Welcome. Nature Camps. Composting Workshops

Transcription

1 foothills biking dirt walking weeding landscape activity partnership teaching plant native garden sandstone granite basalt exploring butterfly sculpture environment raptors sagebrush children botanical geology bugs geology naturalist recycling workshops composting community soils earth wild nature guidance gulches Foothills land Conservation preservation scattered easement open spaces advisory wildlife Committee habitat interpretive signage riparian corridors annual rare report plants Fy2009 hiking foothills october september 2009 biking dirt walking weeding landscape activity partnership teaching plant native garden sandstone granite basalt aero agoseris butterfly sculpture environment sagebrush bitterbush botanical geology bugs naturalist recycling workshops preservation habitat interpretive riparian corridors plants hiking

2 Welcome Your Foothills Conservation Advisory Committee (FCAC) continues to carry out its main mission of advising the open space conservation staff on land transactions involving foothills levy funds and management issues. They also provide guidance to the Ridge to Rivers trail partnership and Foothills Learning Center programs. The FCAC s open space conservation efforts were highlighted in a full-color poster featuring the approximately 8,300 acres of land protected in the foothills using $6 million from the Serial Levy Fund. These posters were free to the citizens of Boise and 1000 of them were distributed mainly through the downtown Library early in FY09. The downturn in the economy brought about many inquiries from foothills landowners interested in land conservation since Boise City still has funds available. Hopefully we ll see some significant land conservation transactions in FY10 as a result of negotiations initiated in FY09. Sincerely, Chas. F. McDevitt Chairman, Foothills Conservation Advisory Committee Vision In 2000, the Boise Foothills Management Plan was completed, describing the location and importance of plants, wildlife, riparian corridors, soils, slopes, recreation and public open spaces. The plan outlined the need for conserving natural resource values, educating the public, and providing sustainable recreation and resource use. There are plans to update it in It was created with input from the following seven one city, county, state and federal agencies with public land management roles in the Foothills project area: City of Boise Ada County Boise County Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) United States Forest Service (USFS) The Foothills Learning Center along with the Idaho Botanical Garden and the MK Nature Center served as the coordinating team for this chapter. Students met one night a week January through April. Any adult who enjoys nature and is interested in learning more can sign up for the program. Composting Workshops In conjunction with Boise City Public Works Department kicked off its Curb It trash and recycling program, the Foothills Learning Center did its part with a series of composting workshops throughout the community. We delivered seven 90-minute programs at the Main Library!, Hillcrest Library!, Collister Library!, Ada County Extension, the Boise WaterShed, and the Foothills Learning Center. Community members were eager to learn how to use their new compost bins to reduce solid waste and enrich their garden soils. Nature Camps We expand our summer camp offerings annually at the Foothills Learning Center. This year we offered: Boise Earth Action Camp #1: Bogus to the River (ages 12-15) Boise Earth Action Camp #2: Water Camp (ages 12-15) Wild in the City (ages 12-15) Storytelling Camp (ages 5-8) Tots Nature Camp (ages 3-5) Junior Garden Camp (ages 8-12) Writing Wild (with Log Cabin Literary Center) Boise Foothills Open Space Management Plan (FOSMP) to create an interconnected system of natural areas, recreation trails, and wildlife corridors that protect the integrity of public land values in the Foothills through: A long-term commitment to protect open space to preserve the character and diversity of the Boise Foothills. Conservation and enhancement of the ecosystems for wildlife habitat that rely so heavily on open space. These agencies support the vision of the ten

3 Partnerships between private and public entities to take equal responsibility in maintaining open space in the Foothills as an important place for people to learn, recreate, and rejuvenate. Education of those who use the open space so that they protect the resources associated with it. Adherence to recommendations and policies contained within this plan to perpetuate the character of the Foothills. Historical Update On May 22, 2001, 59% of Boise voters supported a two-year serial levy (2002 and 2003) to raise $10 million for foothills land preservation efforts. At the onset of the preservation effort, the 80,000 acres in the Boise Foothills, from Highway 21 to Highway 55, were a scattered mixture of public and private ownerships, with 38,000 acres owned by various state and federal agencies, and the remaining 42,000 acres in private hands. Since that time, the volunteers serving on the FCAC have been working to efficiently utilize the serial levy funds to conserve foothills land in a variety of manners; fee title ownership, conservation easement, trail easement or land exchanges amongst federal and state agencies. Three priority areas for conservation were identified in the 2000 Boise Foothills Open Space Plan for Public Lands. These included: Table Rock Hulls Gulch/Military Reserve Dry Creek/West Foothills Staff Boise City s Foothills Conservation and Management Program staff is made up of: Julia Kertz Grant, Foothills & Open Space Manager David Gordon, Ridge to Rivers Coordinator Bart Johnson, Trail Crew Foreman Will Taliaferro, Trail Maintenance Worker Rich Gardunia, Part-time Trail Ranger Jennie Rylee, Environmental Education Coordinator Carolyn Volk, Part-time Environmental Education Kristin Lundstrom, Part-time Environmental Educator, Volunteer Coordinator Helen Johansen, Part-time Program Assistant All staff members are housed at the Foothills Learning Center and workshop at 3188 Sunset Peak Road in Boise (mailing address 1104 Royal Blvd. Boise, ID and phone number ) two

