Posted on: July 31st, 2022

Greetings Gold Hill Residents and Friends,

Beginning during the pandemic in 2020 and continuing through the present, many locals have noticed a significant increase in Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) use of the Switzerland Trail just west of the historic town of Gold Hill.

A small group of residents has been communicating with stakeholders including the US Forest Service (USFS), Boulder Ranger District, Boulder County Sherriff’s Office (BCSO) and others, to try to understand and mitigate negative impacts from this increased vehicle activity. In addition to displacing traditional quiet users of the Switzerland Trail, these vehicles have also impacted:

–          The condition and safety of County Road 52 (Gold Hill Rd)

–          Increased illegal penetration into Forest Service lands not designated for motor vehicles and resulting environmental degradation of those areas

–          OHVs ‘mistakenly’ driving on private property

–          Numerous areas adjacent to the Switzerland Trail now degraded by vehicles driving off the ST and onto fragile meadows and wetlands, etc.

–          Increased fire risk on USFS and neighboring lands due to

o   Campfires

o   Hot engines over tall grasses

The purpose of this posting is to:

1. Increase awareness of the issue
2. Provide detailed background information (see attached)
3. Provide guidance on steps to take when illegal or egregious activities are encountered (see attached)
4. Elicit support from those who care about this change in our neighborhood. Our current small group of local citizens can’t do it all! If you would like to learn more or help out, please email: goldhillforsafeswitztrail@nullgmail.com

Please see the following documents for detailed background information and guidance for what to do if you encounter illegal activity.

Action Steps

1. Report all illegal activity ASAP by calling Boulder County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) non- emergency dispatch number: 303-441-4444.
2. IF you have a cell phone or camera, take pictures! Try to get photos of details like license plate numbers, registration stickers, even color of vehicles or clothing.

1. Illegal
   1. Driving ATVs or UTVs anywhere on Gold Hill Road or other county roads. (Note

trailers are legal)

1. 1. Driving any vehicles (ATVs/UTVs, 4WDs, dirtbikes, jeeps, 4WD) off of the

Switzerland Trail (for example across vegetation, meadows, up or down hills and slopes) that are not designated for motor vehicle use. Not sure? Download the official Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for our area through Avenza for free here: Roosevelt NF – Boulder Ranger District (North Half) – MVUM – US Forest Service R2 Rocky Mountain Region – Avenza Maps

1. 1. Driving any vehicles (other than emergency vehicles) onto USFS land adjacent to Gold Hill Road other than specifically on the Switzerland Trail or other designated motor vehicle route. (download the MVUM from link above).
   2. Any shooting within the vicinity of Switzerland Trail. Map of recreational shooting closure here:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd493392.pdf

1. 1. Burning during fire ban, including for example, cigarette smoking outside of vehicles
2. In addition to contacting BCSO, please consider sending your photos and a description of incident to: goldhillforsafeswitztrail@nullgmail.com. We are working to build a repository of illegal activity taking place on or near the Switzerland Trail.
3. Consider writing a letter and/or speaking to the Boulder County Commissioners about the impacts Off Highway Vehicles (OHV’s) have had on you/your neighborhood.
   1. Submit in writing here: https://bouldercounty.gov/government/elected- officials/commissioners/contact-the-commissioners/
   2. Email here: commissioners@nullbouldercounty.org
   3. Sign up to speak at an open comment zoom here: Webinar Registration – Zoom

(zoomgov.com)

1. Reach out to network with other concerned citizens by emailing goldhillforsafeswitztrail@nullgmail.com. We are a small group of local residents concerned about the safety and environmental impacts from increasing OHV use on the Switzerland Trail and surrounding public lands.

Maintaining A Safe and Environmentally Healthy Switzerland Trail Area

OHV Use Near Gold Hill

~Background Information and Talking Points~

• In 2020 and 2021 Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) use dramatically increased on the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest in Boulder County and has remained elevated year-round since then. This is an area under the management of the Boulder Ranger District.
• This includes unprecedented use of the Switzerland Trail (Road #93J) on both the north and south sides of Gold Hill Road (County Road 52).
• Up until this time Switzerland Trail in this area has been widely used by multiple recreational and nature-oriented user groups including hikers, birders, x-country skiers, snowshoers, cyclists, horseback riders and relatively minor vehicle traffic including dirt bikes, ‘street legal’ 4WDs and occasional ATV/UTVs.
• At the time of this writing it appears there are primarily two rental companies, based in or near Estes Park (Larimer County) contributing to the bulk of OHVs on Switzerland Trail on any given day. https://www.backbonecycles.com/ and https://www.estesparkatvrentals.com/
• Through these outfitters renters get a side-by-side non-street legal vehicle, a utility trailer to haul it on and a Jeep or Nissan (or similar) 4WD vehicle with towing package.
• Renters get a GPS in their vehicle with directions to several routes in Boulder County including Switzerland Trail as well as Bunce School Road.
• The new generation of OHV are built for speed and to go just about anywhere, for example the Polaris Razor. Promotional pictures on their websites promote ATVs through water features, meadows and forested areas.

