Rock Climbing Forums: Climbing Information: Access Issues & Closures: 24 HOUR ALERT!!! Boulder Area Climbers Do Something!: Page 3

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24 HOUR ALERT!!! Boulder Area Climbers Do Something!

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maww

Dec 15, 2004, 6:02 PM
Post #51 of 53 (5419 views)
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Registered: Apr 4, 2004
Posts: 3253

Re: 24 HOUR ALERT!!! Boulder Area Climbers Do Something! [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)

Thanks for the update Mark. I received two emails in the last two days from the council. Here is the 1st:

Lara--
Thank you for your email regarding the proposed Open Space and Mountain Parks Visitor Master Plan (VMP).

City Council members have received numerous emails and letters on the various issues surrounding the VMP, and there has been a very lively public debate through op-eds, letters to the editor, newspaper articles, and in public forums. Clearly there is tremendous interest in the final outcome of the VMP.

In this message, I would like to state my strong support for the process that has taken place to date and my optimism for how this plan will be finalized. Notwithstanding the rhetoric and posturing that is currently going on from people on all sides of the issue, the proposed plan has been developed with extensive and thoughtful input from the Community. The Open Space Board has contributed greatly; the OSMP Department staff has contributed greatly; the Visitor Plan Advisory Committees have contributed greatly; and the Community Group Forum has contributed greatly.

At issue now is not whether City Council should choose the Board's proposal over the Community Group Forum's proposal over the staff proposal, but for the City Council to draw on all of the expertise and information from all of these groups, and make informed decisions on those areas in the VMP for which there currently is not agreement, i.e. nighttime curfews, competitive events, off-trail access in the Habitat Conservation Areas (HCAs), dogs, and the so-called "precautionary principle" or "dealing with uncertainty."

Council will formally begin our consideration of the Plan this Tuesday, December 14 from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. The Study Session will take place in the Council Chambers and will be televised on Channel 8. During this Study Session, Council will have the opportunity to ask the Board, the OSMP staff, Community Group Forum representatives, and VPAC representatives questions about the Plan and the various alternatives that have been proposed. We will then give staff direction on how to further draft the Plan on these outstanding issues.

A revised draft Plan will be available early next year, which will commence a public review. It will next go to the Planning Board and Open Space Board for their review and recommendations, and in the spring will come to Council for our final consideration.

I remain very confident that this process will allow City Council to draw upon the tremendous wealth of expertise that we have in our community-our OSMP staff, Open Space Board of Trustees, the member groups of the Community Group Forum, the Visitor Plan Advisory Committee members, and the many concerned and well-informed community members-to make informed decisions resulting in a Visitor Master Plan that allows public access where it is appropriate while ensuring the long-term health of the lands.

Again, thank you for your email.

Shaun McGrath
Boulder City Council

The 2nd letter was a brief note of thanks; the author also said I may receive future updates from the council regarding this matter. I do hope they consider our input in future decisions.

Again, thanks for this info and the updates.

Cheers,

hippie_dreams

Dec 15, 2004, 6:29 PM
Post #52 of 53 (5419 views)
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Registered: Apr 9, 2003
Posts: 158

Re: 24 HOUR ALERT!!! Boulder Area Climbers Do Something! [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)

mmmmmBUMP!

takeme

Dec 15, 2004, 8:27 PM
Post #53 of 53 (5419 views)
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Registered: May 7, 2003
Posts: 367

Re: 24 HOUR ALERT!!! Boulder Area Climbers Do Something! [In reply to] Report this Post Average: (0 ratings)

In reply to:

This report was given by a climber in attendance last night:

Trail Planning & Projects -
Off-trail use in Habitat Conservation Areas -
These two topics concerned the climbing community.
Council members were open to comments in a favorable
manner and some had already agreed to work with the
Access Fund regarding the problem with the
aforementioned crags. The access problem deals with
the main trail heading to these crags dead ending into
private property; then back to open space land to
where the crags are located. Boulder will not promote
a trespass into this land; but they did seem to
indicate they were willing to work out the access in
some way. Whether that means gaining an easement right
from the landowner or development of a better managed
trail system is planned to be discussed with the
Access Fund and Council. So it appears that while
access is in danger, the access is being worked on.
The Council was very much willing to try and work with
the climbing community.

However - still an unclear issue was the
classifications of open space lands and how these
classifications would affect climbing areas. The
Council was at odds regarding classifications and will
work on this plan further. It seemed the issue was
preservationist versus recreational visitor use.

I was at the meeting last night. The private property concern mentioned above deals only with the Mickey Mouse Wall; however, there is also the issue that Mickey Mouse was originally included in one of the Habitat Conservation Areas proposed in Visitor Master Plan. This was perhaps the greatest source of concern for climbers, as the HCAs were meant to be closed to all off-trail access (meaning that social trails, such as the one providing access to Mickey Mouse Wall, would be closed). My impression from the meeting was that the Council members have taken public comment to heart and intend to see to it that significant climbing areas, particularly Mickey Mouse Wall, will continue to be accessible by whatever means necessary under the finalized VMP. Several council members, notably Will Toor and Crystal Gray, spoke very strongly in our favor, and noone spoke in opposition although the Open Space Mountain Parks manager's response (he was the one who presented the proposed VMP) was more beaureacratically worded than I would have liked. Also, I'm not sure if I heard correctly, but I thought someone mentioned at one point that part of the HCA meant to include Mickey Mouse Wall has already been recently redrawn in the proposal so that the wall will specifically not be included.

Danger still lurks in arbitrary decisions that the OSMP board may be able to make in the future. It was clear at various points throughout the meeting, especially in the final half hour, that a number of folks with what seem to be anti-recreational views remain. It isn't clear what kind of factual basis or deliberation will be required in the future for any drastic actions that OSMP may try to take (e.g., in 5 years suddenly deciding that Mickey Mouse Wall is in grave ecological danger, and summarily closing it without any real evidence or debate).

Still, my ultimate impression is that the immanent threat to access is not as bad as I had feared. But we climbers need to stay on top of this issue, that's for sure!

Charles

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