Dowdy Draw Trail notes Michael (j.b.) Bittner
Different contractors built the trail and the parking lot
Trail Design
• Have to control for water flow
• GPS walkthrough mapping
o Can get as close as 6 inches
o CAD
• 3D walkthrough of the trail with pictures
• Contractors need to know everything about the trail from the plans and be able to build everything from them
Construction
• Took 6 weeks
• 10 feet wide, narrows to 18” in some areas
• Crusher fine- gravel on top
• Geotextile- rubber mat underneath
• Road base used underneath everything
• Riprap- rocks lining side
• Curved trail
1. Mitigates erosion
2. Aesthetically pleasing
3. Slows bikes
Trail features
• Mixed use-bike, horse, etc.
• Opened Oct/Nov of 2008
• Handicap accessible
• Maintained by city
o BMP’s- Best Management Practices
• Old bridge moved to new location
o Bolts had to be placed perfectly (within ½”)
• Engineered rock wall
o Able to withstand 10 year flood
• Fence used to force trail usage
o No short-cutting
• Occasional grazing from cows and sheep provides disturbance fostering plant growth
• Water pipeline from Granby lake provides front range drinking water
• Trails dug into the hillside will hold up better than anything manmade
Special areas
• HCA (Habitat Conservation Areas)
• No going off trail without a permit
• No mechanized transport
• Goshawk Ridge
o Goshawk
• Indicator species (indicators of rich ecological areas)
• F16 plane design based off Goshawk flight
• Trail goes through HCA, so no bikes or dogs
• Poaching problem with bikes
Other
• Water rights on the property override city, county, state
• Horses have right of way, then pedestrians, then bikes
Questions
• What are two reasons why the Dowdy Draw trail is curved?
o Controls erosion, it’s aesthetically pleasing
• What is the gravel called on the path we used?
o Crusher fine
• What mode of transport has the right of way on the trail?
o Horse
• How long did the project take to build?
o 6 weeks
• What notable bird is a prominent ridge we discussed named after?
o Goshawk
• Why is the Goshawk Ridge Trail problematic?
o It goes right into an HCA, mt bikers have been riding despite the closure
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Day 10 Summary and Questions
*Notes 6/16/09
*
*Mike Barrow – guest speaker, Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance *
*Recreation Advocacy in the 1990s*
-Bikes banned from trails early on
-Trails were not built to a standard that could handle mountain biking and
bikers didn’t understand the idea of “tread lightly”
-Boulder Off-Road Alliance – service oriented organization that worked on
trails for the first decade, attempted to get along with everyone else
-2001 – BOA made the conscious choice to become politically involved
-1998 – Boulder needed to come up with a human management plan
-2002 – Open Space Tax passed by a narrow margin (wake up call)
-Mountain Parks merged with Open Space and Real State – OSMP
-Meanwhile, acquisitions are becoming more scare/expensive and the money for
buying is drying up, Management has become a higher priority
*OSMP’s Visitor Master Plan*
-Took 7 years and millions of dollars to create
-OSMP got a new director
-VMP makes everyone unhappy, expect for bikers (bikers got rights and
everyone else got restrictions)
-Before VMP, visitors could go anywhere at anytime
-Adopted in 2005 by City Council – make aware of recreation needs
-Trail Study Areas and Public Process began – many meetings and lots of
controversy, staff did not understand and execute the resource inventory of
the properties to the public properly
-Resource Inventory – water resources, trees, animals, and flora are
examined before information is released to the public about the land for a
TSA, determines where recreation should happen to avoid harming species
-It is up to the community to determine how we will enjoy the land (create
management plan for TSA)
*Death by Meetings*
-BMA leaders were frustrated
-Outreach to historically contentious groups
-Attempted to find out what groups agreed upon
-One standard deviation is the mainstream that agree upon moderate rules,
rest are extreme opinions
*What’s next?*
-Mountains parks TSA
-Walker Ranch Management Plan
-Technical Trails in the USFS
-Valmont Bike Park and the Parks and Recreation Department (will begin
building by end of the year)
Not intended for natural values
A park through Parks and Recreation
Intended for all ages, a family experience
-Goal is to create a quality mountain bike experience without the use of the
car
-Trails are the tool that deliver recreation to the population
*City Council Votes*
-Position 7 & 8 candidates, the ones who need the critical votes, will be
more heavily influenced by advocacy groups such as BMA because they needs
the group members votes
*Access and Dogs*
*
*
How accessible should the open space be? That is the main concern of the
people.
Arguments for accessibility:
-Recreation
-Connection to nature
-Spirituality
-Education
-We (the public) paid for it.
Arguments for restricted access:
-Preservation of wildlife and habitat
-Humans and dogs can be damaging to the landscape.
Arguments for dogs, pros:
-Owners are able to get outside with their dogs.
-Dogs can experience nature.
-Dogs provide security for owners.
-Gives dogs more freedom
Arguments against dogs, cons:
-Disturbs the wildlife and the natural ecosystem.
-Creates confrontation. Some people are frightened by dogs.
-Voice and sight doesn’t always work.
4 questions: access/preservation
What is nature? A place to experience recreation with your dog/meant to be
preserved, no dogs.
Are humans apart of nature? Yes, we paid for it we should have access with
our dogs/no, recreation leads to degradation.
How should we use it? For recreation and a place to walk our dogs/preserve
it, keep people and dogs out.
Who should decide? We (the public) should decide, we paid for it.
*Balancing Recreation and Preservation*
Recreation Pros:
-Exercise, Self education, Relate to nature, Use the land we paid for,
Healthy life style
Recreation Cons:
-Degredation, Attracts too many people, Segmentation, Disruption of wildlife
Preservation Pros:
-Aesthetics, Less impact on ecosystem, Habitat
Preservation Cons:
-People aren’t using land so people wont want to pay for it
Discourages a healthy lifestyle
Process Issues
-Public vs community leaders vs science
City council decisions should be made on sound science and common sense
Public should decide because they paid for open space
4 Questions: recreation/preservation
What is nature? Recreation/intrinsic value intended for existence
Are humans part of nature? Yes, land is to be enjoyed/ no, free of humans
How should we use nature? Enjoyment, maintaining and restoring trials/ least
possible human impact
Who should decide? The public, community, people who paid for it/ scientific
evidence, not the public
*Should competitions be allowed on open space?*
The law: competitive events prohibited on open space, 4 or more persons not
allowed to exceed each other in performance
First take on 4 questions (mr wright)
1. views open space as recreational playground
2. believes recreation is not very damaging
3. people should use however they want
4. city council and board of trustees wield too much power and are to harsh
Response (friends of open space)
-Balance bw playground and sanctuary
-Feels that OS should buffer cities
-passive recreation
-four designations for open space (ag, passive rec, conservation, wildlife
area)
*Hogan Conservation Easement Purchase*
500+ acres, south of BoCo in JeffCo
10,000,000 for conservation easement and development rights
Article 1:
Greenlee: Boulder goes too far south
-Recreation advocate
-Believes strongly in public opinion/voice
-Concerned with lack of access to the land
-Believes there was a lack of a collective decision making for the purchase
-place to be enjoyed by the public, stewards of the land – aesthetics and
conservation
-public opinion and consensus of different parties
Article 2:
“Checkmate JeffCo”
-aesthetically pleasing
-hinders development – a good thing
-prevents urban sprawling
-if boulder had not purchased development rights, anything could have
happened
-beautiful land to be protected
-appropriate use of open space tax
-okay with only city council making the decision
Article 3:
“Hogan deal goes forward”
-Made mention of Hogan family
-Mentioned recreation and husbandry
-We are both stewards and users
-Personal opinion hidden – attempted to show both sides of the argument
Article 4:
Julie McCabe “Hogan Ranch Purchase”
-Nature and recreation go hand in hand
-There should be a public consensus
-There is a lack of accessibility considering how much money the land cost
-The decision was too hasty
-Nature is a place to enjoy and recreation access is important
*QUESTIONS FOR TEST*
1. Why does the Visitor Master Plan make bikers happy and other recreation
groups unhappy?
-Bikers received rights and limitations were set on other recreation groups
2. According to the Visitor Master Plan, is it the community's job or the
staff and government's job to determine how land will be enjoyed?
-Community's
3. What is a resource inventory?
-Study of environment before TSA to determine where recreation should happen
to avoid harming species in the area
4. Where are the future TSAs happening?
-Mountain Parks
5. (T/F) In 2002, the Open Space Tax passed by a landslide
-F
6. What are the tools that bring recreation to the population?
-Trails
7. What are the arguments about how the Hogan land was purchased?
-Decision was good to prevent development on the land
-Decision was too hasty for the amount of money being spent with limited
recreational access
8.What is the biggest problem with leaving open space decisions up to the
public?
-Most of the public is uneducated
9.Who approved the Hogan Land Purchase:?
-Boulder City Council
10. What are one of the major pros for dog owners having access to open
space?
-Owners able to get outside
-Dogs experience nature
-Dogs provide security for owners
-Gives dogs more freedom
*
*Mike Barrow – guest speaker, Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance *
*Recreation Advocacy in the 1990s*
-Bikes banned from trails early on
-Trails were not built to a standard that could handle mountain biking and
bikers didn’t understand the idea of “tread lightly”
-Boulder Off-Road Alliance – service oriented organization that worked on
trails for the first decade, attempted to get along with everyone else
-2001 – BOA made the conscious choice to become politically involved
-1998 – Boulder needed to come up with a human management plan
-2002 – Open Space Tax passed by a narrow margin (wake up call)
-Mountain Parks merged with Open Space and Real State – OSMP
-Meanwhile, acquisitions are becoming more scare/expensive and the money for
buying is drying up, Management has become a higher priority
*OSMP’s Visitor Master Plan*
-Took 7 years and millions of dollars to create
-OSMP got a new director
-VMP makes everyone unhappy, expect for bikers (bikers got rights and
everyone else got restrictions)
-Before VMP, visitors could go anywhere at anytime
-Adopted in 2005 by City Council – make aware of recreation needs
-Trail Study Areas and Public Process began – many meetings and lots of
controversy, staff did not understand and execute the resource inventory of
the properties to the public properly
-Resource Inventory – water resources, trees, animals, and flora are
examined before information is released to the public about the land for a
TSA, determines where recreation should happen to avoid harming species
-It is up to the community to determine how we will enjoy the land (create
management plan for TSA)
*Death by Meetings*
-BMA leaders were frustrated
-Outreach to historically contentious groups
-Attempted to find out what groups agreed upon
-One standard deviation is the mainstream that agree upon moderate rules,
rest are extreme opinions
*What’s next?*
-Mountains parks TSA
-Walker Ranch Management Plan
-Technical Trails in the USFS
-Valmont Bike Park and the Parks and Recreation Department (will begin
building by end of the year)
Not intended for natural values
A park through Parks and Recreation
Intended for all ages, a family experience
-Goal is to create a quality mountain bike experience without the use of the
car
-Trails are the tool that deliver recreation to the population
*City Council Votes*
-Position 7 & 8 candidates, the ones who need the critical votes, will be
more heavily influenced by advocacy groups such as BMA because they needs
the group members votes
*Access and Dogs*
*
*
How accessible should the open space be? That is the main concern of the
people.
Arguments for accessibility:
-Recreation
-Connection to nature
-Spirituality
-Education
-We (the public) paid for it.
