Natural Areas

2019 Foothills Natural Areas Management Plan Update#

The management plan that applies to Coyote Ridge, Pineridge, Maxwell and Reservoir Ridge natural areas and the Foothills Trail was updated in 2019.

Final Foothills Natural Areas Management Plan

• Foothills Natural Areas Management Plan Update (storymap)
• Executive Summary of the Foothills Natural Areas Management Plan Update (pdf)
• Action Plan for the Foothills Natural Areas Management Plan Update (pdf)
• Signature page- adopting final management plan

Public Feedback Summaries

• Feedback on the Draft Foothills Plan survey results
• Initial feedback report- Foothills Plan Survey Analysis, by Dr. Emily Johnson
• Indicators and Standards for Quality Visitor Experiences (Intercept survey)
  at City of Fort Collins Foothills Natural Areas, by Dr. Jerry Vaske

Supporting Documents

• Explanation of Natural Areas Management Zoning System
• Wildlife and Recreation Research citations
• Trail Difficulty Definitions
• Natural Areas Trail Design Standards
• Visitor Use Impact and Decision Framework - Blank
• Wildlife in the Foothills Species of Interest List
• Plants in the Foothills Species of Interest List

Visitor Use Impact and Decision Framework (IDF) Summaries

• Reservoir Ridge Short Loop Trail - IDF Summary Table
• Maxwell Trail - IDF (revised)
• Pineridge Sledding - IDF Summary Table

Public Engagement#

The Natural Areas Department facilitated a comprehensive public engagement process that included on-site surveys, feedback from non-visitors, stakeholder events, a hike with a planner activity, two open houses, and feedback on the draft plan and decisions. The final plan was released in the fall of 2019.

Future Management Decisions

In the future, residents will provide feedback on additional visitor-use decisions. Public engagement opportunities will occur more often, with input being sought on specific visitor use opportunities on a more frequent interval than every ten years. For example, once plans for the landfill, mental health facility, and Trilby/Overland Tr. Road are settled, the proposed trail connecting Coyote Ridge Natural Area and Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area can be explored, and there will be public engagement opportunities related to this specific management decision.

The three visitor use proposals below will be assessed in the future. Feedback opportunities will be scheduled once the opportunity is feasible (e.g., land agreements are in place, ecological impacts are assessed).

• Maxwell to Reservoir Ridge
• Cathy Fromme Prairie to Coyote Ridge
• Reservoir Ridge to Poudre River

Learn more

• Foothills Natural Areas Intercept Survey report
• Trail Maintenance Explained
• Read the 2007 Foothills Management Plan

Foothills Plan Timeline#

Fall 2018- Staff team formed

Winter 2019- Discovery phase (site visits, information gathering, goals and objectives)

Spring 2019- Public Engagement

Summer 2019- Public feedback on draft plan

Fall 2019- Administrative adoption of plan

Contact

Senior Environmental Planner

City of Fort Collins Natural Areas