4 The Foothills Conservation Advisory Committee The 12-member committee was created in Members are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. Their mission is to... make recommendations to the Mayor and City Council for permanent protection of natural open space in the Boise Foothills, consistent with the open space serial levy passed by the voters on May 22, 2001, and will work to ensure that the levy funds are spent wisely. Committee members are selected for their interest in public recreation and natural resource management issues, leadership and individual areas of expertise. Committee members are volunteers who meet on the first Wednesday of the month at 7:30 am in the Foothills Learning Center Conference Room. The public is always welcome to attend these meetings. The following is a complete list of Committee members: Charles F. McDevitt, Chair Suki Molina, Vice-Chair Sue Chelstrom Bill Eastlake Milt Gillespie Anne Hausrath Chris Thometz Shirley Randolph Mike Reynoldson Betsy Roberts Stuart Allyn, Youth Member Serial Levy Funds This chart further exhibits how the serial levy funds have been leveraged with each land transaction. Of the original $10 million, about $4.9 million remains for foothills preservation efforts. The FCAC is dedicated to stretching those dollars for the benefit of the public. To that end they continue discussions with foothill landowners regarding possible new trail connections, protection of wildlife habitat and riparian corridors, and preservation of rare plants and historically significant sites. Property Year Acres Market Value* Serial Levy Funds Expended* ORIDA/United Water $160,000 $84,000 Blessinger $850,000 $892,000 Boyer-Satz $700,000 $353,000 Noble $3,000,000 $9,000 Castrango (trail easement) $3,000 $3,000 IDL and IDF&G (administrative land exchange) ,928 $1,375,000 $60,000 Hawkins $2,730,000 $2,516,000 Donnelly $510,000 $373,000 Dengler $720,000 $723,000 Dengler (conservation easement) $630,000 $0 BLM, IDL & USFS (legislated land exchange) ,000 $16,500,000 $939,000 Smith $196,000 $3,000 Block $35,000 $0 Oberbillig $960,000 $20,000 Other properties Ongoing $134,000 Totals 8,324 $28,369,000 $6,109,000 *rounded to the nearest thousand three

5 Dog Policy On Trails In March 2009, the FCAC solidified their recommendations and forwarded them to the City Council. They have not yet acted on those recommendations. In the meantime the foothills program is participating in the Boise Parks & Recreation Department s Comprehensive Plan Revision process. The new Comprehensive Plan will have a chapter dedicated to dog policy throughout the department. September 2009 marked the one year anniversary of Boise City s contract with Idaho Humane Society s (IHS) Park Enforcement Team (PET). PET officers provide public education and enforcement of dog-related regulations in the Boise Foothills and City parks. Officers patrolled using an IHS vehicle, bicycles and on foot. Park and trail user interactions (warnings and citations) peaked in November and December 2008 averaging 381 per month. They declined steeply after that to remain relatively constant from March through August. The City Council renewed the IHS for FY10. Heritage Trust Fund The Boise Parks & Recreation Department s Heritage Trust Fund was established in 1980 to allow individuals, organizations and corporations to donate funds for memorials, programs and projects of the Boise Parks & Recreation Department. Donations can be designated by the donor to specific projects or contributions can be made with no specific purpose. All donations are tax deductible. Examples of projects made possible through this fund include the Foothills Learning Center s Native Plant Garden. Thanks to a donation through the Heritage Trust Fund by a local family, this natural, peaceful setting was created. The knowledge and skills of the staff at Conservation Seeding and Restoration, Inc., made the garden a showplace of color, texture, and form in Interpretive signage and eye-catching art pieces will be added in Looking Ahead The trail using public and decision makers often ask those who manage natural resources and recreational uses what kind of data we have to support our rational for policy changes. Taking into consideration the need for data, the Foothills program staff has completed trail user counts at select trailheads in June the last few years which prompted the desire to learn more about these users: demographics, preferences, use patterns and thoughts on potential trail management tools. A 12 hour user interception survey was planned for Saturday, May 2, 2009 at 12 trailheads. An effort of this magnitude had never been attempted on the Ridge to Rivers trail system. Unfortunately, it down poured on May 2nd, so the event was cancelled. This same effort was rescheduled for Saturday, October 10, You can expect to see results in the FY10 FCAC report. Other data we ve been collecting the last few years includes the location of weed populations in the foothills reserves, updated locations of rare plants in the foothills reserves and annual dog poop pile counts at three well-used trailheads. We hope to continue to collect this data and start new studies that will help us better understand the resource and the user to ensure the long-term sustainability of the natural open space we have so actively sought to protect through public funds. four