 

• Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) manages the rules for OHV’s in Colorado. Registration fees are required (via CPW) but no education is offered or required on where/how to ride in Colorado when the purchase or registration process is completed.
• In 2005 the USFS Travel Management Rule was finalized: https://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/final.pdf. Through this process, how motor vehicle use of routes was communicated to the public changed from signage where travel was DISALLOWED to using maps that indicate where travel is ALLOWED.
• These maps are referred to as the USFS Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM). They are available for free as an app here:

https://www.avenzamaps.com/maps/70781/roosevelt-nf-boulder-ranger-district-north-half-mvum

• The Switzerland Trail in this area of Boulder County is designated as a motor vehicle route on the current MVUM.
• The expectation is for OHV users on USFS to follow the rules on the maps, not rely on signage. By their own admission, there is very little if any funding for enforcement by the USFS. Likewise, BCSO complain of very little staffing/funding for Foothills patrol.
• Boulder County Sherriff’s Office (BCSO) receives some federal funding to assist with law enforcement duties on FS lands.
• Dispersed camping is also designated by the MVUM. It appears arbitrarily allowed on the north side of ST more than the south side.
• Dispersed camping brings with it increased wildfire risk due to legal or illegal fire building by forest visitors.
• Learn more about USFS travel management and OHVs here: https://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/

 

Impacts from the increase in OHV use near Gold Hill fall under two categories:

1. Illegal:

• Driving of OHVs off designated routes per the MVUM.
• Environmental degradation of sensitive meadows and wetlands due to the above. This has been well documented and reported to USFS/Boulder Ranger District.
• Driving over private land has been repeatedly experienced by neighbors and private property owners in the area.
• Driving UTVs and ATVs on county roads and through Gold Hill town, prohibited by state law.
• Potential impacts to wildlife have been reported to CPW. Moose, cow and bull elk including large bachelor herds, grouse, turkey and songbird populations are common in the area. Habitat includes Abies concolor, Ponderosa Pine, Aspen meadows, proximity to fen watershed, etc.
• Speeding of ATVs/UTVs around blind curves on Switzerland Trail and other designated OHV routes; driving by unaccompanied minors and numerous close calls with horseback riders and hikers. These safety concerns have been repeatedly reported to BCSO.
• Speeding of 4WD vehicles and tow trailers on Boulder County Rd 52 and other county roads.
• Trash and refuse—including human excrement—left along the side of the road on numerous occasions.
• Driving ATVs/UTVs and dirt bikes onto USFS lands that are not open to OHVs per MVUM.
• Reckless driving endangering pedestrians, hikers and horseback riders on the Switz Trail and on GH Rd
• Breaking level 1 & 2 fire ban restrictions
• Vehicles without spark arresters and mufflers as required by law?
• Impacts to private land owners along the Switz Trail including threatening altercation from ATV renter towards private landowner.

 

           

1. Legal but impactful:

• Excessively high use by OHVs has pushed multi users out (this includes hikers, horsebackriders, cyclists, bird watchers and other so-called ‘quiet users’ of the Switz Trail.)
• residents have harrowing stories of very dangerous encounters with these vehicles both on Gold Hill Rd (county rd 52) and on the Switz Trail in both directions of GH Road. This also falls under illegal activity.
• The historic Switzerland Trail itself is being torn up to where it may become impassable in areas. 93J is not a maintained road and will likely not see repairs from damage incurred by heavy OHV use.
• The above is especially concerning during a wildland fire when the road is clogged with ATVs and UTVs. Consider complications to egress/evacuation of residents cut off by fire across other routes and safe access for firefighters and resource staging during a fire.

 

• Boulder County Road 52 (Gold Hill Road) along with Sawmill Road and portions of Lefthand Canyon are the main routes tourists are using to haul in their heavy OHVs on utility trailers. This is having an impact on the condition of County Road 52, the primary commuter route for residents living west of Gold Hill. Boulder County Public Works is responsible for maintenance and repairs on these roads, funded by Boulder County property tax dollars.

 

• Dangerous conditions on CR 52 (popular among cyclists and horseback riders) from speeding utility trailers on blind curves and hills.

 

• Climate change, bringing with it heightened year-round forest fire conditions. How are vehicles monitored for spark arresters? What are risks of driving hot engines across tall, dry meadow grasses? How is the USFS–specifically motor vehicle and dispersed camping rules–responding to a changing climate?