Arguments for restricted access:
-Preservation of wildlife and habitat
-Humans and dogs can be damaging to the landscape.
Arguments for dogs, pros:
-Owners are able to get outside with their dogs.
-Dogs can experience nature.
-Dogs provide security for owners.
-Gives dogs more freedom
Arguments against dogs, cons:
-Disturbs the wildlife and the natural ecosystem.
-Creates confrontation. Some people are frightened by dogs.
-Voice and sight doesn’t always work.
4 questions: access/preservation
What is nature? A place to experience recreation with your dog/meant to be
preserved, no dogs.
Are humans apart of nature? Yes, we paid for it we should have access with
our dogs/no, recreation leads to degradation.
How should we use it? For recreation and a place to walk our dogs/preserve
it, keep people and dogs out.
Who should decide? We (the public) should decide, we paid for it.
*Balancing Recreation and Preservation*
Recreation Pros:
-Exercise, Self education, Relate to nature, Use the land we paid for,
Healthy life style
Recreation Cons:
-Degredation, Attracts too many people, Segmentation, Disruption of wildlife
Preservation Pros:
-Aesthetics, Less impact on ecosystem, Habitat
Preservation Cons:
-People aren’t using land so people wont want to pay for it
Discourages a healthy lifestyle
Process Issues
-Public vs community leaders vs science
City council decisions should be made on sound science and common sense
Public should decide because they paid for open space
4 Questions: recreation/preservation
What is nature? Recreation/intrinsic value intended for existence
Are humans part of nature? Yes, land is to be enjoyed/ no, free of humans
How should we use nature? Enjoyment, maintaining and restoring trials/ least
possible human impact
Who should decide? The public, community, people who paid for it/ scientific
evidence, not the public
*Should competitions be allowed on open space?*
The law: competitive events prohibited on open space, 4 or more persons not
allowed to exceed each other in performance
First take on 4 questions (mr wright)
1. views open space as recreational playground
2. believes recreation is not very damaging
3. people should use however they want
4. city council and board of trustees wield too much power and are to harsh
Response (friends of open space)
-Balance bw playground and sanctuary
-Feels that OS should buffer cities
-passive recreation
-four designations for open space (ag, passive rec, conservation, wildlife
area)
*Hogan Conservation Easement Purchase*
500+ acres, south of BoCo in JeffCo
10,000,000 for conservation easement and development rights
Article 1:
Greenlee: Boulder goes too far south
-Recreation advocate
-Believes strongly in public opinion/voice
-Concerned with lack of access to the land
-Believes there was a lack of a collective decision making for the purchase
-place to be enjoyed by the public, stewards of the land – aesthetics and
conservation
-public opinion and consensus of different parties
Article 2:
“Checkmate JeffCo”
-aesthetically pleasing
-hinders development – a good thing
-prevents urban sprawling
-if boulder had not purchased development rights, anything could have
happened
-beautiful land to be protected
-appropriate use of open space tax
-okay with only city council making the decision
Article 3:
“Hogan deal goes forward”
-Made mention of Hogan family
-Mentioned recreation and husbandry
-We are both stewards and users
-Personal opinion hidden – attempted to show both sides of the argument
Article 4:
Julie McCabe “Hogan Ranch Purchase”
-Nature and recreation go hand in hand
-There should be a public consensus
-There is a lack of accessibility considering how much money the land cost
-The decision was too hasty
-Nature is a place to enjoy and recreation access is important
*QUESTIONS FOR TEST*
1. Why does the Visitor Master Plan make bikers happy and other recreation
groups unhappy?
-Bikers received rights and limitations were set on other recreation groups
2. According to the Visitor Master Plan, is it the community's job or the
staff and government's job to determine how land will be enjoyed?
-Community's
3. What is a resource inventory?
-Study of environment before TSA to determine where recreation should happen
to avoid harming species in the area
4. Where are the future TSAs happening?
-Mountain Parks
5. (T/F) In 2002, the Open Space Tax passed by a landslide
-F
6. What are the tools that bring recreation to the population?
-Trails
7. What are the arguments about how the Hogan land was purchased?
-Decision was good to prevent development on the land
-Decision was too hasty for the amount of money being spent with limited
recreational access
8.What is the biggest problem with leaving open space decisions up to the
public?
-Most of the public is uneducated
9.Who approved the Hogan Land Purchase:?
-Boulder City Council
10. What are one of the major pros for dog owners having access to open
space?
-Owners able to get outside
-Dogs experience nature
-Dogs provide security for owners
-Gives dogs more freedom
Monday, June 15, 2009
Day 9 Summary and Questions
Notes from June 15, 2009:
Visitor master plan – breaks open space into different regions to do trail study analysis
- Eldorado, Dowdy Draw and Marshall Mesa already done
- Main work is now being done in the foothills region
4 Questions on Open Space
What does Open Space represent to people in Boulder?
- Recreation
o Exercise, personal mental health
o Encourages healthy lifestyle
o Spiritual Values
- Buffer zone – physical separation from the city
- Preservation of the aesthetic values and wildlife values
- Negative values
o Loss of development
o More expensive housing, comes with desirability
Are people part or apart of Open Space?
- People are not living in open space except caretakers
How should Open Space be used?
- Strict conservation or recreation
- Agriculture
- Resource extraction, ex. Logging, quarrying
- Habitat
Who should be making decisions on open space? Who does currently?
- Currently, OSPM under City Council and County Commissioners
- Public should be making decisions along with the role of science
- Idea that open space needs to be actively managed
o Shows the desire to manage
- The role of science
o Use science to show what is natural and healthy
o Science is used very often when dealing with open space
Susan Ross – City of Boulder, OSMP, Volunteer Coordinator
Susan has worked for OSMP since 1990.
Hogan Land
- Located in Jefferson County, but owned by city of Boulder
- Extremely controversial purchase
- Contains historical relics and elk herd
She is a long term sustainability believer and holds those values
Recreational User
- Hiking, skiing, and biking
Works w/ people on all issues
- Bird watching
- Bike patrol
- Pulling weeds or invasive species (ex. Russian olive plants)
o Subtractive landscaping
People come out to help w/ the land
- Volunteering is supplementing jobs w/ payroll
- She tries to make working conditions good and fun
- Openspace 101 for workers or volunteers
- Volunteers come from all backgrounds
Questions for Susan
How many volunteers?
- 11,000 volunteers
- Varied times put in by individuals
- Core of 400 on regular basis
- Some volunteers just do a 1 day project
- All ages, 10 year old monitoring Eagles nest
No problems w/ recruitment
- Active website
- Email list
Public Process
- When people are pleased they don’t show up, but only seem to show up when they are angry with a certain issue
Where do they need the most help?
- West TSA, multiple maintenance issues
- Keeping people on the big picture is a huge problem
- A conservative approach is going to make you make smart decisions
Passive Recreation is an object of a lot of debate
Foothills is the most controversial Area in Boulder County that is part of the TSA
Boulder Farmer’s Market – a whole meal can be purchased there that was produced in Boulder County
Examples in different management between City and County?
- County never aloud dogs off leashes
- City ignores dog leash laws, but still has them
Keeping trails down to trail tread width is very difficult
- Maintenance is very difficult w/ single track expierence
Education and Childrean – Volunteer Naturalist Programs
- Connecting kids w/nature
- Calwood environmental education center
- Often times retired school teachers
o Undergo 80 hours of training to do school programs
Who is going to take care of nature when were gone?
- Connection between things
- Brazilian bats in southern Colorado, effect of climate change
- Nature, and change, is somewhat unpredictable
How do you use volunteers in collection of data?
- Don’t use volunteers in collection, only management collects data
- Has scientific counters for human data
Trail Guides
- 75 trail guides
- Two groups of trail ambassadors
- Fairly brief training
- Human interface on trails, welcome and helpful to visitors
- 4 or 5 rangers on at anytime
- Bike controllers
- Trail guides are mandated to have leash on their dogs, which improves the expierence w/ the visitor
- If you were to get a ticket for dog droppings left it is not the rangers decision on how much the ticket will be, it will be the judges decision
Questions for Test
1. Is Susan Ross hold long-term sustainability views on nature or short-term?
- Long-Term
2. According to Susan Ross what is an example of subtractive landscaping and when will we be doing this?
- An example is the pulling of weeds or invasive species such as Russian olive plants, and we will be doing this on the last day of class
3. How many volunteers does Susan have on TSA’s?
- Around 11,000
4. T/F, Susan has problems with volunteer recruitment?
- False
5. According to Susan what TSA is the most controversial in Boulder County?
- The Foothills area
6. What is the role of the Volunteer Naturalists in OSMP
- Work with children on nature education
7. Why does Susan feel that programs like the Volunteer Naturalists are so important?
- Because she feels that it is important to establish the connection to nature when people are young
8. What is one of the problems Susan sees with conservation efforts?
- The future is unpredictable and you never know how changes in one area will affect another, e.g. temperature changes and bat migration.
9. What is the role of trail guides and bike patrollers?
- To serve as a human interface for visitors.
10. What are two of the ways that people view open space?
- Recreation (hike, bike), Spirituality, Nature Preservation, Physical and mental health, Buffer against surrounding towns
11. What was your group's controversial topic? List one argument on each side of the controversy.
Visitor master plan – breaks open space into different regions to do trail study analysis
- Eldorado, Dowdy Draw and Marshall Mesa already done
- Main work is now being done in the foothills region
4 Questions on Open Space
What does Open Space represent to people in Boulder?
- Recreation
o Exercise, personal mental health
o Encourages healthy lifestyle
o Spiritual Values
- Buffer zone – physical separation from the city
- Preservation of the aesthetic values and wildlife values
- Negative values
o Loss of development
o More expensive housing, comes with desirability
Are people part or apart of Open Space?
- People are not living in open space except caretakers
How should Open Space be used?
- Strict conservation or recreation
- Agriculture
- Resource extraction, ex. Logging, quarrying
- Habitat
Who should be making decisions on open space? Who does currently?
- Currently, OSPM under City Council and County Commissioners
- Public should be making decisions along with the role of science
- Idea that open space needs to be actively managed
o Shows the desire to manage
- The role of science
o Use science to show what is natural and healthy
o Science is used very often when dealing with open space
Susan Ross – City of Boulder, OSMP, Volunteer Coordinator
Susan has worked for OSMP since 1990.
Hogan Land
- Located in Jefferson County, but owned by city of Boulder
- Extremely controversial purchase
- Contains historical relics and elk herd
She is a long term sustainability believer and holds those values
Recreational User
- Hiking, skiing, and biking
Works w/ people on all issues
- Bird watching
- Bike patrol
- Pulling weeds or invasive species (ex. Russian olive plants)
o Subtractive landscaping
People come out to help w/ the land
- Volunteering is supplementing jobs w/ payroll
- She tries to make working conditions good and fun
- Openspace 101 for workers or volunteers
- Volunteers come from all backgrounds
Questions for Susan
How many volunteers?
- 11,000 volunteers
- Varied times put in by individuals
- Core of 400 on regular basis
- Some volunteers just do a 1 day project
- All ages, 10 year old monitoring Eagles nest
No problems w/ recruitment
- Active website
- Email list
Public Process
- When people are pleased they don’t show up, but only seem to show up when they are angry with a certain issue
Where do they need the most help?
