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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAddenda - RFP - P982 BOBCAT RIDGE TRAIL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTON (4)Bobcat Ridge Natural Area Management Plan City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program Natural Resources Department Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970-416-2183 www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/ April 15, 2023 Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures Executive Summary Chapter 1. Introduction and Background Chapter 2. Physical Resources Chapter 3. Vegetation Resources Chapter 4. Wildlife Resources Chapter 5. Cultural Resources Chapter 6. Visitor Use Chapter 7. Education Chapter 8. Site Administration and Public Improvements Chapter 9. Action Plan Appendices 1. Council Acquisition Considerations 2. Public Tour Brochure/Questionnaire 3. Public Comments 4. Complete List of Mammals 5. Priority Conservation Area Report: Big Thompson River 6. Results of Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse Survey 7. Complete List of Observed Birds 8. Characterization Abstract of Moss’s Elfin Executive Summary Bobcat Ridge Natural Area was acquired by the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program on December 16, 2003 for a purchase price of $5.3 million from the Pulliam Marital and Charitable Trusts. At the time of purchase, Bobcat Ridge represented the largest contiguous natural area owned and managed by the Natural Areas Program at 2,600 acres. This property was also the first “regional lands” purchase made by the city’s Natural Areas Program under the Land Conservation and Stewardship Master Plan, which was unanimously adopted by Fort Collins City Council on April 1, 2003. In every way, Bobcat Ridge Natural Area property exceeds all criteria for a natural area. The property is home to significant biological and ecological resources, rich cultural and human history, abundant interpretive opportunities, and extraordinary opportunities for recreation. This management plan documents the ecological, cultural, and recreation resources, and suggests ways to maintain and enhance these resources while offering compatible educational and recreational opportunities. Proper stewardship will be achieved when habitat and wildlife values are maintained or enhanced through time. Management of Bobcat Ridge Natural Area offers many new challenges to the Natural Areas Program including: livestock grazing, management of fire-prone areas, habitat management for large herds of deer and elk with associated herd management and hunting pressure, and maintaining controlled access over a large backcountry area. In this document the Natural Areas Program outlines specific goals and management recommendations for Bobcat Ridge. A summarized review of all management recommendations may be found in chapter 9. The recommended management actions listed in this document are subject to available funding and organizational capacity. Chapter 1. Introduction and Background Site Significance Bobcat Ridge Natural Area encompasses 2,606 acres of foothills grasslands, shrublands, and pine forests just west of Masonville, Colorado (T6NR70W portions of sections 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, and 27). Geographically, Bobcat Ridge is near other preserved public lands including Devil’s Backbone Open Space, managed by Larimer County and the Roosevelt National Forest. There are also three separate in-holdings within the natural area totaling 160 acres managed by the US Forest Service. At the time of purchase in 2003, Bobcat Ridge Natural Area was the largest contiguous natural area managed by the Natural Areas Program. Bobcat Ridge Natural Area’s diverse habitat, abundant wildlife, natural scenery and rich cultural history make this site a welcome addition to the Natural Areas Program’s land conservation inventory. This site meets all of Fort Collins City Council-approved considerations for acquisition (Appendix 1), and was a high priority acquisition target identified by the Natural Areas Program’s Land Conservation and Stewardship Master Plan adopted unanimously by Fort Collins City Council on April 1, 2003. The Colorado Division of Wildlife has documented significant populations of elk, mule deer and turkey, in addition to mountain lions and black bears which utilize portions of the natural area. Plant community diversity at Bobcat Ridge stems from the elevation gradient that rises from the eastern hogbacks and valley grasslands at 5,000 feet elevation, to the foothills ecosystem dominated by ponderosa pine and Douglas fir forests on the property’s western edge at 7,000 feet elevation. The mixture of plant communities are further diversified as the result of drainages, rolling topography and cliffs. Purchase and Interim Management Bobcat Ridge Natural Area was acquired by the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program on December 16, 2003 for a purchase price of $5.3 million from the Pulliam Marital and Charitable Trusts. Prior to and just following acquisition of the property, an interim stewardship analysis was developed to help guide activities while this management plan was being drafted. The following actions have been implemented since that time including:  extending the property grazing lease through the fall of 2005  leasing the existing home-site to current occupant through Dec 31, 2005  halting all activities related to salvage logging in the burned area  posting signs, installing gates, and marking boundaries to restrict public access  initiating routine ranger patrol to safeguard the area  completing an ecological