6 Ridge To Rivers I m a mountain biker living in Boise and just wanted to throw out a job well done! to Ridge to Rivers and all the people responsible for the creation and upkeep of our foothills trails, a trail system that I think is our second crown jewel next to the Greenbelt. Specifically, trail #42 and #3, they re very well designed and built and will go a long way in relieving some of the pressure that the lower foothills trails see. I was able to take my brother from Moab, Utah, a mountain biking mecca, out for a handfull of rides in the foothills and he was impressed with the quality and amount of cruisy singletrack. I think this speaks highly of the work you guys have done and are continuing to do. I just wanted to send a note and let you know that a lot of users realize these trails aren t building themselves and that a lot of work and coordination goes into each mile. Trail maintenance was challenging in Despite significant education efforts, heavy and ill-timed trail use during wet periods of the winter caused trail tread damage as well as vegetation loss and widening of existing singletrack trails. Record rain in May and June led to varying degrees of erosion on most trails. Even trails with only slight grades became rutted due to the intensity and duration of these storms. This was extremely unusual, and necessitated much additional trail maintenance. The rain events also led to optimal conditions for goat head growth, which became a literal thorn in the side of trails users, their bikes and their pets. Details on both of these issues are found on the following pages. After 4 incidents that necessitated Life Flight evacuations in 2008, accidents decreased in The only known Life Flight occurred in May for a broken clavicle suffered in a single rider mountain bike accident on Lower Hulls Gulch Trail. There were a few other less serious accidents that required assistance from Ada County paramedics. Fat Tire Traverse Trail #42 The newest link in the Ridge to Rivers trail system was completed on July 9th. The trail allows for great views, while providing an important mid-foothills connection that opens up a number of new loop opportunities. The 1.25 mile Fat Tire Traverse Trail #42 links Freestone Ridge Trail #5 to the Hulls Ridge Trail #4 just east of the Sidewinder #24 junction. Special thanks to Southwest Idaho Mountain Bike Association (SWIMBA), who funded construction of this trail through proceeds donated from their annual Tour De Fat fund raiser held each August. five Watchman Trail #3 Construction of the new 2.5-mile Watchman Trail was completed in November The trail connects 5-Mile Gulch Trail #2 with 3 Bears Trail #26 and Curlew Ridge Trail #6. Watchman is a non-motorized trail. The trail traverses open slopes and provides moderate climbs and descents along its entire length, with outstanding views of Rocky Canyon and the eastern Treasure Valley. Funding for the trail combined a State Non- Motorized Recreational Trails Program Grant with contributions from Ridge to Rivers, the Bureau of Land Management and SWIMBA.

7 Rock Island Trail Extended The Rock Island Trail at Table Rock in east Boise was extended by close to half a mile. The new section of trail includes more rock features, as well as bermed flowing corners and jumps. The trail can be ridden either direction, but due to the nature of the downhill features on this trail, please yield to downhill riders. Note: this is a departure from typical cross country trail etiquette, which requires downhill riders to yield to all others. Special thanks to Cody Hickenbotham and Phil Vega for their assistance in the design of this trail. Please use caution on this trail as portions are technical, and require advanced riding skills. New Ridge to Rivers Maintenance Shop Ridge to River s new 2,880 square foot maintenance shop was completed in spring The shop was funded primarily by City of Boise dollars with some assistance from the Ridge to Rivers Partnership Map Sales Fund. The shop has 3 bay doors, a bathroom and office for employees. It is a vast improvement over the renovated pole barn that we previously called home. New Trail at Bogus Basin A 1-mile long trail connecting Shindig and Deer Point Trails to the Pioneer Lodge was constructed by Bogus Basin staff with assistance from Ridge to Rivers, Idaho Youth Conservation Corps and the Ada County Work In Lieu of Detention (WILD) crews.this trail will be maintained by Bogus Basin, but will be a Ridge to Rivers system trail. Final touch up will be done on the trail in spring 2010, and the trail will be named at that point. It was designed and constructed to provide an easier route off the top of the mountain for novice mountain bike riders. I was running down Crestline at the junction with Kestrel on Saturday around 2pm and I came upon a guy on a mt. bike with a big grin on his face. I did my standard hi...how s it going and he said I m having the GREATEST day of my life on your trails...these are AWESOME trails! So I said, oh, where are you from he said California and you wouldn t believe what I have to ride on there...your trails are so well maintained and so nice to ride, this is like heaven. six

