Buffalo Trails Board Minutes For 10/28/09
Jan 13, 2010
Author: Lois Petersen

Buffalo Trails Board
Minutes for the meeting on Oct. 28, 2009
Submitted by Lois Petersen



Meeting was attended by: Bill Cooley, Mary Fowlkes, Jack Tarter, Courtney Frost, Patti Reid, Dave Palmerlee and Lois Petersen. Also attending the meeting was City Planner, Brian Grubb. Three members of Friends of Eva Knepper Trail attended the first portion of the meeting – Don DeVore, Wendy Martin, and Susan Theune.

Agenda:
1. Approve agenda
2. Approve minutes Aug. 26, 2009
3. Introduce – City Planner Grubb
4. Theo Hirschfeld – Pelloux Bridge plaque
5. Friends of Eva Knepper trail
6. Discussion about volunteers.
7. Discussion about work day calendar.
8. Downed tree maintenance update
9. Tie Hack Trail update

10. Klondike Trail Report – Mary Fowlkes
11. Spotted Knapp Weed
12. Trail Map Distribution
13. Thank you/gift cert for Alicia Bankston
14. Dog Waste Stations
15. Correspondence.
16. Comments/questions.
Adjourn


1. Agenda for the Oct. meeting was approved as written.
2. Minutes of the Aug. 26 meeting were approved as written. (There was no Sept meeting.)
3. New City Planner was welcomed to Buffalo and to this meeting.
4. Theo Hirschfeld was unable to be at this meeting so Bill Cooley provided background about the Pelloux Bridge and the request for a historical plaque to be placed on the bridge. This sign would be financed by Mr. Hirschfeld and might be designed to coordinate with new city trail signage developed in 2009.
5. Members of Eva Knepper Trail updated the BTB on trail conditions at Eva Knepper Park. They would like the Eva Knepper Trail to be approved as a city trail - part of the Clear Creek Trail System. A motion was made by Dave, seconded by Patti, and approved by the BTB to form a committee to work on EK issues. Don DeVore of the Friends group agreed to meet with Phil Gonzales of NCRS, Lois Petersen from the BTB and Brian Grubb or Les Hook from the City to determine how best to re-work the EK Trail to meet the trail guidelines outlined in the Master Trails Plan. After addressing the guidelines, the BTB will entertain a request to approve the EK Trail as a part of the Clear Creek Trail System. The motion also stipulated the BTB submit city work orders related to 4 issues: 1) removal of downed Russian olive trees (as carried out by NCRS on request) and branches brought down by the Oct. storm, 2) resurfacing of the trail along the cemetery fence where waterline construction to the new cemetery building tore up the existing trail, 3) erosion near bridges in the park, 4) erosion under the sidewalk at the intersection of Fullerton and Apache. The Friends were thanked for their volunteer work on the trail and for coming to the Board with their concerns and suggestions.
6. An effort is being made to develop a list of trail advocates/users and their contact information. We would use this info to inform them of walking events they might want to participate in and to invite them to help on scheduled trail workdays. We also would like to recruit people for regular monitoring of a specific trail. Courtney proposed putting up a trail suggestion box along the trail and asking people to submit a card with their name and contact information. We could also put up posters – Are you interested in Buffalo trails? – Or a sign up sheet at DJs or around town. A newspaper article in the spring asking if you are interested in trail updates/events might help people to come forward and submit their names and contact info. Lois and Courtney will work together on getting the tracking down trail advocates/users. Patti suggested community service groups could help with litter. Service projects at the HS need to be developed, esp. to help with trash along South By-Pass. Jack mentioned Experience Works Employees could work with our summer trail worker. A walking promotion coordinated between BTB, YMCA, etc. – i.e. On the move America – might be useful to get all the walkers at one place at one time. Advance registration would be helpful. Volunteers of America might also be a good contact. An effort to get names of trail volunteers and contact info will be ongoing.
7. There will be a spring effort to develop a trail workday calendar. Having scheduled/advertised workdays might result in more volunteer workers. Info in the newspaper, on bulletin boards, trailhead signs, in email messages – i.e. trail workdays will be the first Tue of every month.
8. Volunteers have done some work removing branches from various trails – Mentock, Shiloh, Heritage Park, EK, Klondike – no other problem areas have been reported to BTB members.
9. Tie Hack Trail – NEPA process is now being addressed. Craig Cope (Forest Service) and Allison Ginn (BLM) have worked on Env. Assessment. Ben Shupe at Arcadis is also working on this. We soon will use a GPS to map the proposed trail. Goal is to get permitting process finished this winter and do construction this summer. Possible funding sources are: Rec. Board, BLM, and others. WY Conservation Corp will work on the project – providing 10 people for 10 days. BLM may be able to match Rec. Board and/or other funding. Dave will attend the Rec. Board meeting next Tues. and will also go to the next City Council meeting, possibly along with Bill Cooley, to provide an update on this project.
10. On Oct. 17, Klondike Trail was worked on by Friends of Klondike Trail. Trash picked up and culverts unblocked. Some Russian olives were trimmed and others removed and treated with herbicide immediately. Russian olives in remaining north section to be addressed next spring.
11. Spotted Knap Weed – Bill called Weed and Pest about some found on Mentock Trail.
12. Trails brochure still in demand, esp. at Sports Lure.
13. Thank you and gift certificate given to Alicia Bankston in appreciation for her work on behalf of Buffalo area trails.
14. Be sure to continue checking assigned dog waste stations.
15. Correspondence – none.
16. Updates from Brian Grubb:
• Clear Creek Vegetation Project – to put in fire breaks. Effort to burn piles of branches this fall/winter along Mentock.
• Cemetery Road pathway has funding and approval through Safe Routes to Schools.
• Trail signs are in storage and public works will try to put them up, but might not be until spring due to weather.
Next meeting: Nov. 18 – 4:30 at City Hall.