- West TSA, multiple maintenance issues
- Keeping people on the big picture is a huge problem
- A conservative approach is going to make you make smart decisions
Passive Recreation is an object of a lot of debate
Foothills is the most controversial Area in Boulder County that is part of the TSA
Boulder Farmer’s Market – a whole meal can be purchased there that was produced in Boulder County
Examples in different management between City and County?
- County never aloud dogs off leashes
- City ignores dog leash laws, but still has them
Keeping trails down to trail tread width is very difficult
- Maintenance is very difficult w/ single track expierence
Education and Childrean – Volunteer Naturalist Programs
- Connecting kids w/nature
- Calwood environmental education center
- Often times retired school teachers
o Undergo 80 hours of training to do school programs
Who is going to take care of nature when were gone?
- Connection between things
- Brazilian bats in southern Colorado, effect of climate change
- Nature, and change, is somewhat unpredictable
How do you use volunteers in collection of data?
- Don’t use volunteers in collection, only management collects data
- Has scientific counters for human data
Trail Guides
- 75 trail guides
- Two groups of trail ambassadors
- Fairly brief training
- Human interface on trails, welcome and helpful to visitors
- 4 or 5 rangers on at anytime
- Bike controllers
- Trail guides are mandated to have leash on their dogs, which improves the expierence w/ the visitor
- If you were to get a ticket for dog droppings left it is not the rangers decision on how much the ticket will be, it will be the judges decision
Questions for Test
1. Is Susan Ross hold long-term sustainability views on nature or short-term?
- Long-Term
2. According to Susan Ross what is an example of subtractive landscaping and when will we be doing this?
- An example is the pulling of weeds or invasive species such as Russian olive plants, and we will be doing this on the last day of class
3. How many volunteers does Susan have on TSA’s?
- Around 11,000
4. T/F, Susan has problems with volunteer recruitment?
- False
5. According to Susan what TSA is the most controversial in Boulder County?
- The Foothills area
6. What is the role of the Volunteer Naturalists in OSMP
- Work with children on nature education
7. Why does Susan feel that programs like the Volunteer Naturalists are so important?
- Because she feels that it is important to establish the connection to nature when people are young
8. What is one of the problems Susan sees with conservation efforts?
- The future is unpredictable and you never know how changes in one area will affect another, e.g. temperature changes and bat migration.
9. What is the role of trail guides and bike patrollers?
- To serve as a human interface for visitors.
10. What are two of the ways that people view open space?
- Recreation (hike, bike), Spirituality, Nature Preservation, Physical and mental health, Buffer against surrounding towns
11. What was your group's controversial topic? List one argument on each side of the controversy.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Day 8 Summary and Questions
Leopold -
"Wildlife in American Culture"
Cultural Values -
1. Experience that reminds us of our distinctive national origins and evolutions
2. Experience that reminds us of our dependency on the oil-plant-animal-man-food chain and of
the fundamental organization of the biota
3. Experience that exercises those ethical restraints collectively called sportsman ship
Split-rail - a handmade fence that is made from wood that is split oneself
-represents heritage, self-reliance, and being in touch with the land
Sportsmanship - the voluntary limitation in the use of tools that give humans an advantage
over wildlife
-defined by pioneer period, foundation for American tradition
- A bow and arrow is more sportsman like than modern gadgets
- Wild husbandry - stalking herds, Leopold's way to justify losing spiritual value
- things can be done to encourage control and regulate activity
Mechanization is progress
-Ethical restrains - hunter's safety
-If hunting is about "filling the freezer" than it is considered more acceptable because this
represents understanding where the food is coming from. (split rail)
-wildlife management - mechanized and industrialized
-there is a split between the thrill seeker and the nature lover
- this exaggerated dualism is what creates the tension between people in open space
- Mechanized activity is restricted in resource areas
The concept of wilderness is a problematic area
- the way we define wilderness excludes humans
- if all resources go into preserving wilderness and the rural areas are let go, a bad system
is developed
The Wilderness
How should "wilderness" be defined?
- Some definitions say humans are NOT part of wilderness
- Has a true pristine wilderness ever existed since humans have been on most landscapes
at some point?
Wilderness is very degraded especially in coastal areas.
The problem with preservation is the segmentation of preserved areas with access trails.
The modern views
- recreation is non-work
- If wilderness is functioning abnormally there must be a prescribed fix
Wilderness is a resource that can shrink but not grow.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to bring back the wilderness after it is gone.
Often times we only see the effect of environmental degradation, rarely the process.
Forming an understanding of how an undisturbed ecosystem functions is important in helping
already damaged ecosystems. However, this is far more difficult than it sounds because there
are not many undisturbed ecosystems.
Canadian Rockies and Alaska are among the few remaining pristine wildernesses.
Discussion
How can we prevent environmental problems rather than just react to them?
Open spaces? Education?
"The Land Ethic" - Part 1
The Ethical Sequence -
- Related in history, compares land to property
- land = economics, privilege not obligation
Community Concept -
- individual as a member of community, compete for place in community but still has to
cooperate
- rules are not followed by what they really mean
- there are historical analysis of abusing land
Ecological Conscience -
-conservation is the harmony between man and land
-self interest drives conservation, therefore it is a slow process
-conservation attempts to make it easy to not abuse land but this really just makes it
trivial
Substitutes for a Land Ethic -
-specific reasons to save certain animals are advocated
-this justifies having to save an animal which is wrong
-the things that are ignored are actually the main problem
There is a split between philosophy and land conduct
-land ethic needs to be treated the same as social ethic
-If economic rationalization is relied on, not enough is done
In order to properly conserve land, more needs to be done than legally required
Suzanne Larsen presentation (Suzanne.Larsen@colorado.edu)
Library webpage �~@~S libraries.colorado.edu
VPN - Allows students to access the libraries�~@~Y databases from off campus.
Electronic books �~@~S full contents of a book online in PDF format.
Map library �~@~S in the lower level of Benson earth science library
Find It at CU- This icon will bring you to where to find the article or book in the library
or an electronic version if its available.
Finding Articles
Engineering Village -
-engineering, focuses on water and pollution
-Inspec - atmospheric concepts, climate change
Georef
Goes back to articles published in the 1600s. Georef finds geological and some environmental
articles.
Nice features
�~@� Can use discriptors which are controlled vocabulary, these terms are a good place to
search good terminology for more comprehensive searches.
Web of Science
Searches only peer reviewed articles various scientific fields (interdisciplinary).
Nice features
�~@� Says how many times an article has been cited and by whom.
�~@� Shows articles references. Those in blue are in the database.
�~@� View related records: Takes references and citations and compares with all citations
and references from other possibly related articles in the entire database.
If an article has more than 40 references it is most likely a review article
�~@� Go look at the references for yourself to make sure the author didn�~@~Yt use them
with a bias.
Questions -
1. Name two of the three cultural values that Leopold mentions?
1. Experience that reminds us of our distinctive national origins and evolutions
2. Experience that reminds us of our dependency on the oil-plant-animal-man-food
chain and of the fundamental organization of the biota
3. Experience that exercises those ethical restraints collectively called sportsman
ship
2. What is represented by the split-rail value?
represents heritage, self-reliance, and being in touch with the land
3. What is a problem with preservation in the wilderness?
the segmentation of preserved areas with access trails
4. Name a sport that has been heavily mechanized according to Leopold.
Duck hunting
5. According to Leopold what are two remaining pristine wilderness areas?
Canadian Rocky Mountains and Alaska
6. Conservation is the harmony between what two things?
Man and land
7. True or false. Wilderness is a resource that can grow but not shrink.
False
8. What do you need to download on your personal computer to access CUs library resources
from home?
VPN (virtual private network)
9. What are two databases Suzanne talked about in class?
Engineering Village, GeoRef, Web of Science
10. Which database is interdisciplinary and accesses only peer-reviewed articles?
Web of Science
Hilary Stammich
Max Goossens
"Wildlife in American Culture"
Cultural Values -
1. Experience that reminds us of our distinctive national origins and evolutions
2. Experience that reminds us of our dependency on the oil-plant-animal-man-food chain and of
the fundamental organization of the biota
3. Experience that exercises those ethical restraints collectively called sportsman ship
Split-rail - a handmade fence that is made from wood that is split oneself
-represents heritage, self-reliance, and being in touch with the land
Sportsmanship - the voluntary limitation in the use of tools that give humans an advantage
over wildlife
-defined by pioneer period, foundation for American tradition
- A bow and arrow is more sportsman like than modern gadgets
- Wild husbandry - stalking herds, Leopold's way to justify losing spiritual value
- things can be done to encourage control and regulate activity
Mechanization is progress
-Ethical restrains - hunter's safety
-If hunting is about "filling the freezer" than it is considered more acceptable because this
represents understanding where the food is coming from. (split rail)
-wildlife management - mechanized and industrialized
-there is a split between the thrill seeker and the nature lover
- this exaggerated dualism is what creates the tension between people in open space
- Mechanized activity is restricted in resource areas
The concept of wilderness is a problematic area
- the way we define wilderness excludes humans
- if all resources go into preserving wilderness and the rural areas are let go, a bad system
is developed
The Wilderness
How should "wilderness" be defined?
- Some definitions say humans are NOT part of wilderness
- Has a true pristine wilderness ever existed since humans have been on most landscapes
at some point?
Wilderness is very degraded especially in coastal areas.
The problem with preservation is the segmentation of preserved areas with access trails.
The modern views
- recreation is non-work
- If wilderness is functioning abnormally there must be a prescribed fix
Wilderness is a resource that can shrink but not grow.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to bring back the wilderness after it is gone.
Often times we only see the effect of environmental degradation, rarely the process.
Forming an understanding of how an undisturbed ecosystem functions is important in helping
already damaged ecosystems. However, this is far more difficult than it sounds because there
are not many undisturbed ecosystems.
Canadian Rockies and Alaska are among the few remaining pristine wildernesses.
Discussion
How can we prevent environmental problems rather than just react to them?
Open spaces? Education?
"The Land Ethic" - Part 1
The Ethical Sequence -
- Related in history, compares land to property
- land = economics, privilege not obligation
Community Concept -
- individual as a member of community, compete for place in community but still has to
cooperate
- rules are not followed by what they really mean
- there are historical analysis of abusing land
Ecological Conscience -
-conservation is the harmony between man and land
-self interest drives conservation, therefore it is a slow process
-conservation attempts to make it easy to not abuse land but this really just makes it
trivial
Substitutes for a Land Ethic -
-specific reasons to save certain animals are advocated
-this justifies having to save an animal which is wrong
-the things that are ignored are actually the main problem
There is a split between philosophy and land conduct
-land ethic needs to be treated the same as social ethic
-If economic rationalization is relied on, not enough is done
In order to properly conserve land, more needs to be done than legally required
Suzanne Larsen presentation (Suzanne.Larsen@colorado.edu)
Library webpage �~@~S libraries.colorado.edu
VPN - Allows students to access the libraries�~@~Y databases from off campus.
Electronic books �~@~S full contents of a book online in PDF format.
Map library �~@~S in the lower level of Benson earth science library
Find It at CU- This icon will bring you to where to find the article or book in the library
or an electronic version if its available.
