City seeks comments on Horse Gulch
Durango’s “Central Park” is about to get a central plan.

Earlier this month, the City of Durango released a draft management plan for Horse Gulch and is seeking public comment on the plan through Jan. 31.

The plan will serve as a framework for the stewardship of the 3,600 acres of open space which is used extensively by locals looking for a quick run, ride or hike. The entire landscape is home to 60 miles of singletrack including the Telegraph and Horse Gulch Trail System as well as Raider Ridge, Grandview Ridge and the newly completed Skyridge trails.

“The plan allows us to put into a brief document the intentions for this property,” Durango Assistant Director of Community Development Kevin Hall said.

The city’s former Director of Natural Lands, Trails and Sustainability, Hall was crucial in orchestrating the acquisition of more than 705 acres in Horse Gulch in 2010. In total, more than 1,300 acres and almost the entire trail system have been preserved or purchased by the city in what was once a patchwork of various private and public interests.

According to Hall, the latest step is an effort to not only provide a current “baseline” snapshot of the Gulch, but bring it under one management umbrella. The entire area includes lands owned by the city, La Plata County and the Bureau of Land Management, as well as conservation easements. The city’s 1,300 acres are spread across 14 parcels. About half of that (705 acres) was acquired in three phases with the help of $1.6 million in Great Outdoors Colorado funds. As a result, there are three separate conservation easements in place, each containing consistent language about allowable and prohibited uses. The conservation easements are the basis of the plan.

“This synthesizes all that information into one easy to read format,” said Hall. “This way, someone can pick up the plan and get a pretty good sense of the purpose of the land out there.”

The plan includes baseline data, which was collected by students at Fort Lewis College, including maps of current trails, photographs, wildlife habitat, geographic features and environmental conditions. It also outlines management objectives; stewardship intentions; and how future activities will be evaluated.

According to the draft plan, the city’s stewardship goals are threefold:

- Maintain the area’s undeveloped and natural state for recreation and wildlife; minimize invasive weeds and erosion; and conduct fuels reduction when necessary.

 

-Maintain and improve the trail system and ancillary amenities including new trails (to improve connectivity and functionality), trailheads and signage.

 

- Ensure compliance with conservation easements held by La Plata Open Space Conservancy.

 

Under the plan, the following would be off limits: motorized vehicles; camping; fires; hunting or shooting; organized or special events except by permit; dogs off leash; rogue building of trails, berms or jumps; destruction or removal of soil, rocks, vegetation or materials except with permission; construction of forts, seating areas and other manmade structures.

As for the City’s end of the bargain, it will be responsible for trash removal; trail repair; trailheads and parking; signage; and potential picnic and restroom facilities. In addition, the City will routinely patrol the area and reserve the right to close off areas to protect natural resources or public safety.

Despite some of the proposed changes, Hall said the biggest objective is to keep the area much as it is now, with a few minor tweaks and room for future flexibility.

“It’s not meant to be anything too drastic,” he said. “It’s just a general reflection of what’s out there now and how we’ll modify it in the future.”
The Horse Gulch Open Space draft Management Plan can be viewed on the City’s website at durangogov.org by clicking on “Hot Topics.” Public comments should be submitted by email to rec@durangogov.org by Jan. 31. For more information, call Durango Parks and Recreation at 375-7321.

Tourism office names new director
Durango native Patricia O’Brien will be taking the helm as the Durango Area Tourism Office’s (DATO) new executive director. DATO’s former group sales manager, O’Brien will be replacing John Cohen, who stepped down in May 2012 after six years.

Raised in Durango in the tourism and hospitality industry, O’Brien brings more than 20 years of experience to the job, according to a press release from DATO. She studied economics at Colorado State University before receiving a business finance degree from California State University, Long Beach. After graduating, she spent 12 years as CEO of VersaType Inc., a digital communications and marketing agency in Long Beach. She went on to own and operate a fitness center in Durango; serve as regional account manager for Ballantine Digital Media; and most recently as DATO’s  group sales manager.

In addition, O’Brien has received several sales and leadership awards for her business development and training programs.

O’Brien said she welcomes the opportunity to lead DATO. “I understand Durango and the critical role tourism plays in the prosperity of our community,” she said. “Our revamped team is eager to build on the current system and implement new programs that will increase the power and efficiency of our marketing efforts and ultimately increase overnight visitation in La Plata County.”

Industry trends show a global demand for the authentic experiences the area offers, creating an opportunity to tap into an emerging market, O’Brien said. “Travelers are looking for hands-on or behind-the-scenes experiences, and we certainly have a wide array.”  

Engaging the community and working with local business and tourism partners will be among O’Brien’s top priorities. “The foundation for our new marketing strategy is based on community-wide collaboration, teamwork and information sharing,” she said. “Our goal is to ... deliver an innovative and unified message resulting in increased domestic and international bookings, extended over-night stays and repeat visitation.”

Brown, Elliott shine at Nordic Nationals
Despite less than stellar conditions, including low temperatures and high altitudes, Durango’s young Nordic talent turned in stellar results at the recent U.S. National Cross Country Skiing National Championships in Soldier Hollow, Utah.

The top 400 skiers from throughout the country showed up Jan. 2-8 to compete in the national championships, which included a classic sprint, a classic 10k (30k for those older than 23); a 15k freestyle/skate race; and a freestyle sprint.

Durango’s strongest showing came in the form of 16 year-old powerhouse Cully Brown. The son of Brent and Lynn Brown, Cully finished second overall in the 16-17-year-old category. In the classic 10k, he placed second in J1s and came in 10th among all junior racers, ages 15-19. He also placed among the top five in his age group in the classic sprint and the 15k freestyle.

Fellow Durangoan and former Durango Nordic Ski Club racer Tad Elliott, now a member of the U.S. Ski Team, garnered a second place finish in the 15k freestyle, just six seconds behind teammate Eric Bjornsen, of Alaska. Elliott, who has three national championships to his credit, also placed seventh in the 30k classic and will continue his efforts for the USST in Europe this winter.

Several Durango Nordic members also turned in results in the classic sprint, and freestyle and classic distance races. Haakon Sigurslid placed third in the classic sprint and seventh in the classic 10k for the J1 category (16-17 years); Amy Katz , 28th, 24th and 22nd for the sprint, freestyle and classic, respectively; Hannah Peterson, 29th, 19th, 18th; Kaylee Blevins, 25th, 37th, 31st; Lily Oswald, 41st, 39th, 37th; and Abe Ott, 52nd, 48th and 49th.

Gino Pastore, a Durangoan who now skis for the Stratton Mountain School in Vermont, turned in a fourth place finish in the classic sprint for the 18-19 age group.

Besides bragging rights, Sigurslid and Brown were named to the U.S Scandinavian Cup team. The two will represent the U.S. in races in Trondheim, Norway, over the next two weeks. That team, consisting of 12 young men and women, has seven Coloradans on it.

– Missy Votel