Project Information

Regional Mountain Trails Master Plan Initiative

Local, state, and federal land-management agencies, to include the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, Boulder County, City of Boulder, and City of Longmont are partnering to develop a long‐term, multi‐agency master plan for a network of access points and travel corridors for non‐motorized users in the foothills and mountains of Boulder County.

The Goal

The goal of the plan is to connect communities and recreation areas in the mountains and foothills to regional trails in the plains. The plan will emphasize linking existing trails and trail systems. Specific trail corridors or trail alignments have not yet been identified.

Baseline Information About the Project

This project brings together a unique group of partners, each with their own management objectives and decision-making requirements. In formulating the project approach, the Partners have developed a set of characteristics that are important for this planning process to have in order to develop an effective master plan that addresses the needs and requirements of each agency. The existing management considerations of each agency that will influence the project have also been identified. This information is summarized in the Project Handout.

Initial Public Meetings

Public listening kick-off meetings were held at 11 sites across the county from mid-April to mid-May. The purpose of the meetings was to listen to the desires and concerns of the public and to share baseline information about the project. Each meeting followed the same format and was not geared to any one specific community. Input will be used to formulate a set of principles to guide the year-long planning process.

Initial Public Comment Period

The initial public comment period ended on May 20. Comments will be used to develop a set of principles and community values that will guide the remainder of this year-long planning process. Comments are posted in Resources.

We are excited to collaborate with the community and our fellow land managers on this plan for trails that will direct our work as individual organizations toward a common goal for trails over the coming years. This plan will be drafted in a manner that is sensitive to the resources and values unique to this part of the region, and one that contributes to a more sustainable future for Boulder County.
-Justin Atherton-Wood, Resource Planner for Boulder County Parks and Open Space

 

From the Press

• Feedback on Boulder County trail plans (from the Mountain Ear)
• Cyclists would like more trail connections in Longmont
• Boulder County trails plan seeks to avoid needing to drive to a trailhead
• Government agencies seek Boulder County residents’ ideas about mountain and foothills trails