8 Banner Year for Goatheads! Unusual rain events during the summer led to optimal conditions for goat head growth all over the Treasure Valley. Unfortunately, this wreaked havoc on Ridge to Rivers trails and trailheads. Goatheads grew in numbers never before seen in the foothills. Ridge to Rivers staffers organized a number of Goathead Pulling Days, Ada County WILD crews worked on the problem, Boy Scouts pitched in and Ridge to Rivers and Foothills staffers attempted to pull the persistent weeds. Unfortunately goatheads germinate every 7 10 days, so the plants continued to re-grow almost as fast as they were removed. In the future, it will require everyone s ability to pitch in to really get a handle on this problem. Record Rains Cause Severe Erosion Record rainfall events in May and June led to significant and widespread erosion on Ridge to Rivers trails. The ensuing erosion gullies necessitated multiple maintenance trips on many system trails, with erosion occurring on slopes that would seven never see such a problem under normal circumstances. Trail Awareness Efforts Foothills Advocates for Shared Trails (FAST) a group comprised of concerned non-motorized trail users representing mountain bikers, dog walkers, trail runners and hikers was assembled by Ridge to Rivers staff in There role is to provide feedback to Ridge to Rivers staff on trail user issues and make other trail users aware of appropriate trail etiquette. FAST in partnership with Ridge to Rivers Trail Rangers held 5 Trail Awareness Days staged at busy trailheads or trail junctions to convey trail etiquette messages to users. These events were well received. They will be scheduled monthly in 2010 during the busy months of April through September. These efforts along with the patrols of our Trail Rangers, trailside signage and new brochures and posters seem to be helping to improve some of the historical problems on the Ridge to Rivers system. While not gone completely, social related user complaints received by Ridge to Rivers were down significantly this year. In addition, it was felt that there was better compliance with leash guidelines and regulations on the trails from pet owners. Major kudos! I went up last night to blow off some work steam and loved the new features. I am usually really leery of log rideovers with small diamater logs as the ramp. However, as I rolled up it looked so solid I thought it was worth a shot. The front side was so solid I kept the faith and rolled off the backside excellent. I took a bunch of pictures which will get posted on MTBR sometime this weekend. The new rock features were really fun to hit with a little speed. Little stuff like that makes the riding so much more interesting. I know you guys don t hear it enough so THANK YOU! You guys are doing great work!

9 The Foothills Learning Center The Foothills Learning Center continues to fulfill its primary mission: to provide opportunities for people of all ages to experience and learn about the natural world. Classroom and field trip lessons are offered to students in preschool through sixth grade and we work with high school students on service learning projects and teachers on outdoor education topics. We also offer regular events for families to learn and play together. Please visit our website at for information about specific programs and events. In addition to our regular programs, we would like to highlight several special efforts: Volunteerism at the FLC We saw a tremendous rise in the number of volunteers at the FLC this year, thanks to the dedicated efforts of our volunteer coordinator. Groups and individuals helped with weeding and landscape maintenance, staffing our popular Second Saturday events, assisting with lessons, and compiling and entering data. Eagle Scouts constructed a three-bin composter, benches for the nature trail, and rolling storage shelves for our classroom. We also held three volunteer training sessions this year and will continue this training series indefinitely. Second Saturdays Our monthly Second Saturday series continues to be a popular destination for Boise families. With a different topic each month, a variety of speakers and activities, and ever-improving public relations, the attendance at Second Saturdays continues to increase over time. We are seeing many repeat customers at these events. Having a fun, free, and educational activity close to home is a great boon in these difficult economic times. Green Expo FLC staff coordinated the Eco Kids activities for the 2nd Annual Idaho Green Expo. The Eco Kids area included exhibitors with hands-on activities; performers including drummers, hip-hop dancers, and storytellers; and a games area where children had fun learning about the environment. eight

