Posts tagged Parks
Boulder wildlife closures Falcon Eagle Osprey
Feb 1st
Open Space and Mountain Parks implements seasonal wildlife closures
The City of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks Department (OSMP) has implemented seasonal wildlife closures to protect sensitive areas where birds of prey nest and raise their young. Last year, OSMP wildlife closures–which safeguard some of the highest-quality cliff-nesting habitat in the western United States–helped nesting raptors to raise:
- 6 peregrine falcons
- 5 prairie falcons
- 3 bald eagles
- 3 golden eagles
- 7 ospreys
All designated trails near these closure areas will remain open during these seasonal protective measures, which will be in place from Feb. 1 to July 31.OSMP has closed the following sensitive wildlife areas:
- Mount Sanitas Summit, accessible from the Mount Sanitas Trailhead a half mile west of Fourth Street and Forest Avenue.
- Third Flatiron, including the East and West Ironing Boards, Queen Anne’s Head and Jaws, and WC Pinnacle, accessible from Chautauqua Trailhead.
- Lefthand Canyon Palisades at the intersection of Lefthand Canyon Drive and Olde Stage Road. The Buckingham picnic area remains open.
- Flagstaff Mountain, the north side of Flagstaff Mountain will be closed. The Boy Scout Trail will remain open.
- May’s Point cliff. May’s Point Trail will remain open.
- Skunk Canyon, including Ridges 2, 3 and 4, the Aechean Pronouncement, the Dreadnaught, the North Ridge and the entirety of Sacred Cliffs, accessible from NCAR Trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road.
- The Back Porch and The Box, accessible from the NCAR Trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road.
- Bear Creek Spire and Der Freischutz, accessible from the NCAR Trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road.
- Fern Canyon, accessible from the NCAR Trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road. The designated Fern Canyon Trail will remain open.
- Shadow Canyon and the Matron, accessible from the South Mesa Trailhead. The Maiden will remain open and accessible from the east; Shadow Canyon Trail will remain open.
- The Wings, accessible from the NCAR Trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road.
- The entire Mickey Mouse wall, including Cryptic Crags, which is accessible from the Goshawk Ridge Trail.
OSMP will lift closures if monitoring conducted by staff and volunteers indicates raptors are not present or if nesting attempts fail. OSMP relies heavily on the public to respect the closures, and the cooperation of visitors is greatly appreciated. OSMP rangers patrol closed areas on a regular basis.
To view an interactive map depicting enacted seasonal closures, please visit osmpwildlifeclosures.org. For additional information about OSMP’s efforts to protect wildlife habitats, go to https://bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/cliff-nesting-raptor-closures or call the department at 303-441-3440.
Seasonal raptor closures to begin Feb.1
Jan 31st
The City of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Department will institute seasonal closures to protect area raptors on Saturday, Feb. 1. The closures – which protect peregrine falcons, prairie falcons and golden eagles raising their young in nests located along Boulder’s mountain backdrop – will be in effect from Feb. 1 until July 31. Closures may be lifted sooner if monitoring indicates that raptors are not present.
High-quality habitat and rich food resources make cliffs on OSMP lands a regionally important area for nesting birds of prey. The following areas and formations will be closed:
- Lefthand Canyon Palisades, at the intersection of Lefthand Canyon Drive and Olde Stage Road (Buckingham picnic area remains open);
- Mount Sanitas, First Buttress, accessible from the Mount Sanitas trailhead, a half mile west of Fourth Street and Mapleton Avenue (no closures to the bouldering areas along the ridge; Mount Sanitas trail will remain open);
- Third Flatiron, including the East and West Ironing Boards, Queen Anne’s Head and Jaws, and WC Pinnacle, accessible from Chautauqua trailhead;
- Flagstaff Mountain: the north side of Flagstaff Mountain will be closed (the Boy Scout Trail will remain open);
- Skunk Canyon, including Ridges 2, 3 and 4, the Aechean Pronouncement, the Dreadnaught, the North Ridge and the entirety of Sacred Cliffs, accessible from NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
- The Back Porch and The Box, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
- Bear Creek Spire, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
- Fern Canyon, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road¡¡ (the designated Fern Canyon hiking trail will remain open);
- Shadow Canyon and the Matron, accessible from the South Mesa Trailhead (the Maiden will remain open and accessible from the east; Shadow Canyon Trail will remain open).
- The Sphinx and The Wings, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
- The entire Mickey Mouse wall, accessible from the Goshawk Ridge Trail.
Boulder-area volunteers and staff have been monitoring important raptor nesting and resting areas on OSMP lands since 1984. They are an integral part of efforts to protect the species and adaptively manage the closures.
Trespassing into closed areas can result in a summons with penalties up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.¡¡ OSMP relies heavily on the public to respect the closures, and the cooperation of visitors to these areas is greatly appreciated.
Please visit Open Space and Mountain Parks’ website at www.osmp.org for detailed maps and up-to-date information on raptor closures or call 303-441-3440.
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Feed them and they will die!
Nov 27th
In recent years, bears have become more reliant on trash as a food source. By leaving their natural habitat to scavenge for food, bears are unintentionally putting themselves in danger. Securing trash and compost storage will help protect bears, increase public safety, and allow bears and humans to better co-exist.
The City of Boulder is asking for the community’s input on options to make food waste less accessible to bears. Community members are encouraged to complete a survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/bears-trash to help evaluate potential options for the location, storage and enforcement of trash regulations.
The city will also host a public meeting from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, in the West Senior Center (909 Arapahoe Ave.) to get community input on options for securing trash in Boulder.
At its Oct. 15, 2013, meeting, City Council received a staff update on bears and trash in the urban interface. This update was, in part, due to community and council concern related to four bears that were killed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife because of public safety concerns.
At the meeting, council identified securing trash from bears as a priority and staff committed to developing options that will be presented for consideration in early 2014. The community’s input will help shape the options delivered to City Council in January 2014.
For the most up-to-date information, visit the Securing Trash to Protect Bears Web page.
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