Posts tagged wildlife
Boulder County’s new prairie dog town?
Oct 28th
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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Boulder falls and mountain closed
Oct 27th
The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) announces the annual closure of Flagstaff Summit to vehicular traffic and Boulder Falls to all visitors. These closures have been put into in effect as of Oct. 26 due to the recent heavy snowfall. Both facilities will reopen on May 1, 2012.
Flagstaff Summit Road has been closed at Realization Point. This is an annual closure to allow wildlife on the summit to have a less stressful winter. Also, the road from Realization Point to the summit is narrow and can be icy and dangerous during the winter. It is not maintained for vehicle access. Visitors will still be able to walk or bike to the summit. Dogs must be on leash on the road.
Boulder Falls has also been closed for the season. This trail can be very icy and dangerous for most of the winter due to the buildup of snow and ice on the trail tread. The falls can still be viewed from State Hwy. 119.
Boulder bike park a winner!
Oct 12th
The City of Boulder’s Parks and Recreation Department was awarded the 2011 Colorado Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA) Columbine Award for Recreation Facility Design at Valmont Bike Park. The award was presented to Parks and Recreation Director Kirk Kincannon and Recreation Superintendent Alice Guthrie on Thursday, Sept. 29, at the CPRA Annual Conference in Grand Junction.
“This is a great honor for the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department,” said Kincannon. “Valmont Bike Park was designed and constructed with the community in mind. Through our extensive public input process, we were able to create a park that appeals to all levels of cyclists and provides a great recreation facility for families. We are thrilled to have this community treasure recognized by the Colorado Parks and Recreation Association.”
The opening of Valmont Bike Park in June 2011 was the culmination of a multi-year collaboration between the community and Boulder Parks and Recreation Department. A 40-acre, natural-surface bike park, Valmont was designed and developed in partnership with the Boulder Mountainbike Alliance (BMA), a group representing the area’s active, off-road cycling community. BMA brought volunteers, funding and sport-specific expertise to this ambitious project. BMA also agreed to help with fundraising and long-term stewardship of the bike facility and formed a partnership with the PLAY Boulder Parks Foundation as a mechanism to receive tax-deductible donations.
The park offers trails and features for all ages, riding abilities and styles. It also incorporates the latest sustainable design features including water conservation systems; LEEDTM certified building design, solar photovoltaic power and wildlife-proof recycling and trash containers.
The addition of the park and completion of multi-use trails leading to it elevated Boulder’s League of American Bicyclists’ status from gold to one of only three, Platinum-level bike friendly communities in the U.S. Valmont Bike Park provides new recreation opportunities for the community and competitive venues for local, national and international events.