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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 02/08/2005 - NATURAL AREAS GENERAL MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES DATE: February 8, 2005 STUDY SESSION ITEM STAFF: John Stokes FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL Mark Sears SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION Natural Areas General Management Guidelines. City Council asked the Natural Areas Program to review the General Management Guidelines as they relate to recreation with the Park and Recreation Board in 2004 and to seek its input on potential revisions. The timing of this request worked well, as there was also a need to review the Guidelines related to recreation with respect to the management of the new regional Bobcat Ridge Natural Area and ten local natural areas in the Fossil Creek resource area. The Management Plans for Bobcat Ridge and the ten Fossil Creek Natural Areas have been presented to the public and City staff at open houses, and to the P&RB and NRAB. GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED Does City Council support the proposed administrative changes to the General Management Guidelines? Based upon input received from the public, Parks and Recreation Board, City Staff, and a recommendation received from the Natural Resources Advisory Board, Natural Resources staff is recommending changes and additions to the "General Management Guidelines" (see below). Several of the proposed administrative changes will also require changes to the Municipal Code, which staff will bring to Council for consideration later this year. BACKGROUND Over the last several years, the City has acquired two new large regional open spaces, Bobcat Ridge, a 2,600-acre property near Masonville, and Soapstone Ranch, a 12,500-acre property in the Laramie Foothills north of the city. These properties pose new and exciting opportunities for recreation, as well as the need for different management approaches. New recreation opportunities include the potential for back country, "primitive" camping sites, rock climbing or bouldering, and hunting. Of these three potential new uses, hunting is obviously the most controversial. Staff is recommending that the Management Guidelines be changed to allow hunting for management or recreation purposes. The changes would give staff the flexibility to at least consider hunting as a possible activity on those regional natural areas that could support either a recreational hunting program or that might require hunting for the purposes of game or ecosystem management. Any hunting program would need to be extensively reviewed by staff and the public before being implemented. At this time, staff has no immediate plans to propose hunting on natural areas. Furthermore, staff will spend the next few years familiarizing themselves with the regional February 8, 2005 Page 2 natural areas to better understand any potential necessity for game or ecosystem management, as well as the recreational opportunities an ecologically and/or economically sustainable hunting program might provide. Some of the other recreation uses considered and which did not seem to be appropriate uses for natural areas were: launching model rockets, flying model airplanes, launching or landing hot air balloons, mountain bike park, and a shooting range. It is possible that some of these recreation needs and others could be met in the future on open lands conserved in the Community Separator areas. The land could be conserved by Natural Areas as a Community Separator and then leased or purchased by a private business or Parks and Recreation to develop and manage specific recreation activities. Proposed Changes and Additions to the Natural Areas —General Management Guidelines Camping Current Guideline Language - Camping in natural areas is prohibited by Municipal Code Sec.23-193(a) (15) Proposed Guideline Language - Camping in natural areas is prohibited by Municipal Code Sec.23-193(a) (15), except in Natural Areas outside the City Limits where back country camp sites are specifically designated and for which a permit is required. Code Language — New Code language will be proposed to allow camping by permit in designated areas, and to address other related issues, including the use of stoves only, no campfires, food storage in bear proof containers, designation of back country areas. Rock Climbing Current Guideline Language—No current guideline. Proposed Guideline Language—Rock climbing may be allowed in designated areas. Code Language — New Code language will be proposed to prohibit rock climbing except in designated areas. Shelters Current Guideline Language—No current guideline. Proposed Guideline Language —The City may provide shelters for shade, protection from weather, wildlife viewing, interpretation, and picnicking for natural areas users. Hunting Current Guideline Language— See "Firearms" below. Proposed Guideline Language — Limited and controlled hunting may be allowed in February 8, 2005 Page 3 natural areas outside the City Limits for the purposes of wildlife management and recreation. Code Language — New Code language would be required to allow hunting in natural areas outside of the city, subject to applicable restrictions and requirements. Firearms Current Guideline Language — It is illegal to discharge firearms on natural areas in the city limits or any other natural area that is open to the public (Municipal Code Sec.23- 193(a)(17)(v)). Discharge of firearms includes guns, pistols, crossbows, bows and arrows, slingshots, BB guns, pellet guns, or any other firearm or weapon. Natural areas outside the city limits, and not open to the public, are posted "no trespassing," "no hunting," or"no discharge of firearms." Proposed Guideline Language — It is illegal to discharge firearms on natural areas in the city limits or outside the city limits, unless limited and controlled hunting is specifically allowed within specified times in natural areas outside the city limits and then discharge of firearms will be limited to firearms specific to the type of allowed hunting, per (Municipal Code Sec.23-193(a)(17)(v)). Discharge of firearms includes guns, pistols, crossbows, bows and arrows, slingshots, BB guns, pellet guns, paintball guns or any other firearm or weapon. Natural areas outside the city limits, and not open to the public, shall be posted as closed to public access. Code Language — New Code language would be required to create an exception to allow the discharge of firearms appropriate for hunting on natural areas outside the city limits only where limited and controlled hunting is specifically allowed and within specified times.