LARIMER COUNTY NATURAL RESOURCES TRAILS RECREATION VOLUNTEERS MARCH

LARIMER COUNTY NATURAL RESOURCES TRAILS, RECREATION & VOLUNTEERS MARCH 2021

OVERVIEW LCDNR lands are part of a County-wide matrix of 800, 000 acres of public lands and recreation opportunities, including 1, 030 miles of trails. q Guiding Principles q Continuum of Service q Constraints, balance, growth q Trails & Recreation Use q Volunteers

GUIDING PLANS & PUBLIC PROCESS

RESEARCH

LCDNR GUIDING PRINCIPLES Ecological, cultural, & agricultural resource protection Quality recreation experience enhancement Financial sustainability & operational feasibility

Our Lands, Our Future 2014 Statistically valid survey, 7, 500 residents Citizen surveys consistently support a balance between resource protections and public access.

A CONTINUUM OF SERVICE

A BALANCING ACT Financial model is based on assumptions that we can manage current land base and… …add or manage future lands to meet population growth, while remaining fiscally responsible.

FUTURE GROWTH LEVEL OF SERVICE PER CAPITA

PRIMARY RECREATION AT HORSETOOTH MOUNTAIN OPEN SPACE 2018

PRIMARY RECREATION AT DEVIL’S BACKBONE OPEN SPACE 2020

RECREATION DEMAND For which of the following activities would you like to see more land or facilities provided? Historic and current visitation is majority foot-based. Highest recreation demand is for hiking trails and paved bike paths.

TRAILS PROGRAM Ø Trails staff averages 10, 000 hours/year maintaining trails. Ø 1 full-time supervisor 2 10 -month employees 6 part-time employees Ø 750 volunteer hours/year assisting with trail maintenance. Ø Avg management cost per trail mile is $1, 500.

VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Ø Meet Dept Needs Ø Investing in Volunteers • 1 FTE Volunteer Coordinator • 18 staff supporting volunteers • 200 on-going volunteers • 35 annual group projects Ø Quality Experience = Quality Outcomes • Expectations & Supervision • Evaluation & Feedback • Communication & Recognition Ø Avg ~20, 000 hours/year (equivalent to 10 FTEs)