Three years of town hall meetings, protests and online polls have lead to the final decision of the State Parks Board of Directors.
Cherry Creek State Off Leash Park, which brings in 23,000 visitors per year and $180,000 in revenue is getting smaller. In a unanimous voice State Parks Board of Directors approved of enclosing and reducing the Cherry Creek State Park Off Leash Park.
Many equestrian owners complained that dogs were ruining the trails and environmental erosion. Dog owners complained the decision was made without their input.
As well as installing the fence around the dog area, starting January, 2011 dog owners will need to pay up to $20 annually to utilize the space (in addition to the $8.00 entrance fee). The fee covers up to three dogs per visit.
Heather Dugan, high plains regions manager for Colorado State Parks, told the Aurora Sentinel “Based on the concerns we received, and in trying to accommodate as many different user groups as possible, we ended up recommending the area be designated as 107 acres”.
Costs for adding the fence, improving trails and adding restrooms and more parking is $877,000 down from the original the original price tag of 1.63 million. More information can be found on the Parks Website:
http://parks.state.co.us/dogtraining/Pages/DogTrainingAreas.aspx
http://parks.state.co.us/dogtraining/Pages/Review.aspx
Comments