inventory with Colorado Natural Heritage Program  beginning bird surveys with Fort Collins Audubon Society  completing a cultural resource survey  mapping existing roads, structures and other features to create a base-map  removing unnecessary fences and general cleaning up  conducting public preview field trips and gathering feedback  installing a portable restroom at the site entrance Geographic Context Bobcat Ridge Natural Area is located just west of Masonville center and Larimer County Road 27. This site falls within the Foothills/Redstone/Buckhorn regional Conservation Focus Area as identified in the Natural Areas Program’s Land Conservation and Stewardship Master Plan completed in 2003. This property was identified for its high quality habitat and scenic resources. Its location, shown in figure 1.1, provides direct ecological connectivity to Roosevelt National Forest to the west, which in turn is contiguous with Rocky Mountain National Park, and to 3,500 acres of protected foothills (Sylvan Dale Conservation Easement) to the south. This connectivity provides protected transitions from lower elevation grasslands to the foothills ecosystems higher elevation montane, subalpine and alpine environments. The acquisition of Bobcat Ridge Natural Area serves to preserve one of the few remaining relatively unfragmented landscapes of Colorado’s Front Range. Immediately to the north, east, and south, much of the land is developed as rural subdivisions with 5 to 35-acre lots; some with ranches, small farms and quarries. One and a half miles east of Bobcat Ridge are Devil’s Backbone and Rimrock Open Spaces managed by Larimer County. Along with Coyote Ridge Natural Area, these lands combine to protect 3,500 acres of grasslands and agriculture. There may be opportunities to conserve nearby lands in the future. The areas to the north and east have a high potential to be subdivided into 35 acre lots, or clustered into rural developments following Larimer County’s Land Use Code. Reasonable commuting distances to Loveland, Fort Collins, and the appeal of country living make this area a highly desirable place to live. Bobcat Ridge is not located contiguous to any existing trail networks. However, there may be opportunities work with the US Forest Service on trail connections onto Forest Service lands in the future. Land Use History The presence of two likely tipi rings and a small collection of artifacts from the site reveal that Native American people probably camped or occupied Bobcat Ridge Natural Area prior to European settlement. Today’s presence of abundant big game further suggests this area may have been productive hunting grounds. Figure 1.1. Location of Bobcat Ridge and surrounding conserved lands European settlement of the area occurred in the late 1800’s. Bobcat Ridge and the surrounding lands were used for farming and grazing throughout the homestead period in northern Colorado. Agriculture was the primary economic focus of the area’s early settlers. Known homestead sites on Bobcat Ridge include the area of Mahoney Park, the standing historic cabin in the northeast corner, and the existing ranch house at the entrance of the property. The Pulliam family, who last owned and operated the property, has farmed and leased this land for cattle grazing, alfalfa, wheat production and hunting since 1961. Following the Bobcat Gulch Fire of 2000 the property also was informally leased for salvage logging. Scope of the Management Plan This management plan describes significant natural, cultural, recreational and educational resources for Bobcat Ridge Natural Area. Based on an inventory of existing conditions, ecology and cultural resources, specific recommendations for wildlife and habitat protection and visitor use are proposed. Chapters Two through Six detail the physical, ecological, cultural, and recreational resources of the property; Chapter Seven discusses the educational opportunities; Chapter Eight describes the resources various administrative elements and start-up activities. Chapter Nine presents the action plan, outlining the management actions necessary to properly steward the site consistent with the Natural Areas Program mission. These actions will be executed as funding and organizational capacity allows. Public Outreach In the summer of 2004, the Natural Areas Program began a concerted effort to introduce the public to Bobcat Ridge Natural Area. The first step in our community outreach effort was to offer staff-led public field trips which began in June and continued through October. More than 125 citizens attended and completed a questionnaire concerning specific management questions (Appendix 2). Members of the City of Fort Collins Natural Resources Advisory Board, Parks and Recreation Board and the Trails Committee visited Bobcat Ridge during that same time and provided similar input. Three public open houses were held in 2004. The first was held on July 1 which targeted local neighbors of Bobcat Ridge. Two additional public open houses held in November 17, and December 3 for the public, staff and citizen advisory boards. Comments and feedback from those open houses can be found in Appendix 3. Staff also consulted with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Northern Colorado Water Conservation District, Arapahoe Roosevelt National Forest, EDAW Inc., Larimer County Planning staff, Larimer County Sheriff and Emergency Services Office, Loveland Rural Fire District, City of Fort Collins Historic Preservation Office, Tatanka Historical Associates, Rocky Mountain National Park and the Colorado Natural Heritage Program in the development of the interim stewardship analysis and this management plan.