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Walker Ranch Management Plan
Meeting scheduled for this Tuesday April 16
If you like the status quo, you probably like the Walker Ranch Management Draft Plan. Staff has taken out input and chosen the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach. The draft plan will be presented to the public on Tuesday, April 16 at 6:00 pm at the Clerk & Recorder's Office in Boulder (1750 33rd Street).
We had hoped that this plan would look ahead 20 years to address the dynamics of a changing forest environment and metro area of more than a million people. Instead we got a plan that looks to the past and the desire to hold on to an ecosystem is rapidly changing to a much hotter and drier climate.
The most disappointing aspect of this plan is the conclusion of staff that a regional trail that would link Walker Ranch to Nederland requires a road to make it happen. The plan notes that a link between Chapman Drive and Walker Ranch was asked for, but staff didn't address it.
This plan lacks vision on how to manage humans and recreation in the 21st century. Yes, there are hints of flexibility in the plan to existing adjust trails (and roads) to make them more sustainable and fun. The plan also references to the new plan to assess the Eldo to Walker, and we applaud the effort to get an objective evaluation.
It is our hope that the Regional Mountain Trails Master Plan will reveal a route that doesn't put non motorized users in the mix with the motorized users and creates trail linkages between Boulder Canyon to Walker without the use of Flagstaff Road.
We are disappointed with this plan and it's lack of vision from Boulder County.
If you are a frequent visitor to Walker Ranch, we suggest you show up and make your input known. But if history is any guide, significant changes will be few and far between. The Regional Mountain Trails Master Plan is yet to be written, so this is where we can shape the future of mountain bike recreation in Boulder County. If you go to one meeting this week, the RMTMP meeting is where you will have a real impact. |
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Regional Mountain Trails
Meetings kick off Thursday in Boulder
Imagine being able to access our public lands in Western Boulder County without the use of a car... or take the N bus to Nederland and ride a through succession of trails all the way back home. Or ride from Nederland to Allenspark on nothing but trail...
The time has come to create a vision for trail-based recreation for all of western Boulder County. Our open space programs have created these wonderful "islands of recreation" and our elected leaders agree that now is the time to start the process of linking them together.
The Regional Mountain Trails Master Plan is upon us, and it's time to celebrate the accomplishments decades of public land acquisition and create a future trail network that we and our children will enjoy and marvel ... This will be our gift to the generations to come.
We advocacy peeps at BMA have fantasized about the creation of this plan for a long time. When the project was announced we began discussions internally and with people around Boulder County, putting together a comprehensive list of what linkages and new trails we would love to have. We didn't prioritize or get into the details. That is for our community to decide. We don't expect to snap our fingers and instantly have a trail network on the ground either. This is a dream that we will make a reality in the coming years.
We share this ask list with you today to ignite your imagination and get you excited about the task that that lies before us. For those of us that live or work in Boulder the first of these meetings will be held at the Boulder County Commissioner's Hearing Room on April 18. Planners will have a map that has no lines on it; it will be the communities' job to put those lines on the map and prioritize. We encourage people to attend the meeting closest to their home. However, if the timing of your local meeting doesn't work for you, you may attend a meeting elsewhere with the knowledge that the primary focus will be on the local area. Please join us in this celebration of our public lands and the awesome project that will take years to realize. Remember, When BMA was born in 1991, we didn't have squat to ride... no Heil, Hall, West Mag, Marshall Mesa or Doudy Draw. The next 20 years will be all about linking these lands together.
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Welcome Sarai!
BMA is excited to announce that we've recently hired Sarai Snyder as our Community Manager. Sarai will take the lead in growing BMA's membership and expanding our outreach network.
 A guru when it comes to building community around bikes, Sarai is the force behind both Girl-Bike-Love and CycloFemme. She's worked in bike shops, consulted for cycling companies, advocated for better cycling infrastructure, and promoted bike races and events. Sarai reports that her greatest passion, outside of getting in a good spin, is sharing her love of the bike with others.
With Sarai on board to stoke Boulder County's mountain bike tribe, we're looking forward to seeing our community and the local trail system keep growing. If you've got any ideas for how BMA can improve communications, ramp up fundraising and better support the local mtb scene Or if you're simply ready to become a BMA member, please get in touch with Sarai, membership@bouldermountainbike.org.
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Volunteer Ace Brian O'Connor
Trail Conditions Guru!
 BMA runs on the awesomeness of our community, and we're lucky to have a great community member like Brian O'Connor. Not only does Brian ride on the Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol, but he's also a top contributor to BMA's Trail Conditions. Every time Brian rides, he uses the BMA website to tell rest of us about trail conditions, so we all know before we go. No more accidental mudfests or unexpected snowbanks, Brian to the rescue!
You can lend a hand too! After you ride, go to BMA's Trail Conditions page and update the conditions of every trail you just rode. Just a few minutes of your time to gain that warm fuzzy feeling and help your fellow trail
users.
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Business Members
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Support these businesses that support BMA!
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