Boulder County has invited partners that manage public lands in the foothills and mountains of Boulder County to collaborate on the Regional Mountain Trails Master Plan. The purpose is to create a shared, longâ€term master plan for a network of access points and travel corridors for non-motorized users in the mountain area. It is envisioned that this trail network would connect mountain communities and recreation areas to the regional trails in the plains. The partners are the US Forest Service, the National Park Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Boulder County, the City of Boulder, and the City of Longmont. Staff from the Commissioners’ Office, Parks and Open Space, and Transportation are on the planning team.
Public Input
To kick-off the project, eleven public listening sessions were held across the county this spring. The meetings gave the community an opportunity to highlight their issues, concerns, desires, and expectations about the initiative; and to identify principles or values important to them in this year-long effort. Over the summer, the partners will utilize this input to develop principals to guide the effort and to map opportunities and constraints that influence planning. In the fall, the partners will utilize these tools to work with stakeholders and the community to identify potential trail corridors for consideration in the draft plan. It is anticipated that a final plan will be approved by next summer that will guide cooperative, incremental, and opportunistic implementation of the trail network over the coming years. More information is available on the project website where you can also sign up for email updates about the project.