Finding Articles
Engineering Village -
-engineering, focuses on water and pollution
-Inspec - atmospheric concepts, climate change
Georef
Goes back to articles published in the 1600s. Georef finds geological and some environmental
articles.
Nice features
�~@� Can use discriptors which are controlled vocabulary, these terms are a good place to
search good terminology for more comprehensive searches.
Web of Science
Searches only peer reviewed articles various scientific fields (interdisciplinary).
Nice features
�~@� Says how many times an article has been cited and by whom.
�~@� Shows articles references. Those in blue are in the database.
�~@� View related records: Takes references and citations and compares with all citations
and references from other possibly related articles in the entire database.
If an article has more than 40 references it is most likely a review article
�~@� Go look at the references for yourself to make sure the author didn�~@~Yt use them
with a bias.
Questions -
1. Name two of the three cultural values that Leopold mentions?
1. Experience that reminds us of our distinctive national origins and evolutions
2. Experience that reminds us of our dependency on the oil-plant-animal-man-food
chain and of the fundamental organization of the biota
3. Experience that exercises those ethical restraints collectively called sportsman
ship
2. What is represented by the split-rail value?
represents heritage, self-reliance, and being in touch with the land
3. What is a problem with preservation in the wilderness?
the segmentation of preserved areas with access trails
4. Name a sport that has been heavily mechanized according to Leopold.
Duck hunting
5. According to Leopold what are two remaining pristine wilderness areas?
Canadian Rocky Mountains and Alaska
6. Conservation is the harmony between what two things?
Man and land
7. True or false. Wilderness is a resource that can grow but not shrink.
False
8. What do you need to download on your personal computer to access CUs library resources
from home?
VPN (virtual private network)
9. What are two databases Suzanne talked about in class?
Engineering Village, GeoRef, Web of Science
10. Which database is interdisciplinary and accesses only peer-reviewed articles?
Web of Science
Hilary Stammich
Max Goossens
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Summary and Questions Day 7
Class Notes
June 9, 2009
Boulder County:
Approx. 54,000 acres of Open Space
Approx. 36,000 acres of Conservation Easements
City of Boulder:
Approx. 32,000 acres of Open Space
Approx. 3,300 acres of Conservation Easements
Conservation Easement: Essentially land is owned by a government entity or a non-profit land
trust, but it is still maintained as private property.
The resident on the land maintains all necessary rights to treat the land as a commodity.
The government entity or the land-trust monitor the property to ensure that the terms of the
contract are not being violated.
"Buying in fee" is the same thing as purchasing the land outright.
Problems with purchasing land in fee:
-Expensive to purchase.
-Expensive to manage.
-The government cannot tax the land.
Thus, conservation easements are a nice option for local governments:
Land is protected, but the management is taken care of.
Positive Easement- Allows something. i.e. Driveways, Utilities.
Negative Easement. Prevents something. i.e. Conservation Easements.
Why do landowners choose the Conservation Easement option?
-State tax-breaks
-To protect the land.
-Strong commitment to ranching and agriculture.
There are a variety of organizations who also provide money for the purchasing of
Conservation Easements:
-GOCO, Great Outdoors Colorado (Funded by State Lottery)
-The Nature Conservancy
Land with a Conservation Easement can be sold.
Field Trip Notes
June 10, 2009
6 Mile Fold Property. Purchased in 1979 for $50,000.
20 acres, borders the Beach Property.
Beware of rattlesnakes.
Today, $1 for every $10 spent in the City of Boulder goes toward Open Space funding. (I think it's actually $1 for each $100--that would be 1%--EJP)
In 2006, sales tax in Boulder yielded $17,000,000 for Open Space management.
Property tax in Boulder County goes toward the General Fund; this funds Open Space
operations.
Property tax is not affected by the poor economy as much as sales taxes. Thus, operations
funding remains stable.
Acquisition of Open Space is slowing, the focus is moving to management.
Both $ and land are running out!
To date, $260,000,000 have been spent to purchase Open Space in Boulder County; 67% of the
total acreage in BOulder is protected.
The City and the County jointly own some Conservation Easements.
The City and the County each own Open Space outside of the Boulder County line.
If the City and the County collectively purchase land, Easements are drawn up to ensure that
the land will not be sold by the other party.
The County encourages agricultural activity to continue.
The County works with farmers to increase productivity.
Genetically Modified Crops
Regulated by the County; oftentimes not allowed as a result of the Conservation Easement
terms.
The County oftentimes receives the following complaint... "my neighbors aren't taking care
of their weeds."
The County must then contact the residents on the Conservation Easement to ensure that they
eradicate the weeds.
If the resident refuses to remove the weeds, a Zoning Violation can be filed against them.
Small Scale Agriculture on the rise:
-Farmers producing food specifically for Farmers Markets.
-Training Program for young farmers.
-Community Gardens.
-Community Supported Agriculture.
Boulder County is fully supportive of, and active in this field.
NUPUD (Non-Urban Planned Unit Development)
Sage Valley Conservation Easement: Example of lifting Development rights and creating
"outlots."
TDR (Transfer of Development Rights)
Development rights on land can be transferred.
1 house per 35 acres.
Subdivisions are an option. Eg. 2 houses per 35 acres.
There are 800 Conservation Easements in Boulder County, and there are only 3 staff to monitor
the land.
There are 160 large property easements.
710 of them are on private property.
The additional 90 are collaborative ownership properties.
Some Conservation Easements are on leased land.
Conservation Easements protect the following:
-Historic Sites
-Agricultural Sites
-Ecological Areas/ Habitats
-Aesthetics of Open Space
Conservation Easements come from:
-Purchasing outright.
-Donations
-Regulatory Processes
Whether an Easement comes from a purchase or from a donation, the process for acquiring the
Easement is always the same.
Detailed reports and summary of the land.
Baseline Documentation Report.
TDC (Transfer of Development Credits)
Credits needed to expand development.
Landowners sometimes sell their land without informing the buyer that an Easement is in place
on the land.
Incentives for donating an Easement include:
-Federal tax deduction.
-State tax credit.
-Preservation of land and values
100 donation properties in Boulder County.
Schemers sometimes take advantage of the state-tax program.
IRS currently auditing many properties as a result.
Water needs to stay tied with property on Easement land.
Boulder has different % interest in bodies of water.
Water can be used by farmers unless the city needs it in times of drought.
Water portfolio in Boulder was purchased for $50,000,000.
Questions:
1. What does it mean when a plot of land is bought in fee?
The land is purchased outright.
2. What are two downsides to purchasing land in fee?
Expensive to purchase, expensive to manage, property tax lost on the land.
3. What is the biggest benefit for the local government of having a Conservation Easement on
land?
The land is protected, and the government doesn't have to worry about managing the land.
4. What are two incentives for someone to donate their land for a Conservation Easement?
To protect and preserve the land, and also tax breaks.
5. If the new pipeline in Northern Colorado crosses through Open Space, amendments to
contracts will be made to allow what type of Easement for the utility?
A Positive Easement.
June 9, 2009
Boulder County:
Approx. 54,000 acres of Open Space
Approx. 36,000 acres of Conservation Easements
City of Boulder:
Approx. 32,000 acres of Open Space
Approx. 3,300 acres of Conservation Easements
Conservation Easement: Essentially land is owned by a government entity or a non-profit land
trust, but it is still maintained as private property.
The resident on the land maintains all necessary rights to treat the land as a commodity.
The government entity or the land-trust monitor the property to ensure that the terms of the
contract are not being violated.
"Buying in fee" is the same thing as purchasing the land outright.
Problems with purchasing land in fee:
-Expensive to purchase.
-Expensive to manage.
-The government cannot tax the land.
Thus, conservation easements are a nice option for local governments:
Land is protected, but the management is taken care of.
Positive Easement- Allows something. i.e. Driveways, Utilities.
Negative Easement. Prevents something. i.e. Conservation Easements.
Why do landowners choose the Conservation Easement option?
-State tax-breaks
-To protect the land.
-Strong commitment to ranching and agriculture.
There are a variety of organizations who also provide money for the purchasing of
Conservation Easements:
-GOCO, Great Outdoors Colorado (Funded by State Lottery)
-The Nature Conservancy
Land with a Conservation Easement can be sold.
Field Trip Notes
June 10, 2009
6 Mile Fold Property. Purchased in 1979 for $50,000.
20 acres, borders the Beach Property.
Beware of rattlesnakes.
Today, $1 for every $10 spent in the City of Boulder goes toward Open Space funding. (I think it's actually $1 for each $100--that would be 1%--EJP)
In 2006, sales tax in Boulder yielded $17,000,000 for Open Space management.
Property tax in Boulder County goes toward the General Fund; this funds Open Space
operations.
Property tax is not affected by the poor economy as much as sales taxes. Thus, operations
funding remains stable.
Acquisition of Open Space is slowing, the focus is moving to management.
Both $ and land are running out!
To date, $260,000,000 have been spent to purchase Open Space in Boulder County; 67% of the
total acreage in BOulder is protected.
The City and the County jointly own some Conservation Easements.
The City and the County each own Open Space outside of the Boulder County line.
If the City and the County collectively purchase land, Easements are drawn up to ensure that
the land will not be sold by the other party.
The County encourages agricultural activity to continue.
The County works with farmers to increase productivity.
Genetically Modified Crops
Regulated by the County; oftentimes not allowed as a result of the Conservation Easement
terms.
The County oftentimes receives the following complaint... "my neighbors aren't taking care
of their weeds."
The County must then contact the residents on the Conservation Easement to ensure that they
eradicate the weeds.
If the resident refuses to remove the weeds, a Zoning Violation can be filed against them.
Small Scale Agriculture on the rise:
-Farmers producing food specifically for Farmers Markets.
-Training Program for young farmers.
-Community Gardens.
-Community Supported Agriculture.
Boulder County is fully supportive of, and active in this field.
NUPUD (Non-Urban Planned Unit Development)
Sage Valley Conservation Easement: Example of lifting Development rights and creating
"outlots."
TDR (Transfer of Development Rights)
Development rights on land can be transferred.
1 house per 35 acres.
Subdivisions are an option. Eg. 2 houses per 35 acres.
There are 800 Conservation Easements in Boulder County, and there are only 3 staff to monitor
the land.
There are 160 large property easements.
710 of them are on private property.
The additional 90 are collaborative ownership properties.
Some Conservation Easements are on leased land.
Conservation Easements protect the following:
-Historic Sites
-Agricultural Sites
-Ecological Areas/ Habitats
-Aesthetics of Open Space
Conservation Easements come from:
-Purchasing outright.
-Donations
-Regulatory Processes
Whether an Easement comes from a purchase or from a donation, the process for acquiring the
Easement is always the same.
Detailed reports and summary of the land.
Baseline Documentation Report.
TDC (Transfer of Development Credits)
Credits needed to expand development.
Landowners sometimes sell their land without informing the buyer that an Easement is in place
on the land.
Incentives for donating an Easement include:
-Federal tax deduction.
-State tax credit.
-Preservation of land and values
100 donation properties in Boulder County.
Schemers sometimes take advantage of the state-tax program.
IRS currently auditing many properties as a result.
Water needs to stay tied with property on Easement land.
Boulder has different % interest in bodies of water.
Water can be used by farmers unless the city needs it in times of drought.
Water portfolio in Boulder was purchased for $50,000,000.
