14/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 15/08/2024 02:36
The City of Boulder's Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Department will enact seasonal dog on-leash restrictions on several open space trails on Thursday, Aug. 15, to help minimize disturbances in sensitive bear habitats. While visitors may walk their dogs off-leash on many OSMP trails as part of the city's Voice and Sight Tag Program, the department reminds visitors to always leash their dogs in the presence of wildlife to help prevent dog-wildlife encounters in open space.
The on-leash requirement will be in effect through Sunday, Dec. 1, in four City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks areas:
City-managed open space and its foothills and forest natural areas provide important habitat for black bears. The department's dog leash requirement is intended to minimize dog-bear encounters and is timed to coincide when bears begin to consume large amounts of food on open space to gain enough weight to support them through their long winter hibernation. OSMP implements seasonal dog-leash restrictions for a few trails where high-quality bear foraging habitat is near trails. This year, OSMP extended the leash restriction through Dec. 1 and updated closure areas to better protect bears as they prepare for winter hibernation.
OSMP encourages community members to view all open space dog-related regulations through an OSMP interactive web map. If you see a bear, remember to: