Jefferson County Open Space North Table Mountain Management Plan

by Elliot Brown

The priority of North Table Mountain as open space has existed since the inception of the Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS) program in 1972 and certainly in the minds of citizen open space advocates even before that time.

The open space acquisition process for North Table Mountain commenced administratively in the 1980's and early 1990's with a number of Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC) resolutions, summarized and finalized under OSAC Resolution 6-91 in 1991. Resolution 6-91 stated that North Table Mountain is "highly desirable open space", that it "would be suitable for scenic preservation, landform preservation, trail purposes, and wildlife protection" and that North Table Mountain represents a "unique landform in Jefferson County". It was identified as one of six significant preservation areas in the 1998 and 2003 JCOS Master Plans.

With the acquisition of the Lafarge parcel in 2002, virtually all of North Table Mountain has been preserved as open space, bringing to a close its acquisition phase. The end of open space acquisition signaled the beginning of open space management of North Table Mountain. A management plan, including a trails plan, has been proposed by JCOS staff. The management plan proposed for North Table Mountain has engendered considerable controversy with regard to trails use, specifically whether mountain biking is an appropriate trails use in this particular park.

Examination of this issue must be considered in the context of (i) the general goals and objectives of the JCOS program and (ii) the significant values associated with the acquisition and preservation of North Table Mountain as open space.

The 2003 JCOS Master Plan states that "The mission of the Open Space Program is to provide a living resource of open space lands and waters throughout Jefferson County for the physical, psychological, recreational and social enjoyment of present and future generations." Furthermore, goals of the program are "to provide quality trail development" and to "ensure that natural resources are managed and conserved through sound scientific and biological principles". The stated mission and goals of the Open Space Program underscore a tension between preservation and recreation objectives that can sometimes be the source of controversy in the development of park management plans, in general, and for North Table Mountain, specifically.

The Board of Plan Jeffco believes that the following are the salient issues to consider in formulating a management plan for North Table Mountain:

(1) In the 1998 JCOS Master Plan North Table Mountain was identified as a significant scenic land, development of which would have to be "sensitively done, with preserving the land's visual quality being the key issue". The Natural Heritage Inventory of Jefferson County, commissioned by JCOS in 1993, identified North Table Mountain as one of twenty seven "conservation sites", deemed high priority open space acquisitions on the basis of biodiversity and natural values. Open Space acquisition of North Table Mountain has obviously been primarily justified on the basis of its high quality natural values as well as its scenic value as an iconic landmark.

Thus, North Table Mountain requires a more sensitive and conservative management plan than has been proposed and one which emphasizes natural values over recreational values. This type of management plan would be consistent with the primary values that were to be preserved thru Open Space acquisition and management..

(2) Historically, JCOS management practice has made it difficult to alter park usage management once it has been established. Given that the natural values of the North Table Mountain require conservative and sensitive management, unless this open space park is managed initially in a conservative manner, its natural values will be irrevocably damaged before the management plans would be modified.

(3) Management of trails on North Table Mountain as multi-use should not be considered an irrevocable axiom of JCOS park management. The elements of a management plan should be devised for each park according to its specific needs. Many JCOS parks and trails have been managed with restricted use, when deemed ecologically appropriate. While the application of an alternate or separated use trail plan is an innovative approach, it not appropriate for North Table Mountain, an ecologically sensitive open space park.

(4) North Table Mountain resides in the greater Golden community, with more densely populated neighborhoods immediately adjacent to access. This is unlike most other open space parks. The use of mountain bikes will greatly increase the number of users and create problems in these densely populated neighborhoods.

(5) The recent Open Space acquisition of most of South Table Mountain provides an excellent opportunity for JCOS to develop a comprehensive management plan for both mesas. Additionally, South Table Mountain has had greater human impact and mountain biking is currently ongoing. Therefore, a comprehensive plan which includes some form of multi-use trail management is more appropriate for South Table Mountain than North Table Mountain.

(6) The Trails Use Task Force is a group comprised of representatives from user groups of hikers/ runners, equestrians and mountain biker and was formed to advise the Open Space Program on trail user conflicts. The Task Force does not represent users not involved with trail use, per se. In its present form the Task Force is not equipped to resolve the issues associated with formulation of a initial comprehensive management plan for North Table Mountain and should not be charged with resolving being the sole venue for public involvement. Rather, the Task Force is and should remain a conflict resolution tool in implementing an already formulated park/ trails management plan.

Therefore, we believe that a coordinated comprehensive plan should be developed for both North and South Table Mountains which recognizes their different qualities and values and which promotes uses compatible with our responsibilities as stewards of our Open Space lands.