Posts tagged Rabbit Mountain Open Space
Boulder County Sheriff Orders Fire Ban
Jun 12th
Today, June 12, 2013 at 12:00 p.m., Sheriff Joe Pelle will enact a fire ban for the central mountain corridor of Boulder County. The central mountain corridor includes all unincorporated areas between Highway 93, Broadway Avenue, and Highway 36 (North and South Foothills Highways and Broadway Avenue in the City of Boulder) and Highways 119, 72 (Coal Creek Canyon Drive and Peak to Peak Highway), 7 (South Saint Vrain) including Rabbit Mountain Open Space and west of Rabbit Mountain Open Space to Highway 36. (See attached map)
State statutes authorize counties to impose a fire ban “to a degree and in a manner that the Board of County Commissioners deems necessary to reduce the danger of wildfires within those portions of the unincorporated areas of the county where the danger of forest or grass fires is found to be high based on competent evidence.”
Areas where fires are banned are red
This fire ban allows for:
Indoor fires in fireplaces or stoves
Smoking indoors or within an enclosed vehicle
Campfires in improved and maintained public campgrounds that are currently open to the public, as long as the fuel for such fires are smaller than two feet in diameter by three feet in height.
Liquid or gas fuel stove use on private and public lands
Charcoal grill use on private and public land
Smoking outdoors in areas free of flammable material
It bans all other outdoor burning, slash fires, use of any kind of fireworks, model rockets, and all other outdoor spark or flame producing activities.
The fire ban does not affect open fires within incorporated cities and towns; however citizens must comply with applicable ordinances and regulations in their respective cities and towns.
The fire ban will be in effect until the Sheriff finds that the hazardous conditions have subsided.
Anyone found in violation of the fire ban may be convicted of a class 2 petty offense and may be subject to a $500 fine, in addition to any possible civil penalties. Higher fines may be imposed for subsequent offenses.
For current fire and shooting restrictions for United States Forest Service properties go to the following website:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/arp/alerts-notices
For current fire restrictions in Eldorado Canyon State Park go to the following website:
http://www.parks.state.co.us/Parks/eldoradocanyon/Pages/EldoradoCanyonHome.aspx
Sheriff’s Office press release
Sale and use of fireworks prohibited in Boulder County
May 22nd
oday, the Boulder County Commissioners approved Sheriff Pelle’s recommendation to amend the current fire ban, which has been in effect since April 2, to prohibit the sale and use of all fireworks within all of unincorporated Boulder County. The new amendments to the fire ban were effective as of noon today.
All other aspects of the current ban remain in place, including the prohibition of open burning in the unincorporated mountains and foothills, including all areas west of the North Foothills Highway and Rabbit Mountain Open Space; areas north of the City of Boulder; west of Broadway Avenue through the City of Boulder; and west of the South Foothills Highway.
The decision to amend the ban was due in part to the predicted weather forecasts indicating higher than normal temperatures with lower than normal precipitation. The Fire Danger Rating continuously remains in the high to very high categories, with fire fuels continuing to dry out. As the Fourth of July holiday draws near, individuals begin to sell and use fireworks, which increase the potential for an ignition source and a large fire similar to the Hewlett Fire currently burning in Larimer County, or the Lower North Fork Fire in Jefferson County earlier this year.
Taking into consideration that firework vendors begin hiring temporary employees and purchasing fireworks for their stands, Sheriff Pelle wanted to address these concerns sooner than later. At this time, Boulder County had only received one application from a fireworks vendor to sell fireworks this year.
The fire ban will remain in effect until the hazardous fire conditions subside.
Anyone found in violation of the fire ban may be convicted of a class 2 petty offense and may be subject to a $500 fine. Higher fines may be imposed for subsequent offenses.
Boulder County’s new prairie dog town?
Oct 28th
Public invited to tour proposed prairie dog relocation site (Nov. 1)
The Boulder County Parks and Open Space will hold a public tour of a proposed prairie dog relocation site at Rabbit Mountain Open Space from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1.
Wildlife biologists and rangers will meet the public at the Rabbit Mountain trailhead on North 53rd Street (north of Hwy 66) at 4 p.m. Vans will shuttle everyone to the proposed relocation site.
The department has submitted an application to the Colorado Division of Wildlife proposing to relocate prairie dogs from a county-owned agricultural property in the Longmont area to Rabbit Mountain sometime between Nov. 14 and Dec. 2.
Prior to issuing a permit, the Colorado Division of Wildlife is reviewing the proposal which includes a site assessment, evaluating a management plan submitted for the receiving site, and reviewing all public comments.
For those unable to attend the tour, written comments can be emailed to wildlife@bouldercounty.org. The deadline for written comments is Nov. 3.
For further information about this public tour, contact Education & Outreach Coordinator Pascale Fried at pfried@bouldercounty.org or 303-678-6201.
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