By Linda P
“After purchasing the land in the 1980’s, Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) partnered with the U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service to stabilize and improve the soil by seeding native grasses. Thirty years later, the grass cover and height create some of the best ground nesting bird habitat in Boulder County.”
It’s hard to believe the above description from my current visit to this open space. Here we go again with another public hearing on the Gunbarrel Hill Integrated Site Project on February 13th. Last week I loaded up my horse and met two friends at Gunbarrel Hill. We tacked up and went to take a look at the current conditions.
As we rode all our familiar trails (trails ridden for more than 20 years) we found that the four—North, South, East, West prairie dogs (PDs) colonies have exploded and are quickly coming together. The marvel of the 30-year grassland restoration is turning into a wasteland—just another badly managed City of Boulder Open Space property. Like a swarm of locusts, PDs are devouring everything.
We silently walked past holes, so many only just recent (within the last few months). Our emotions went from anger, to a deep sense of loss, because we knew it will all be gone soon. My crystal ball says, “without immediate intervention, and yes that means lethal control, this 30-year restoration project will be gone within one to two years.”
So I ask, where are all those ground nesting grassland birds going to go? How is our visitor experience being improved? What kind of environmental stewards are we? Why are we spending so much time and money, rerouting and closing trails? And what about the neighbors? These are families who will have thousands of PDs moving on—as they always do— to their yards in search of food. As many private property owners do now, they will be the ones responsible for mitigating on their private property.
[divider style=”solid” color=”#cccccc” opacity=”1″ icon_color=”#666666″ icon_size=”15″ placement=”equal”]The female Western Meadowlark chooses a nest spot on the ground in pasture, prairie or other grassland habitat. She seeks out a small dip or depression such as a cow footprint, often shielded by dense vegetation that can make the nest difficult to see.[divider style=”solid” color=”#cccccc” opacity=”1″ icon_color=”#666666″ icon_size=”15″ placement=”equal”]
A landfill for prairie dogs
Our City of Boulder Open Space is becoming a landfill for prairie dogs. We have spent thousands of dollars on a Prairie Dog Working Group. Who are these people? What do they understand about soil health, agriculture, fragmented lands, balance, reality? The reality is our lands can not support the current PD numbers and rate of reproduction. We have to be the species that creates that balance. Raptors, coyotes, nor the future reintroduction of a limited number of ferrets can do it alone. In 2019 counts were over 20,000 PDs on City agricultural land alone, and Gunbarrel Hill is not an agricultural parcel. If one raptor, if lucky, can eat one PD per week, and one ferret maybe three per week exactly how will natural predator control work?
Personally, I find myself hard-pressed to support any work OSMP is proposing to do out there. Closing and rerouting trails is NOT going to protect these grasslands for ground nesting birds. Unless they specifically talk about a plan to control the impact from the four ballooning prairie dogs colonies they do not have my support nor should they have yours![divider style=”solid” color=”#cccccc” opacity=”1″ icon_color=”#666666″ icon_size=”15″ placement=”equal”]
Public hearing: Gunbarrel Hill Integrated Site Project
Find out more about the preferred alternative site plan for the Gunbarrel Hill area. Please attend the next meeting, and share with them your experience and what you think.
Public Hearing: Open Space Board of Trustees
Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, 6:00 PM
Community Room, OSMP Hub, 2520 55th Street