Posts tagged closures
City of Boulder begins seasonal grassland raptor closures
Mar 12th
The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) is temporarily closing areas in order to protect nesting and roosting burrowing owls and osprey. Properties where burrowing owls nest will be closed from March 15 through Oct 31. Properties closed for the protection of nesting osprey will be closed from March 15 through Sept. 10. Closures may be lifted early if monitoring indicates it is appropriate.
The following property will be closed for the protection of osprey:
Axelson (northwest of Boulder Reservoir; portions closed).
The following properties will be closed for the protection of burrowing owls:
- Damyanovich/Yunker (north of Marshall Drive, between Cherryvale Road and US 36);
- Jafay/Lynch (north of Lookout Road and east of 75th Street);
- Cosslett/Knaus (South of Lookout Road and east of 75th Street);
- Kelsall (north of High-Plains Trail, trail remains open);
- Mesa Sand and Gravel (east of 66th Street, south of Marshall Drive); and
- Superior Associates (north of High-Plains Trail, trail remains open).
These closures were established to protect sensitive species. Burrowing owls nest in prairie dog burrows and their populations are declining in Colorado. This bird is listed as threatened by the Colorado Division of Wildlife has been listed as endangered or as a species of “special concern” in 12 US states and in Canada. Staff will be monitoring these sites and others during the spring and summer to understand more about the distribution and breeding biology of this owl on city property.
City of Boulder relies heavily on the public to respect the closures, and the cooperation of visitors to avoid these areas is greatly appreciated. Trespass violations can result in a summons with penalties up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
More detailed information and maps can be found on the Open Space and Mountain Parks’ website: www.osmp.org. or call 303-441-3440.
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Tree removals require lane closures Feb. 25 through March 10
Feb 20th
The City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department’s Urban Forestry Division will require temporary lane closures around Boulder in the next few weeks to remove a number of large trees. Forestry staff has determined that these trees pose a public safety hazard due to internal decay, structural weakness and/or large dead branches overhanging streets, sidewalks and structures. This is routine work. Dates are tentative and weather-dependent.
On Monday, Feb. 25, there will be intermittent closures of Balsam Avenue between 14th and 15th streets from noon to 3:30 p.m.
On Wednesday, Feb. 27, there will be intermittent closures of Norwood Avenue between 21st Street and Norwood Court from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Also on Feb. 27, the outside lane of northbound Broadway, north of Norwood Avenue, will be closed from noon to 3:30 p.m.
On Thursday, Feb. 28 and Friday, March 1, the southbound lane of Airport Road will be closed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Southbound traffic will be directed into a center lane.
On Monday, March 4, the southbound and right turn lane of Spine Road will be closed north of Lookout Road from 8:30 to 11 a.m. All southbound and turning traffic will be directed through the left turn lane. Also on March 4, there will be intermittent closures of Merritt Drive from Ingersoll Place to Holmes Place between noon and 3:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, March 5, there will be intermittent closures of 55th Street between Blackhawk Road and Tenino Avenue from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Also on March 5, the outside westbound lane of South Boulder Road will be closed from noon to 3 p.m. west of Manhattan Drive.
On Sunday, March 10, the westbound lane of Valmont Road between 28th Street and 30th Street will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In addition to these tree removals requiring lane closures, contractors working for the Urban Forestry Division will remove two other large trees with significant cavities in their trunks and/or major branches. These include the following:
- A cottonwood tree at the Main Boulder Public Library, 1001 Arapahoe Ave., with a large trunk cavity.
- A silver maple tree at 1743 Mapleton Ave. with large cavities in its major branches
City park and neighborhood street trees are inspected annually for structural integrity and safety by the Urban Forestry Division using industry-set standards and techniques. For more information, contact the Urban Forestry office, 303-441-4406, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
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Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks begins seasonal cliff-nesting raptor closures
Jan 30th
Each year, the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Department temporarily closes areas to the public in order to protect nesting and roosting raptors. The following areas and formations will be closed from Feb. 1 through July 31:
- 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);
- Gregory Canyon Amphitheater, including the Amphitheater Express Trail and the 3rd Pinnacle (the Amphitheater Trail to Saddle Rock will remain open);
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- 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; the designated Shadow Canyon hiking trail will re-open in 2013 following post-fire maintenance);
- The Sphinx, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
- Diamond Head and SoBo Buttress, west of Shadow Canyon, accessible from South Mesa Trailhead (South Boulder Peak Trail will remain open);
- The entire Mickey Mouse wall, accessible from the Goshawk Ridge Trail.
High-quality cliff habitat and rich food resources on OSMP lands, as well as community cooperation in protecting nesting sites, sustains the mountain backdrop as a regionally important area for nesting falcons and golden eagles. OSMP volunteers and staff have been monitoring raptor nesting and roosting areas since 1984, and the program is an integral part of efforts to protect the species and adaptively manage the closures.
Trespassing violations 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. Closures may be lifted early, if no raptor activity is observed at these sites.
Some modifications have occurred to the Flagstaff and The Sphinx raptor closures. 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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