until pazk staff can determine the best next steps in
regazd to the future site plans, specifically the multi-use ball fields. As the recent issues
at Tom Watson Pazk and Valmont City Park have shown, muld-use type fields in close
proximity to prairie dog colonies can pose potential issues including encroachment and
turf damage.
The design of the extended dog pazk will utilize a four foot high chain link, mini-mesh
fencing that is buried six inches to deter prairie dog encroachment in some sections. This
type of fencing has been used at the existing dog park. Other sections, where prairie dog
encroachment is less of a concern, will use recycled, coated chain link fencing.
Pedestrian and vehiculaz access will be designed and included, as well as access to a
water source.
Public notice to the immediate surrounding neighborhood began Januazy 26, 2007, with
signage at the pazk and door-hangers in the neighborhood. Notification is in English and
Spanish. City Council will also be updated in its January 25 Weekly Information Packet.
Estimated costs for establishing a temporary dog park are the following:
Fencing materials: $55,000
Amenities (entrance area, picnic tables, water fountain, etc.): 17 500
Total estimate: $72,500
These funds were previously identified when the metal barrier was proposed in 2005.
While the initial cost may seem expensive, the maintenance requirements for this type of
fence aze minimal, compazed to a vinyl prairie dog barrier. Staff has experience with this
type of fencing at the Foothills Community Puk dog pazk and the temporary dog park at
East Boulder Community Park.
OF gp~ M.~~ ~~,~a~«a nv ~ne fonscrvabun Ylumm~g .,~~e
~,~ <~ o., ~~„~,~~.,n n~~ ~>~~~. r~> y~a a~~«~n~~,. c~~ ~,r aovi~
C,~ ~/~~9 n,~, „~~i, ,. r~~ ~iwu~~~~~., ~w~~h,:,.~ „„i~. a~~a „ ~~<.~
~ ~~~lli,i~ ~<>~ i.toi ea«~i-~ik.~~;. ,~<~.~<,~ m.,~~~~
,/~ j~ ~' ~Ih. arc~.. J~ncc<J ~. e appmxunatc. Agre.mcuis and
~ ~ xnww~ ~~cut ~ ~~mc m~nugo~ a M~~rc yi~e~
P~rln k Recrealbn .nec~(~.;.aud~c. n~n~~~l,x r.uu~rcd ~„ dre~r ao,: vutc c.,nclw~„v,..