10 National Science Foundation GK-12 Program We are in our second year of partnership with Boise State University in the GK- 12 program. This year we have graduate students in botany and geology working on expanding FLC programs. The fellows focus on working with teachers and principals to offer outdoor lessons in the vicinity of their schools. They developed teaching trunks and are now working on getting teachers comfortable with using the lesson plans and teaching materials. Our fellows are also developing new lessons for our catalog, brainstorming and delivering Second Saturday programs, leading Lunch with a Scientist at William H. Taft Elementary School, and participating in other education and outreach programs as they are available. Public Art Local artist Mark Baltes created an amazing sculpture called Aero Agoseris in the butterfly garden in the center of the FLC parking lot. Based on the native mountain dandelion, Aero Agoseris stands 15 feet tall, rotates in the wind, sparkles in the sun, and has become a destination for artlovers throughout the Treasure Valley. The sculpture pays tribute to the air element on the eastern side of the Learning Center property. Look for the flyaway seed heads on our roof. Native Plant Garden This year saw the installation of a native plant garden at the FLC, generously supported by a donation from a local family. Conservation Seeding and Restoration designed and installed the garden, which represents riparian, mesic, and upland habitats. A recirculating stream adds a beautiful water element and allows us to have some more water-loving plants. All plants in the garden are native to southwest Idaho. Our local geology is also reflected in the sandstone, granite, and basalt specimens. The garden adds another opportunity for selfguided activities, as well as being an excellent outdoor classroom. nine Master Naturalist The Idaho Master Naturalist Program aims to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to actively work toward stewardship of Idaho s natural environment. The Sagebrush-Steppe (Boise) Chapter of the Idaho Master Naturalists formed in 2009.

11 Welcome Your Foothills Conservation Advisory Committee (FCAC) continues to carry out its main mission of advising the open space conservation staff on land transactions involving foothills levy funds and management issues. They also provide guidance to the Ridge to Rivers trail partnership and Foothills Learning Center programs. The FCAC s open space conservation efforts were highlighted in a full-color poster featuring the approximately 8,300 acres of land protected in the foothills using $6 million from the Serial Levy Fund. These posters were free to the citizens of Boise and 1000 of them were distributed mainly through the downtown Library early in FY09. The downturn in the economy brought about many inquiries from foothills landowners interested in land conservation since Boise City still has funds available. Hopefully we ll see some significant land conservation transactions in FY10 as a result of negotiations initiated in FY09. Sincerely, Chas. F. McDevitt Chairman, Foothills Conservation Advisory Committee Vision In 2000, the Boise Foothills Management Plan was completed, describing the location and importance of plants, wildlife, riparian corridors, soils, slopes, recreation and public open spaces. The plan outlined the need for conserving natural resource values, educating the public, and providing sustainable recreation and resource use. There are plans to update it in It was created with input from the following seven one city, county, state and federal agencies with public land management roles in the Foothills project area: City of Boise Ada County Boise County Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) United States Forest Service (USFS) The Foothills Learning Center along with the Idaho Botanical Garden and the MK Nature Center served as the coordinating team for this chapter. Students met one night a week January through April. Any adult who enjoys nature and is interested in learning more can sign up for the program. Composting Workshops In conjunction with Boise City Public Works Department kicked off its Curb It trash and recycling program, the Foothills Learning Center did its part with a series of composting workshops throughout the community. We delivered seven 90-minute programs at the Main Library!, Hillcrest Library!, Collister Library!, Ada County Extension, the Boise WaterShed, and the Foothills Learning Center. Community members were eager to learn how to use their new compost bins to reduce solid waste and enrich their garden soils. Nature Camps We expand our summer camp offerings annually at the Foothills Learning Center. This year we offered: Boise Earth Action Camp #1: Bogus to the River (ages 12-15) Boise Earth Action Camp #2: Water Camp (ages 12-15) Wild in the City (ages 12-15) Storytelling Camp (ages 5-8) Tots Nature Camp (ages 3-5) Junior Garden Camp (ages 8-12) Writing Wild (with Log Cabin Literary Center) Boise Foothills Open Space Management Plan (FOSMP) to create an interconnected system of natural areas, recreation trails, and wildlife corridors that protect the integrity of public land values in the Foothills through: A long-term commitment to protect open space to preserve the character and diversity of the Boise Foothills. Conservation and enhancement of the ecosystems for wildlife habitat that rely so heavily on open space. These agencies support the vision of the ten

12 Mailing Address: 1104 Royal Boulevard Boise, Idaho Street Address: 3188 Sunset Peak Road Boise, Idaho Foothills Conservation advisory Committee annual report october september 2009