Questions:
1. What does it mean when a plot of land is bought in fee?
The land is purchased outright.
2. What are two downsides to purchasing land in fee?
Expensive to purchase, expensive to manage, property tax lost on the land.
3. What is the biggest benefit for the local government of having a Conservation Easement on
land?
The land is protected, and the government doesn't have to worry about managing the land.
4. What are two incentives for someone to donate their land for a Conservation Easement?
To protect and preserve the land, and also tax breaks.
5. If the new pipeline in Northern Colorado crosses through Open Space, amendments to
contracts will be made to allow what type of Easement for the utility?
A Positive Easement.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Day 5 Summary and Questions
Heil Valley Ranch with Nick Stremel
Now, BCPOS is doing "Forest Restoration" on the property
By Kari Skupa and Andrew Hislop
-Lower Montane Region
---High frequency low severity fires
---various beetle & budworm infestations
---Historic stand structure of clumps of mature fire resistant trees surrounded by open meadow.
-covers about 5000 acres of land in fee (own the land outright)
---2000-3000 acres are conservation easements
---Heils still own the right to work the land but they can’t develop it
-very thin soil
-basically all decomposing sandstone with a tiny bit of soil on top of it
-property was used for:
---ranching
---logging
---mining
------quarries
------CU buildings used sandstone from this area
--- This led to historically unnaturally dense forest stands leading to risk of increased fire intensity
Now, BCPOS is doing "Forest Restoration" on the property
-Small projects (10 acres or less)
-Large projects (165 acres or more)
-fire mitigation
---professional crew
---Youth Corps (volunteers)
------pile and clear wood
-163 acres originally for Boulder Open Space project (forest restoration)
---rush job
---property tax pays for most of it in Boulder (relatively stable)
---$100,000 per year to implement contracts
---apply for grants
------National Forest Service
------GoCo
-applied for grant on other side of property
---issues with access
---tried many other areas
-money had to be spent by a quick deadline
---scrambled to get it done
---got it done in 1 month (very fast in the contract world)
-this was not the intended unit for the money
-able to treat more acreage for the same amount of money
-want to get rid of dense stands of trees (mainly Ponderosa Pine in this area)
-favored Junipers and Douglas Fir
-shade tolerance
-no grass, mostly just pine needles
-dense stands of Ponderosa Pine naturally occur
-ended up this way because they were managed this way (ranching, logging, quarries)
-3000 stands per acre in some areas
-survived in the past at densities as low as 3 per acre
-density can’t be lowered that much now
-public outcry
-aesthetics
-Boulder Open Space chose path of least resistance
-accomplish what they want to do while conserving some of the land to please the public
-Mastication treatment
-giant tree chipper chews trees into place
-pieces are flung everywhere
-can treat whole tree stand with one machine
-drought issues
-trees in the area did not even have enough water to produce sap
-increased fire danger
-Basal Area
-surface area that a tree needs to grow to a specific size in a specific area
-measure diameter of tree at breast height to determine Basil Area
-basically means how much wood there is in an area
-Boulder Open Space took density in the area to about half of what it was
120 down to 70
-High frequency, low severity fires in this area
-does thinning for us
-small trees go away while the larger ones stay
-heat input from fire to the ground
-losing more trees than expected, because the roots are damaged by heat
-Mosaic Effect
-groupings of fairly dense trees clumped together
-Boulder Open Space wanted no clumps larger than 2-60 trees per acre
-they wanted 30% of the trees to be open areas for grass
-Boulder Open Space wrote a description of what they wanted and let the contractors pretty much do what they wanted and decide what was necessary
-used historic range of variability as guidelines & justification for the project
-guideline for disturbance regime
-Forest Restoration vs. Fire Mitigation
-Treatments for forest restoration usually meet goals for fire mitigation
-Purpose is maintain healthy forest using historic range of variability
-Treatments for fire mitigation don’t always meet goal for forest restoration
-Only goal is to reduce severity of fire danger
-Importance of interdepartmental cooperation
-Project was designed by foresters but to make it successful had to take into account other departments concerns
-Wildlife issues
-Wildlife Managers were allowed to flag any tree they wanted to save for habitat conservation. Save snags for Abert squirrels and song birds.
-Long term song bird study gives insight on effects of tree thinning on animals.
-Maintained trees of all sizes
-Habitat for animals
-Protect forest from beetle invasion, Beetles prefer larger trees so if only large trees were kept beetles could wipe out whole forest.
-Elk
-Heil is a major highway for Elk migration.
-Use dense forest for thermal cover
-Bats (Fringe Miotis)
-Not yet endangered but protected, require a 500 ft. exclusion area were no human activity is allowed.
-Guidelines told contractors they couldn’t cut beyond a 500 ft. flagged area around bat sight.
-Less strict border was put at ¼ mile
-Ability to Meet guidelines by Contractors
-Contractors could not reach all sitea that needed to be thinned
-Made up for this by thinning other areas more intensely
-Areas that were missed have to manually thinned before prescribed fires are used
-Main goal of Boulder Open Space:
-hold off fire and beetle outbreaks using long term treatments designed using historic range of variability
Questions:
What are the historic fire regime characteristics for Heil Ranch forests? High frequency and low severity
Name 2 of the 3 uses that Heil Ranch served before Open Space bought it? Ranching, Mining, and Logging.
What is the difference between open space in fee land and land in conservation easements? In fee land is owned out right by open space. Land in conservation easements is leased to open space and can be used in historic ways but can’t be developed.
What is Mastication Treatment? Giant tree chipping machines chew trees in place and spread debris.
How many operators were needed to treat 95% of the project area? A)4 B)8 C)1 D) more than 15. C)1
Describe what the Basal Area of a tree is. The surface area that a tree needs to grow to a specific size in a specific area.
Name two of the four animals affected by the project? Elk, Abert Squirrels, Bat (fringe miotis), song birds.
Why doesn’t Boulder Open Space thin out all of the small diameter trees? It would affect the animal habitat and increase the severity of beetle outbreaks.
What forest zone is the majority of Heil Ranch found in, describe the historic stand structure and how and why it has changed? Lower Montane. Historic stand structure is small clumps of large trees surrounded by open grassy meadow. Management for ranching, logging and mining have led to tree densities higher than historically natural.
What is the purpose of pink flagging? Habitat conservation and creation.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Day 4 Summary and Questions
South Boulder Creek with Dave Sutherland
Tall Grass Prairie
• 98% of all tall grass prairie is gone – threatened ecosystem
• designated Colorado state natural area – very rare
4 Major Grasses
1. Big Blue Stem Grass
2. Switch Grass
3. Yellow Indian Grass
4. Prairie Cord Grass
Climate
• 12000 years ago – climate much cooler and wetter
• Eastern deciduous forest and tall grass Prairie
• 10,000 years ago global warm occurs
o as a result there was high water volume
o helped carve boulder valley
o removed most of tall grass prairie as a result of warming
Trees in the city of Boulder are a recently new phenomenon planted by settlers within the last 100 years
Plant Adaptations
o high root to shoot ratio
o makes plants able to handle different extremes (cold vs. drought)
o Grazing keeps grasses under control – Boulder Open Space trying to compensate for the Bison that used to graze the prairies
o Fire! Prairie is a fire-adapted ecosystem
o Ecosystem is adapted to a variety of disturbances (fire, drought, grazing)
Plants
o Spryanthesis orchid – endangered native species – choked out by un-grazed grasses
o Orchard Grass and Smooth Brome – invasive European grasses that out compete natural prairie grasses
o Golden Banner – in the Pea family, pollinated by bees
o Indian Blanket flower- native, pollinated by the gaillardia moth adapted especially to this plant
o Yucca- exclusively pollinated by the Yucca moth
o Wavy Leaf Thistle- native
o Oyster Root – non native from Europe
Dog Tags
o Voice and Sight control tags- watch a video and lays out expectations for dog etiquette
o Complicated dog regulations in different areas
Land Use Arguments
o Lock the land up and keep people off
o pave it and make it extremely accessible
o Where do you find the balance?
o Conservation vs. Recreation
Habitat Conservation Areas
o 45,000 acres of open space – balance what we should do with it
o biodiversity hotspot – where the plains meet the mountains - #1 for breeding biodiversity for birds in the US
o 4 elements
1. agriculture
2. recreation
3. natural area
4. habitat conservation area
Habitat Conservation: effort to keep the fewest trails and most unbroken ground
o off trail permit required to access
Prairie Dogs
o Protected in Boulder County
o Overpopulation and overgrazing issues
o animals to move into private property – classic owner vs. conservationist issue
o illegal to move prairie dogs into counties without government approval – nature conservancy reaction
o Ongoing issue: what do we do with the Prairie dogs?
Boulder Open Space
o 5 million visit a year vs. 3 million to Yellowstone
o 6 education staff
o Budget issues as a result of the lower sales tax revenues in boulder
Questions:
1. Name the 4 Major Prairie Grasses.
2. Name 4 plants that we observed.
3. How many people visit Boulder Open Space per year? How does this compare to Yellowstone?
4. T/F – Orchard grass and smooth brome are widespread and native to Colorado.
5. Name the 4 different management areas of City of Boulder Open Space.
6. Why are there cows grazing on remnant tall grass prairie?
7. What are the two elements behind green tags and what do they mean?
8. How much of the tall grass prairie is left?
a. 10% b. 2% c. 15% d. 36%
9. T/F Global warming reduced tall grass prairie ability to survive on the front range
10. T/F It is legal to move prairie dogs onto private land in a different county without consent of the county commissioners of the receiving county.
Tall Grass Prairie
• 98% of all tall grass prairie is gone – threatened ecosystem
• designated Colorado state natural area – very rare
4 Major Grasses
1. Big Blue Stem Grass
2. Switch Grass
3. Yellow Indian Grass
4. Prairie Cord Grass
Climate
• 12000 years ago – climate much cooler and wetter
• Eastern deciduous forest and tall grass Prairie
• 10,000 years ago global warm occurs
o as a result there was high water volume
o helped carve boulder valley
o removed most of tall grass prairie as a result of warming
Trees in the city of Boulder are a recently new phenomenon planted by settlers within the last 100 years
Plant Adaptations
o high root to shoot ratio
o makes plants able to handle different extremes (cold vs. drought)
o Grazing keeps grasses under control – Boulder Open Space trying to compensate for the Bison that used to graze the prairies
o Fire! Prairie is a fire-adapted ecosystem
o Ecosystem is adapted to a variety of disturbances (fire, drought, grazing)
Plants
o Spryanthesis orchid – endangered native species – choked out by un-grazed grasses
o Orchard Grass and Smooth Brome – invasive European grasses that out compete natural prairie grasses
o Golden Banner – in the Pea family, pollinated by bees
o Indian Blanket flower- native, pollinated by the gaillardia moth adapted especially to this plant
o Yucca- exclusively pollinated by the Yucca moth
o Wavy Leaf Thistle- native
o Oyster Root – non native from Europe
Dog Tags
o Voice and Sight control tags- watch a video and lays out expectations for dog etiquette
o Complicated dog regulations in different areas
Land Use Arguments
o Lock the land up and keep people off
o pave it and make it extremely accessible
o Where do you find the balance?
o Conservation vs. Recreation
Habitat Conservation Areas
o 45,000 acres of open space – balance what we should do with it
o biodiversity hotspot – where the plains meet the mountains - #1 for breeding biodiversity for birds in the US
o 4 elements
1. agriculture
2. recreation
3. natural area
4. habitat conservation area
Habitat Conservation: effort to keep the fewest trails and most unbroken ground
o off trail permit required to access
Prairie Dogs
o Protected in Boulder County
o Overpopulation and overgrazing issues
o animals to move into private property – classic owner vs. conservationist issue
o illegal to move prairie dogs into counties without government approval – nature conservancy reaction
o Ongoing issue: what do we do with the Prairie dogs?
