North Fruita Desert Trails Master Plan
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NORTH FRUITA DESERT TRAILS MASTER PLAN MAY 2019 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The City of Fruita would like to thank the many citizens of the Fruita community who attended the public meetings, participated in stakeholder outreach and provided invaluable input to the Master Planning process. This project was funded by a grant from Colorado Parks and Wildlife along with contributions from the City of Fruita, Bureau of Land Management and Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association. PROJECT PARTNERS City of Fruita Bureau of Land Management Colorado Plateau Ture Nycum Chris Pipkin Mountain Bike Trail Mike Bennett Jeff Sarasota Association and Staff Katie Stevens John Howe Collin Ewing Anne Keller Andy Windsor Scott Winans PROJECT TEAM ERO Resources Tony Boone Trails THK Associates, Inc. Chinook Landscape Hype House Bill Mangle Tony Boone, M.Ed. Kevin Shanks, RLA Architecture Briar Schreiber, J.D. Ellie Garza, RLA Jon Altschuld, RLA Katie Russell MASTER PLAN FUNDERS 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction .....................................................................................................................................4 A. Background And Context ...........................................................................................................4 B. Goals Of The Master Plan .........................................................................................................5 C. Planning Area ............................................................................................................................6 D. Planning Process ......................................................................................................................7 2. Community Input ............................................................................................................................8 A. Public & Stakeholder Input ........................................................................................................8 B. Survey .......................................................................................................................................9 C. Stakeholder Meetings .............................................................................................................12 D. Stakeholder Collective Meeting ...............................................................................................13 3. Existing Conditions ......................................................................................................................14 A. Vegetation Communities .........................................................................................................14 B. Invasive Species .....................................................................................................................14 C. Significant Plant Communities ................................................................................................15 D. Wildlife .....................................................................................................................................15 E. Soils .........................................................................................................................................17 F. Grazing ....................................................................................................................................19 G. Site Uses .................................................................................................................................20 H. Camping ..................................................................................................................................20 I. Surrounding Uses .....................................................................................................................20 J. Access & Circulation ................................................................................................................21 K. Trail System .............................................................................................................................22 4. Master Plan Recommendations .................................................................................................23 A. Description.............................................................................................................................. 23 B. Concept Plan ...........................................................................................................................24 C. Trail Descriptions .....................................................................................................................27 D. Event Space/ Trailheads/Campgrounds ..................................................................................50 E. Off Season Uses .....................................................................................................................51 F. Beginner / Progressive Mountain Bicycle Skills Area & Nature Play ......................................51 G. Branding And Events ..............................................................................................................54 H. Wayfinding And Education Recommendations .......................................................................58 I. Environmental Considerations ..................................................................................................61 5. Funding.............................................................................................................................. 63 A. Cost Estimates ........................................................................................................................63 B. Grant Agencies ........................................................................................................................68 C. Leveraging Grants ...................................................................................................................69 6. Maintenance and Management Plan ................................................................................. 72 A. Maintenance and Management Priorities ................................................................................72 B. Existing Conditions Assessment .............................................................................................74 C. Trail Maintenance Checklist ....................................................................................................78 D. Trail Maintenance Schedules ..................................................................................................79 E. Trail Maintenance Cost Estimate.............................................................................................80 Appendices ............................................................................................................................ 81 3 1. INTRODUCTION A. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT In 2018, the City of Fruita, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association, Inc. (COPMOBA), collectively referred to as the Project Partners, acquired a grant from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) for the development of a Trails Master Plan for the North Fruita Desert Special Recreation Management Area (here on referred to as the Project Site). The Project Partners assembled a team of consultants (here on referred to as the Project Team) to manage the planning process. Since the first singletrack trail was built in 1994 in the North Fruita Desert, commonly known as 18 Road Trails, these trails have been loved by BLM's wayfinding signage at the entrance to the North Fruita Desert Trails the community and visitors alike. Over the past 25 years, the North Fruita Desert has become a nationally and internationally known mountain biking destination. Today, the recreational destination now boasts nearly 80,000 trail users per year (Bureau of Land Management Visitor Counts for the North Fruita Desert Trailheads (2017). In 2015, the BLM Grand Junction Field Office Resource Management Plan was completed. The plan formally designated the North Fruita Desert as a Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) in response to the growth in recreational tourism. The plan identified the primary goal for the Project Site: “To produce a diversity of quality mountain bicycling opportunities that add to visitors' quality of life while contributing to the local economy and fostering stewardship of natural and cultural resources.” In working to fulfill this goal, BLM has partnered with the City of Fruita to support the City’s objective to promote tourism by enhancing recreational opportunities in the area. For the Project Partners involved, proper planning for the future of the North Fruita Desert Trails became imperative to solidify a strategy that would secure the future of the trail system. This Master Plan provides a foundation for the Project Partners to promote the sustainable growth of the recreational destination and to enhance the local community’s business economy, while making the area more attractive as a place to live, work and play. 4 The Project Site is a unique ecosystem within the North Fruita Desert B. GOALS OF THE MASTER PLAN The goals of the North Fruita Desert Trails Master Plan were established in order to set the framework for the planning effort. These goals were defined by the Project Team and the Project Partners and were vetted through the public at the community meetings. The goals of the Master Plan are: • Address existing trail issues through sustainable design