If you want to see more mountain bike trails in and around Fort Collins, we mountain bikers need to be at these open houses in force.  Historically our attendance has been abysmal.  If you can’t make the meeting, please fill out the survey linked below. Be sure to support our local IMBA chapter, Overland MTB.  They’re working behind the scenes to improve and construct new trails. 
Survey: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3567146/DRAFT-Fossil-Creek-Natural-Areas-Management-Plan-Update

Info on the trail (page 14 and 18): http://www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/pdf/fc-plan-draft17.pdf?1495234374

General info on the overall Master Plan Update: http://www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/fossil-creek-management.php

 

Action Alert by Overland Mountain Bike: http://overlandmtb.org/

Fossil Creek Natural Areas Management Plan

Want to see additional natural-surface trail opportunities or other improvements to the Fort Collins Natural Areas trail systems – featuring a new natural-surface trail connecting Fossil Creek Trail in Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area to Coyote Ridge Natural Area? Take action and make sure your voice is heard!

Click here for more info on the draft plan

Background:

Fort Collins Natural Areas is seeking public input in order to update the 10-year plan for the 12 properties contained within the Fossil Creek Natural Areas Management Plan. A public open house will be held from 4-7 pm at the following location:

  • Thursday, June 8, 2017, Harmony Library Community Room, 4616 South Shields Street, Fort Collins
  • Online commenting period open until June 30th

Nearly every master plan and/or user survey in this region shows Trail Connectivity as a major area of need.  This trail as proposed would become a primary connector for many natural-surface trail users in our region.  With the connection from Fossil Creek Trail/Cathy Fromme to Coyote Ridge, this provides users a much-needed direct link from the extensive network of Fort Collins paved recreational trails to our natural-surface trail system. 

The following benefits have been identified for this new trail:

  • will help to better disperse users and reduce traffic on the heavily-used Foothills Trail and many others.
  • will allow direct access for non-driving youth and others who do not have vehicles to drive to existing trailheads.
  • will help reduce strain on the Coyote Ridge trailhead parking lot and other surrounding trailhead parking lots.
  • will provide numerous new trail loop possibilities by tying into other new trails already in the planning process (further dispersing users)
  • will connect multiple existing open space properties
  • will promote wildlife viewing opportunities and help monitor/manage visitor capacity at trailhead parking lots (as identified as 10-year site objectives).
  • will help reduce vehicle traffic on area roadways
  • will eliminate the requirement of having to run, hike or ride alongside high-speed vehicle traffic on our busy roadways
  • will minimize impacts to natural resources as it remains near the existing property boundary

Given all these benefits, Overland Mountain Bike Club strongly supports this trail proposal.  Overland Mountain Bike Club supports all other multi-use natural-surface trail proposals in this draft plan as well, and we encourage Fort Collins Natural Areas to strongly consider additional trail connectivity with surrounding properties.

Trails build community!!!

What can you do to advocate for more mountain biking options in the area? Take the actions below!

 

Actions:

  1. *Show up at the public open house this Thursday

  2. *Quickly submit the online comment form

  3. Forward this message to your fellow mountain bikers / trail users

*For the above actions, you can use the items below to support the priorities that advocate for additional multi-use, natural-surface trail options.



General points supporting more soft-surface, multi-use trails:

  1. Cyclists give back to the local trail systems by volunteering on public land, protecting the environment and preserving open space
  2. Youth cycling is seeing a rapid growth in popularity, thus helping kids learn about healthy lifestyles and outdoor stewardship
  3. A better connected trail system would provide access to surrounding open lands without the need to drive, thus helping reduce traffic congestion, strain on trailhead parking areas, air pollution and negative automobile-bicycle interactions
  4. Increased soft-surface trail opportunities will help disperse users, improve access for regional residents and visitors, and reduce strain on the current trail system
  5. Well-designed trails will encourage trail users to stay on trail and lessen impacts to our natural resources
  6. Mountain bike tourism has proven to greatly increase the economic vitality of communities with a high-quality multi-use trail network designed to accommodate all ability-levels by boosting retail, restaurant, hotel, gas and grocery store sales