Sunday, June 27, 2010
6 comments:
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I am very pro-dog, since I regularly walk two on Shanahan Ridge, and do not want leash restrictions here. I keep my dogs on leash when people or dogs are near and let them off when no one else is around. I want to address two issues:
ReplyDelete1) Dog poop: I pick up that of my dogs and piles from other people that I see, as do many of us. I carry the bags with me. I think most people are conscientious about this. One problem may be runners who do not keep an eye on the dogs behind them. I have seen dogs poop and the runners don't even know it. (Of course there are those people who simply do not care.)
2)I have also had to yell to runners please to call their dogs, who are way behind and in my way. #2 is fairly rare, but does happen.
I find that people as a whole are much more careful about dog interactions since the green tag program has been instituted. I have no idea how many people's dogs do not have green tags.
I want continued freedom to let dogs run free in the Shanahan area.
Susan Evans
2765 Lafayette Drive
South Boulder
Gary Shirman, 629 Quince Circle, North Neighborhood- I am in favor of the compromise idea for mountain biking, where new trails are built for mountain biking east of current hiking trails and west of Broadway. This would avoid biker/hiker conflicts and provide a much needed trail system for bike riders. I feel strongly that there is a shortage of mountain biking trails in the Boulder area and I regularly (twice/week) drive to Nederland or Lyons by myself to ride. I would be inclined to ride from town to trails in the Chautauqua area instead of driving to trails if this option was available. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI live in the Shannahan Ridge neighborhood and walk or run my two dogs several times a week on the trails. My husband and I bought a condo here specifically so that we would have this opportunity. Primarily I oppose trail restrictions (as another commenter mentioned, if a trail is closed to dogs, I, the person, no longer use it either...I also think leashed dogs feel more constrained and therefore, if the guardians are not careful in approaching other dogs, there can be a greater risk for dog-dog aggression), but here I would like to make a few, hopefully helpful, comments and suggestions.
1) Trash cans are brilliant. I recognize this means someone must come and clean up but I think it is a great investment for each of the trailheads (I know my dogs tend to go early in their walk, so the trailhead is really the ideal location). The trash can was recently removed from the neighborhood trail leading from the Montessori school up to the Shannahan loop and now I see a lot more doggie bags hanging out at the side of the trail. When poop scooping is easy it gets done.
2) Signage is important. I think the trails have become progressively better signed as regards dogs. One important message that does not appear on signs is something I remember from the training videos that I follow: If your dog is having a bad day, use the leash. Just as we encourage dog guardians to know the rules (green tag visible, scoop poop), we can also encourage them to use a leash when a dog is having an off day without changing trail restrictions.
3) Seasonal wildlife restrictions? I remember not long ago all of the south Boulder trails were green tag. Then Shadow became "trail corridor", and now suddenly the steeper trails are all leash only. I get very frustrated by the continued tightening down of trail restrictions, as they seem arbitrary. Contrast this with lower Big Bluestem. Every year the fields are leash only to protect bird habitat. Fine. It is much easier following rules when you know what to expect (year-to-year) and there appears a good argument for temporary closure. I would be much happier seeing the seasonal leash-only option used more often and opening up some of the newer permanent restrictions.
Thanks for this opportunity to comment.
Best,
Adriana Bailey
3757 Telluride Cir.
South Neighborhood
ReplyDeleteI live in Table Mesa and walk/hike on the trails west of Table Mesa everyday with my dog.
I do not support limiting trails to dogs or limiting the number of trails where dogs may go off leash.
I support continued educational efforts, requiring dogs to be leashed in the immediate vicinity of trailheads and access points, and enforcement when problems occur.
Joan O'Connell
3525 Smuggler Circle
We've lived in Boulder for 24 years, but have only recently become dog owners such that we are paying attention to the issue of trail access for dogs. It's fair to say that we lack any historical perspective on restrictions in place now, versus what may have been available to dog owners previously. We find the current system of local on-leash restrictions at trail heads or during seasonal wild-life closures to be reasonable. I don't mind having to leash my dog temporarily to protect a riparian area or in more westerly sections of the TSA where humans are a lot less common and wildlife that is truly wild is more likely to be found. However, I see no reasonable justification for reducing the current off-leash (voice and sight control) trail areas, including the Mesa Trail and areas east. We would oppose management changes in that direction.
ReplyDeleteI was not a dog owner for 23 years, and never felt threatened or bothered out on the trails by any individual dog, although their sheer number was sometimes a mild annoyance. My general impression is that people walking with dogs are at least as numerous as those without, and those without dogs seem to like them or to not be bothered by them. While I don't discount the feelings of the vigorously anti-dog folks, I suspect that this view is held by a vocal minority who, unfortunately, live in a broader community that values dogs highly. Any decision to completely close a trail to dogs (on or off leash) should be based on a careful survey of the trail's current users and the interest level in the community at large for imposing this type of restriction.
Judy Ruckman
2990 Carnegie Dr.
Central Neighborhood
I live in Eldorado Springs and use the south boulder trails on a daily basis to exercise my dogs. I also am a certified vet tech and know a bit about dog behavior. When the "voice and sight" tag program went into effect I was delighted. People watched the video that showed what it meant and the etiquette that went along with the idea. They then stated that they watched and understood and were awarded an off leash tag. I very soon realized that people didn't have a clue or didn't care what "voice and sight" meant. They just knew they had a green tag and that is all they needed. This is why there is so much conflict with off leash dogs. I continue to hear command after command to get dogs to come to their owners and not approach people with or without dogs. I would be happy if open space had a simple testing procedure that wouldn't have to take more than 15 minutes or so that included distractions for people and their dogs to test into the "privilege" of having a "green tag" and the opportunity to use open space with their dog off leash. I'm sure Open Space could get "volunteers" to work these testing days. And really, the dog trainers of the area would get more business and we'd all get along much better on the trail!
ReplyDeleteJanet Miller
152 Artesian
South Boulder Area