Boulder Open Space
o 5 million visit a year vs. 3 million to Yellowstone
o 6 education staff
o Budget issues as a result of the lower sales tax revenues in boulder
Questions:
1. Name the 4 Major Prairie Grasses.
2. Name 4 plants that we observed.
3. How many people visit Boulder Open Space per year? How does this compare to Yellowstone?
4. T/F – Orchard grass and smooth brome are widespread and native to Colorado.
5. Name the 4 different management areas of City of Boulder Open Space.
6. Why are there cows grazing on remnant tall grass prairie?
7. What are the two elements behind green tags and what do they mean?
8. How much of the tall grass prairie is left?
a. 10% b. 2% c. 15% d. 36%
9. T/F Global warming reduced tall grass prairie ability to survive on the front range
10. T/F It is legal to move prairie dogs onto private land in a different county without consent of the county commissioners of the receiving county.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Day 3 Summary and Questions
Notes: June 3, 2009
Owen Chamberlin
Forests of Boulder County, CO: Teresa Chapman
-What we are trying to preserve.
Forest Communities of the Front Range
--Alpine tundra
--Subalpine
--Upper montane
--Lower montane
Different forest zones are determined and controlled by:
--1.Temperature 2.Moisture
Lower Montane
-Ponderosa Pine
----Thick bark, drops lower branches, fire resistant
-Fire Regime: High frequency, low intensity
----Caused by high moisture followed by drought
-Seedling establishment = periods of moisture with no surface fires
-Parasites and Pathogens: -Dwarf Mistletoe, Mtn Pine Beetle, & Ips Beetle
Effects of Fire Exclusion
--1. Stand & landscape composition and structure
--2. Ecosystem process
--3. Soil Dynamics
--4. Wildlife habitats
--5. Resources
Historic Range of Variability: The range of ecological conditions and processes that characterize an ecosystem.
--EX: High frequency, low severity fires.
--Relates to the objective of restoration, figuring out if the disturbance regime is normal, and overall health of the area.
Evidence suggests that Lower Montane has changed significantly with exclusion of fire. Restoring "ecosystem health" apparently requires reintroduction of fire.
Lower montane in Boulder County is very commonly owned by local open space departments. It also comprises a relatively small fraction of the Arapahoe-Roosevelt National Forest holdings in Boulder County.
Upper Montane
-Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir
----Doug Fir: Shade Tolerant
----Pests: Western Spruce Bud Worm (lower elevations), Bark Beetle
-Fire Regime: Variable frequency, variable severity
Subalpine
-Lodgepole Pine, Aspen, Subalpine Fir, Engelmann Spruce
-Fire Regime: Low frequency, high severity
-Serotinous Cone: A cone that opens and releases its seeds when heated from a fire. The heat from a fire melts the resin which holds the cone closed, allowing the seeds inside to disperse.
-Phloem: Living part of the tree where nutrients are transported
----Pine beetles boar into the phloem
-Girdle: Destroying the living part of the tree (phloem) in a complete ring around the tree, ultimately killing the tree
Aspen: Established by root suckers
-Pests: Elk grazing reduces establishment
----Sudden Aspen Decline (SAD): Mortality of roots with no regeneration in lower elevations possibly due to drought.
Subalpine Fir & Engelmann Spruce:
-Co-dominant, shade tolerant
-Pests: Bark Beetle, & Western Balsam Bark Beetle
Limber Pine:
-Exists in exposed, rocky outcrops
-Pests: White Pine Blister Rust
----Non-native fungi
Misc Business:
Make sure to understand the funding sources for cities and counties on Colorado.
Leopold:
-Direct connection to nature harbors a positive relationship between humans and nature
----EX: Growing your own food and creating your own heat
Outdoor recreation and how its spun out of control
----Problems: Infrastructure, industrialization of recreation
--------Using recreation to get away from mechanized society, but bringing it with you into nature
-What people look for in nature
----Change of scenery/isolation, Trophies (Hunting game, climbing a mountain, pictures), understanding nature
-Husbandry: Feeling attached through your own work
----EX: Volunteering
-How do these ideas connect with local open space programs?
Questions:
1. List the four forest communities listed in class.
----Alpine tundra, Subalpine, Upper Montane, Lower Montane
2. Name the two controlling factors of the different forest zones discussed in class
----1.Temperature 2.Moisture
3. Define serotinous cone: A pinecone that opens and releases its seeds when heated from a fire
4. Explain historic range of variability: The range of ecological conditions and processes that characterize an ecosystem.
5. List three of the five effects of fire exclusion in the Lower Montane:
----1. Stand & landscape composition and structure 2.Ecosystem process 3.Soil Dynamics 4.Wildlife habitats 5.Resources
6. Does evidence presented by Teresa Chapman suggest that frequent fires are necessary for ecosystem health in forest zones other than the Lower Montane?
7. What are some features of local open space programs that Leopold would favor?
8. When and where are we meeting on Monday?
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Day 2 Summary and Questions
Notes: June 2nd, 2009
Molly Jones and Andi Davis
When looking at different attitudes about the environment, there are four key questions:
1. What is Nature? (What does nature mean/represent to a given group?)
-biblical/colonial POV: Nature as dominion/property
-tame/possess/dominate nature
Problems with "Possession POV": Use and/or abuse approach. The way in which something is
treated/ valued changes if it is possessed versus if it is seen as having intrinsic, individual value. (e.g. slaves, women, children)
- Nature as a resource (utilitarian view)
-nature as recreation (anti-work)
- Nature as spiritual/enlightening
- Nature as intrinsic value (i.e. value not based on utilities provided)
2. How do humans fit into nature? ( Are humans a part of nature or not a part of nature?)
If 'wilderness' is defined by the absence of humans, than to keep something 'wild' it needs to be kept human-free. (1970's-Sierra Club-Nature w/o humans is pristine, to remain so must remain untouched.
If wilderness or nature is defined as an ecosystem, humans are intrinsically a part of it. Leopold: the thing to do is think about how we interact/function in that ecosystem--how do we live (farm, function, recreate etc) least harmfully? i.e. how do we use nature in a way that preserves/conserves the ecosystem. Can we have a symbiotic relationship?
3. How should human use nature? (the way an individual answers questions 1 and 2 will determine how this question is answered_
e.g.: If nature is dominion, we use it
If nature is property, it is subject to an individuals whims.
If nature has spiritual value, we conserve/protect it
If nature w/o humans is pristine, than we should keep humans out of it
And (Leopold's point) if nature and humans are part of the same community, than nature should be used in a way that benefits/preserves both. Symbiotic relationship.
4. Who should decide/make the rules?
-government (local, county, state, national --even international (e.g. banning of CFC's)
- Local community
- Private property owners
-question of whether experts or local citizens should be main force behind decisions
-e.g. Moab tailing ponds.
Bill Travis: New Geographies of the American West: Diagnosing the drivers and outcomes of regional land use changes.
Why we need & want O.S.?
- Driving forces:
- Population growth, immigration, wealth, and attitudes
- enabling forces:
- Population growth, private property, and transportation
- shaping forces:
- Public lands, tax, and policy
- Regional pattern outcomes;
- Metro zones, exurbs, resorts, gentrified rural areas
Growth in the American West:
- Even in economic downturn the West is the biggest growth in country
- West is more "boom" than "bust"
- Even with issues concerning water, immigration, energy, etc…
- Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Weld County had recent top national growth rates (growth rates have slowed some with foreclosures)
- Great Plains are losing population
Predictable factors for population growth:
- National increase (high fertility)
- Domestic migration
- Attractive place to live/ job growth (e.g. kidney Dialysis Company)
- International immigration (documented and undocumented)
Projections for Population Growth (30 years; 2000-2030):
- 2030 = U.S. population increase by 29%
- 2030 = 50% of growth will happen in American West
- Top 3 growing states; Nevada (114%), Arizona (109%), Utah (56%)
- Colorado growth rate is 35%
Pattern Outcomes:
- "Sprawl" - when land use grows faster than the population (e.g. '98-'00 Colorado Population grew 49% but urban/suburban land use grew 65%)
- More/larger houses per capita
- Enlarged commercial and infrastructure land uses (malls, sewers)
- Inefficient regional land use (increased retail space results in wilderness and agricultural encroachment)
- exurbanization and longer commutes
-More development and people in the wildland interface
- Further reach for resources like water and recreation into wildlands and into public lands
These forces play out in a few Identifiable Landscapes:
-Metro Zones
-decreased density as a proximity to city decreases (Older suburbs: 4+ houses/acre, new suburbs: 2-4/ acre, Exurbs: 1/5 acres)
- Open space has increased in modern development (last 20 yrs)--predominately in suburbs.
-BUT, these Open Spaces do not serve any major ecological purpose (too fragmented/impacted)
-"megapolitian":
-interconnected sprawling zones (often commercial/business) e.g. Front Range (so S. Denver, to WY border)
- often occur along HWY systems (1-70 and/or 1-25 corridors)
- These types of developments raise the question: Does development really pay? Increased people to pay for commodities/services, leads to increased demand of those very services/commodities. Paradox.
- Inefficient land use/"Growth Machine"
-e.g. "mall race" on 1-25 corridor. Not need driven, but desire for income.
-Exurbs: agricultural land divided for low density residential areas/
Driving forces: Increased mobility, 2nd homes, retirement (Baby boomers), appeal of location (federal land foundry)
Issues: Needs own infrastructure (development of roads, public health and safety institutions (etc))
Encroaches on land prone to natural hazards (e.g fire)
- Example: sierra Nevada Foothills, CA
Can we Change the outcomes? The problem with planning:
- Much more growth coming: long-term "boom"
-Planning is a weak force: Lack of ability to properly predict, public and political ambivalence, policy and ordinance mitigation, plans not followed, measure 37 (in Oregon)
- Institutions stuck in "out-dated" scales: Land-use planning not a scale-needed for given area (metro vs. exurbs vs. rural, local vs. regional)
- "Planning" does not equal "growth Management"--
Boulder Solution:
Use of OS as buffer between communities, agreement between Boulder, Longmont, Louisville, to not annex and develop lands along city borders.
Planning for the New West:
-Developing Planning codes for the New West:
-new guidelines specific to Western development/the emerging developments.
-Encode new goals and specific rubrics for these development patterns (e.g. affordability and access)
Code "Green infrastructure" (OS, trails, streams, corridors, view sheds, community separations etc).
Some additional things to take into account/Closing Notes:
-OS use must be tailed to local ethos (e.g. Sacramento (using Davis model) having most wildlife/land preservation. For Boulder, habitat and recreation are main goals. Seattle--OS is used to minimize environmental degradation and risk/extend of natural hazards (landslides).
-Growth in Boulder is a two-edged sword:
Influx of "Boulder minded" people results in further strain and/or degradation on environment and OS--but also results in awareness of affects of increased population and infrastructure on environmental spaces, which (in turn) results in the creation of more Open Spaces.
Questions
Test Questions:
1. Please list 3 different ways people can view nature (i.e. its use/Question 1)
A: biblical/colonial POV: Nature as dominion/property; Nature as a resource (utilitarian view); nature as recreation (anti-work); Nature as spiritual/enlightening; Nature as intrinsic value (i.e. value not based on utilities provided)
2. What are the four questions given to understand different attitudes re: the environment?
3. T/F Leopold promotes the idea that humans and nature are part of a community/ecosystem.
4. Name one of the groups and/or stakeholders involved in the decision making process regarding land use.
1. Local Government
2. Local community
3. GMOs
4. Private Property Owners
5. What is the predicted population growth by 2030 for the West:
a)57%
b)24 %
c) 49%
d) 85%
6. What is a 'megapolitan zone', please give an example.
7. T/F residential density increases the further you get from a city.
8. Why is planning, according to Travis, inherently weak?
9. Recent land disputes in Telluride CO are an example of the government doing what? (condemnation of land in order to obtain it)
10. What is one of the suggestions Travis makes to traditional planning and development (i.e. what should the "new West" do differently re: development planning?
Molly Jones and Andi Davis
When looking at different attitudes about the environment, there are four key questions:
1. What is Nature? (What does nature mean/represent to a given group?)
-biblical/colonial POV: Nature as dominion/property
-tame/possess/dominate nature
Problems with "Possession POV": Use and/or abuse approach. The way in which something is
treated/ valued changes if it is possessed versus if it is seen as having intrinsic, individual value. (e.g. slaves, women, children)
- Nature as a resource (utilitarian view)
-nature as recreation (anti-work)
- Nature as spiritual/enlightening
- Nature as intrinsic value (i.e. value not based on utilities provided)
2. How do humans fit into nature? ( Are humans a part of nature or not a part of nature?)
If 'wilderness' is defined by the absence of humans, than to keep something 'wild' it needs to be kept human-free. (1970's-Sierra Club-Nature w/o humans is pristine, to remain so must remain untouched.
If wilderness or nature is defined as an ecosystem, humans are intrinsically a part of it. Leopold: the thing to do is think about how we interact/function in that ecosystem--how do we live (farm, function, recreate etc) least harmfully? i.e. how do we use nature in a way that preserves/conserves the ecosystem. Can we have a symbiotic relationship?
3. How should human use nature? (the way an individual answers questions 1 and 2 will determine how this question is answered_
e.g.: If nature is dominion, we use it
If nature is property, it is subject to an individuals whims.
If nature has spiritual value, we conserve/protect it
If nature w/o humans is pristine, than we should keep humans out of it
And (Leopold's point) if nature and humans are part of the same community, than nature should be used in a way that benefits/preserves both. Symbiotic relationship.
4. Who should decide/make the rules?
-government (local, county, state, national --even international (e.g. banning of CFC's)
- Local community
- Private property owners
-question of whether experts or local citizens should be main force behind decisions
-e.g. Moab tailing ponds.
Bill Travis: New Geographies of the American West: Diagnosing the drivers and outcomes of regional land use changes.
Why we need & want O.S.?
- Driving forces:
- Population growth, immigration, wealth, and attitudes
- enabling forces:
- Population growth, private property, and transportation
- shaping forces:
- Public lands, tax, and policy
- Regional pattern outcomes;
- Metro zones, exurbs, resorts, gentrified rural areas
Growth in the American West:
- Even in economic downturn the West is the biggest growth in country
- West is more "boom" than "bust"
- Even with issues concerning water, immigration, energy, etc…
- Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Weld County had recent top national growth rates (growth rates have slowed some with foreclosures)
- Great Plains are losing population
Predictable factors for population growth:
- National increase (high fertility)
- Domestic migration
- Attractive place to live/ job growth (e.g. kidney Dialysis Company)
- International immigration (documented and undocumented)
Projections for Population Growth (30 years; 2000-2030):
- 2030 = U.S. population increase by 29%
- 2030 = 50% of growth will happen in American West
- Top 3 growing states; Nevada (114%), Arizona (109%), Utah (56%)
- Colorado growth rate is 35%
Pattern Outcomes:
- "Sprawl" - when land use grows faster than the population (e.g. '98-'00 Colorado Population grew 49% but urban/suburban land use grew 65%)
- More/larger houses per capita
- Enlarged commercial and infrastructure land uses (malls, sewers)
- Inefficient regional land use (increased retail space results in wilderness and agricultural encroachment)
- exurbanization and longer commutes
-More development and people in the wildland interface
- Further reach for resources like water and recreation into wildlands and into public lands
These forces play out in a few Identifiable Landscapes:
-Metro Zones
-decreased density as a proximity to city decreases (Older suburbs: 4+ houses/acre, new suburbs: 2-4/ acre, Exurbs: 1/5 acres)
- Open space has increased in modern development (last 20 yrs)--predominately in suburbs.
-BUT, these Open Spaces do not serve any major ecological purpose (too fragmented/impacted)
-"megapolitian":
-interconnected sprawling zones (often commercial/business) e.g. Front Range (so S. Denver, to WY border)
- often occur along HWY systems (1-70 and/or 1-25 corridors)
- These types of developments raise the question: Does development really pay? Increased people to pay for commodities/services, leads to increased demand of those very services/commodities. Paradox.
- Inefficient land use/"Growth Machine"
-e.g. "mall race" on 1-25 corridor. Not need driven, but desire for income.
-Exurbs: agricultural land divided for low density residential areas/
Driving forces: Increased mobility, 2nd homes, retirement (Baby boomers), appeal of location (federal land foundry)
Issues: Needs own infrastructure (development of roads, public health and safety institutions (etc))
Encroaches on land prone to natural hazards (e.g fire)
- Example: sierra Nevada Foothills, CA
Can we Change the outcomes? The problem with planning:
- Much more growth coming: long-term "boom"
-Planning is a weak force: Lack of ability to properly predict, public and political ambivalence, policy and ordinance mitigation, plans not followed, measure 37 (in Oregon)
- Institutions stuck in "out-dated" scales: Land-use planning not a scale-needed for given area (metro vs. exurbs vs. rural, local vs. regional)
- "Planning" does not equal "growth Management"--
Boulder Solution:
Use of OS as buffer between communities, agreement between Boulder, Longmont, Louisville, to not annex and develop lands along city borders.
Planning for the New West:
-Developing Planning codes for the New West:
-new guidelines specific to Western development/the emerging developments.
-Encode new goals and specific rubrics for these development patterns (e.g. affordability and access)
Code "Green infrastructure" (OS, trails, streams, corridors, view sheds, community separations etc).
Some additional things to take into account/Closing Notes:
-OS use must be tailed to local ethos (e.g. Sacramento (using Davis model) having most wildlife/land preservation. For Boulder, habitat and recreation are main goals. Seattle--OS is used to minimize environmental degradation and risk/extend of natural hazards (landslides).
-Growth in Boulder is a two-edged sword:
Influx of "Boulder minded" people results in further strain and/or degradation on environment and OS--but also results in awareness of affects of increased population and infrastructure on environmental spaces, which (in turn) results in the creation of more Open Spaces.
Questions
Test Questions:
1. Please list 3 different ways people can view nature (i.e. its use/Question 1)
A: biblical/colonial POV: Nature as dominion/property; Nature as a resource (utilitarian view); nature as recreation (anti-work); Nature as spiritual/enlightening; Nature as intrinsic value (i.e. value not based on utilities provided)
2. What are the four questions given to understand different attitudes re: the environment?
3. T/F Leopold promotes the idea that humans and nature are part of a community/ecosystem.
4. Name one of the groups and/or stakeholders involved in the decision making process regarding land use.
1. Local Government
2. Local community
3. GMOs
4. Private Property Owners
5. What is the predicted population growth by 2030 for the West:
a)57%
b)24 %
c) 49%
d) 85%
6. What is a 'megapolitan zone', please give an example.
7. T/F residential density increases the further you get from a city.
8. Why is planning, according to Travis, inherently weak?
9. Recent land disputes in Telluride CO are an example of the government doing what? (condemnation of land in order to obtain it)
10. What is one of the suggestions Travis makes to traditional planning and development (i.e. what should the "new West" do differently re: development planning?
Monday, June 1, 2009
Day 1 Summary and Questions
Class 1 Summary
Differences between “Open Space” and parks.
Some of the values embodied by local open space.
The pattern of land ownership in Boulder County. Federal, state, county, city, private.
Differences in history between Open Space and other public lands, like the USFS.
Acquisition is now extremely expensive and often controversial.
There can be tension between different values and desired uses of open space.
I. Overview of City of Boulder OSMP
City began acquiring mountain backdrop land in 1898. (Boulder Mountain Park)
“Open Space” program began in 1960s and expanded into plains.
Purpose of Open Space is to limit the growth of the city of Boulder, prevent encroachment by surrounding cities, ecological preservation, etc.
Funding: mainly sales taxes
OSMP resulted from a merger of Boulder Mountain Parks and Open Space/Real Estate Divisions
Wildlife:
Mule Deer
Rabbits
Birds of Prey
Foxes
Coyotes
Black Bears
II. Boulder County Parks and Open Space
A) Mission: conserve nature & agriculture, preserve sound public use
B) 65% of Boulder County land protected
C) Land acquisition began with donations
D) Methods of acquisition
1. Purchases
2. Conservation Easements
E) Benefits
1. Aesthetics
2. Ecological preservation
3. Establish access to public lands and waterways
4. Conserve land and resources
5. Protection of environmentally sensitive areas
F) Directed by Advisory Committee appointed by Boulder County Commissioners Office
G) Funded through sales/property taxes
H) A vast array of employees to manage recreation and ecosystems
III. City vs County
A) Dogs
B) Political structure of city and county
C) Mission statements have different emphases
IV. Recreational Opportunities
A) Uses:
1. Hiking
2. Biking
3. Horseback riding
4. Dogs
5. Grazing
6. Camping only on county (fairground) not city lands
7. Hang Gliding
B) Outdoor activities may not be damaging
C) Restrictions:
1. Fire
2. Camping
3. Motorized vehicles
4. Off-trail hiking without permit
5. Alcohol above 3.2%
D) Differences between city and county lands
1. Hours of operation
2. Swimming/wading
3. Dog regulations
V. Chautauqua and Boulder Mountain Park
A) Chautauqua—intended as a cultural and educational center
B) Boulder Mountain Park abuts Chautauqua and shares infrastructure
C) significantly older than the rest of the system
D) originally maintained by volunteers from various local organizations
VI. Marshall Mesa
Originally first coal mining district in Colorado
Low quality coal used for local demand
Coal fires burn underground to this day
City of Boulder began purchasing land in 1971
Trail system lies just south of Boulder
Lies at the convergence of ponderosa pine forests and prairie grasslands
hiking, horseback riding, biking, grazing, mining history
VII. Heil Valley Ranch
Located in the mountains northwest of Boulder
Covers almost 5000 acres
Contains a variety of ecosystems, grasslands, shrub lands, woodlands, forests and canyons
The land has remained almost entirely undeveloped throughout its history
The first place elk were reintroduced to Boulder County
Open to hikers, bikers, and equestrians
No dogs allowed due to sensitive wildlife
VIII. Walker Ranch
early local homestead
Fire in 2000
Connection to Eldorado Canyon State Park
Agricultural heritage
Now 2700 acres owned by County and 1200 acre leased from BLM
IX. Betasso
another early local homestead
One of first County OS acquisitions
typical recreation infrastructure
770 acres
heavy visitation, user conflicts, mt bike restrictions
newly acquired Benjamin Property abuts Betasso, management plan in progress
QUESTIONS:
Some of these will be on tomorrow's test. There may be some that are not on this list, so use it as a starting point.
1. Name two ways in which Boulder County acquires land.
2. List three benefits of conserving open space.
3. In what location were elk first reintroduced to Boulder County after they were eliminated?
4. Explain the difference between “Chautauqua” and “Boulder Mountain Park”.
5. Approximately what percentage of land in Boulder County is protected?
A. 35%
B. 50%
C. 65%
D. 75%
6. Which site in Boulder’s open space was once a major coal mining area, with coal fires still burning today?
7. Why are dogs not allowed at Heil Valley Ranch?
8. From where do Boulder County Parks and Open Space and City of Boulder OSMP acquire their funding?
9. Which one of the following places is NOT part of the Open Space Program?
a) Heil Ranch
b) Chautauqua Park
c) Yosemite National Park
d) Mount Sanitas
10. How do the two open space programs fit with the Leopold essays? What would Leopold like about Open Space in Boulder?
Differences between “Open Space” and parks.
Some of the values embodied by local open space.
The pattern of land ownership in Boulder County. Federal, state, county, city, private.
Differences in history between Open Space and other public lands, like the USFS.
Acquisition is now extremely expensive and often controversial.
There can be tension between different values and desired uses of open space.
I. Overview of City of Boulder OSMP
City began acquiring mountain backdrop land in 1898. (Boulder Mountain Park)
“Open Space” program began in 1960s and expanded into plains.
Purpose of Open Space is to limit the growth of the city of Boulder, prevent encroachment by surrounding cities, ecological preservation, etc.
Funding: mainly sales taxes
OSMP resulted from a merger of Boulder Mountain Parks and Open Space/Real Estate Divisions
Wildlife:
Mule Deer
Rabbits
Birds of Prey
Foxes
Coyotes
Black Bears
II. Boulder County Parks and Open Space
A) Mission: conserve nature & agriculture, preserve sound public use
B) 65% of Boulder County land protected
C) Land acquisition began with donations
D) Methods of acquisition
1. Purchases
2. Conservation Easements
E) Benefits
1. Aesthetics
2. Ecological preservation
3. Establish access to public lands and waterways
4. Conserve land and resources
5. Protection of environmentally sensitive areas
F) Directed by Advisory Committee appointed by Boulder County Commissioners Office
G) Funded through sales/property taxes
H) A vast array of employees to manage recreation and ecosystems
III. City vs County
A) Dogs
B) Political structure of city and county
C) Mission statements have different emphases
IV. Recreational Opportunities
A) Uses:
1. Hiking
2. Biking
3. Horseback riding
4. Dogs
5. Grazing
6. Camping only on county (fairground) not city lands
7. Hang Gliding
B) Outdoor activities may not be damaging
C) Restrictions:
1. Fire
2. Camping
3. Motorized vehicles
4. Off-trail hiking without permit
5. Alcohol above 3.2%
D) Differences between city and county lands
1. Hours of operation
2. Swimming/wading
3. Dog regulations
V. Chautauqua and Boulder Mountain Park
A) Chautauqua—intended as a cultural and educational center
B) Boulder Mountain Park abuts Chautauqua and shares infrastructure
C) significantly older than the rest of the system
D) originally maintained by volunteers from various local organizations
VI. Marshall Mesa
Originally first coal mining district in Colorado
Low quality coal used for local demand
Coal fires burn underground to this day
City of Boulder began purchasing land in 1971
Trail system lies just south of Boulder
Lies at the convergence of ponderosa pine forests and prairie grasslands
hiking, horseback riding, biking, grazing, mining history
VII. Heil Valley Ranch
Located in the mountains northwest of Boulder
Covers almost 5000 acres
Contains a variety of ecosystems, grasslands, shrub lands, woodlands, forests and canyons
The land has remained almost entirely undeveloped throughout its history
The first place elk were reintroduced to Boulder County
Open to hikers, bikers, and equestrians
No dogs allowed due to sensitive wildlife
VIII. Walker Ranch
early local homestead
Fire in 2000
Connection to Eldorado Canyon State Park
Agricultural heritage
Now 2700 acres owned by County and 1200 acre leased from BLM
IX. Betasso
another early local homestead
One of first County OS acquisitions
typical recreation infrastructure
770 acres
heavy visitation, user conflicts, mt bike restrictions
newly acquired Benjamin Property abuts Betasso, management plan in progress
QUESTIONS:
Some of these will be on tomorrow's test. There may be some that are not on this list, so use it as a starting point.
1. Name two ways in which Boulder County acquires land.
2. List three benefits of conserving open space.
3. In what location were elk first reintroduced to Boulder County after they were eliminated?
4. Explain the difference between “Chautauqua” and “Boulder Mountain Park”.
5. Approximately what percentage of land in Boulder County is protected?
A. 35%
B. 50%
C. 65%
D. 75%
6. Which site in Boulder’s open space was once a major coal mining area, with coal fires still burning today?
7. Why are dogs not allowed at Heil Valley Ranch?
8. From where do Boulder County Parks and Open Space and City of Boulder OSMP acquire their funding?
9. Which one of the following places is NOT part of the Open Space Program?
a) Heil Ranch
b) Chautauqua Park
c) Yosemite National Park
d) Mount Sanitas
10. How do the two open space programs fit with the Leopold essays? What would Leopold like about Open Space in Boulder?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Syllabus
GEOG 4742: Environments and Peoples—Boulder’s Open Space
Instructor: Elizabeth Pike Email: pikee "AT" colorado.edu
Office Hours: immediately after class & by appointment Office: Guggenheim 104
Class Meeting: Monday-Thursday 9:15-12:15, Guggenheim 201E
Class will not meet June 22-25
course website: GEOG4742.blogspot.com
I. Readings: Required texts: (abbreviation used in syllabus)
• Jill Barron (ed) Rocky Mountain Futures
• Aldo Leopold Sand County Almanac
II. Required reserve readings:
Additional readings will be assigned in class. Reserve readings are accessible online.
III. The Class Content and Objectives
Boulder’s “open space” is a crucial foundation of our local identity. Whether providing a scenic backdrop, recreational opportunities, a buffer against encroaching urbanization, or wildlife habitat, our open space is a tangible reflection of community values. How did we end up with this unique landscape? What challenges face open space managers in the future?
This class will provide an overview of the local open space programs in Boulder. We will begin by looking at the history, holdings, and management tasks facing local open space departments. Your final project will be a research proposal that integrates the various topics and issues that we will discuss this semester. This proposal will be presented to the class in poster form as well as being submitted in written form. Weekly tests will encourage you to keep abreast of the significant amount of basic factual material presented in the class. The midterms will test more in-depth knowledge and your ability to synthesize what you have learned. You will also be responsible for summarizing and developing questions for one week’s work during the semester.
IV. Grading Details: The final grade will be comprised of the following components:
10% Summary and Test Question Preparation
5% Participation
30% Daily Tests
25% Midterm Exams
30% Final Project (poster plus proposal)
No makeup tests or exams will be given. Students who miss a quiz or test without a documented and acceptable excuse (e.g. medical) will receive a score of zero for the missed work. If you know of a valid conflict with any of the scheduled tests or the final exam, contact the instructor in advance.
Students with special needs: please contact the instructor as soon as possible to discuss any necessary arrangements or adjustments which would facilitate your success in this class.
GEOG 4742 Summer 2009: Schedule of Class Meetings and Assigned Readings
Weekly Schedule
June 1 (Monday): Introductions
Intro, review syllabus
definitions, maps, etc
Kesda lab web exercise
June 2 (Tuesday): Demography and Land Use
Read Preface and Chapter 1 in Rocky Mountain Futures
Read Leopold “Conservation Esthetic” and “The Land Ethic”
Test on assigned reading (RMF and Leopold) and Monday material
Bill Travis guest lecture
June 3 (Wednesday): Forest Zones in Boulder County
Read Chapters 9 and 10 in Rocky Mountain Futures
Test on Reading, Tuesday material
Teresa Chapman guest lecture
June 4 (Thursday): Tallgrass Remnant Field Trip
Read Chapter 11 in Rocky Mountain Futures
Test on Reading, Wednesday material
Meet in the classroom at 9:15. Bus leaves from Rec Center Turnaround at 9:30.
Hike with COB OSMP Naturalist Dave Sutherland
June 8 (Monday): Heil Ranch Forestry Field Trip
Read Chapter 11 in Rocky Mountain Futures
Test on Reading, Thursday material (on the bus)
MEET AT THE RCTA. BUS LEAVES AT 9:15.
Hike with Nick Stremel of BoCo POS Forestry Department
June 9 (Tuesday): Midterm Exam I, Conservation Easements
Midterm I
Lecture on conservation easements
June 10 (Wednesday): Conservation Easement Field Trip
Reserve reading, articles by Wright
Field trip with Janis Whisman of BoCo POS
MEET AT THE RCTA. BUS LEAVES AT 9:15.
June 11 (Thursday): Research at CU and OSMP Volunteers
Read Leopold “Wildlife in American Culture” and “Wilderness”
Read the City of Boulder OSMP Visitor Master Plan
Test on Reading, Wednesday material
Guest speakers: Susanne Larsen (Earth Science Library) and Susan Ross (CoB OSMP)
June 15 (Monday): Public Opinion about Open Space
Finish reading the Visitor Master Plan
Test on Reading, Thursday material
Analysis of public comments on various open space issues
June 16 (Tuesday): Recreation Advocacy
Read Eldorado Mountain/Doudy Draw Trail Study Area Plan
Test on Reading, Monday material
Guest lecture: Mike Barrow from Boulder Mountainbike Alliance
June 17 (Wednesday): Doudy Draw Field Trip
Finish reading Eldorado Mountain/Doudy Draw Trail Study Area Plan
Test on Reading, Monday material
Meet in the classroom at 9:15. Bus leaves from Rec Center Turnaround at 9:30.
Field trip to Doudy Draw
Hike with Brett Ochs, trail designer at Loris and Associates
June 18 (Thursday): Midterm Exam II, projects
Midterm II
discussion of project topics
June 22-25 NO CLASS
EP available via email
June 29 (Monday): NO CLASS
June 30 (Tuesday): Poster session I
Half of class will present their research proposals and posters
July 1 (Wednesday): Poster session II
Half of class will present their research proposals and posters
July 2 (Thursday): Final Field Trip
If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact:303-492-8671, Willard 322, and http://www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices
Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. See full details at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html
Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professionalcourtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. See polices athttp://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code
The University of Colorado at Boulder policy on Discrimination and Harassment, the University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the University of Colorado policy on Amorous Relationships apply to all students, staff and faculty. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information about the ODH, the above referenced policies and the campus resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at http://www.colorado.edu/odh
All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu;303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.htmland at http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)