This letter is in response to Mr. Desjardin’s plea, “Steamboat needs the Core Trail, Not Mad Rabbit.” We at Routt County Riders strongly support the expansion of the Core Trail, but the 2A funds are not the appropriate funding mechanism.

2A funds may only be spent on trails described in the original Trails Alliance Proposal approved by voters in 2013. Since then, a 2A Advisory Committee (appointed by City Council) has reviewed this list of trails and amenities and made ongoing funding recommendations to City Council.

Over the past decade, the committee decided not to recommend spending 2A funds on the southward expansion of the Core Trail due to lack of easements through private property, issues traversing wetlands, and high cost for a trail that would not provide neighborhood connectivity and essentially “goes nowhere.” The portion of the Core Trail going west that will provide great community connectivity is not eligible for 2A funding. However, don’t worry — the city of Steamboat just announced the award of a $2 million DOLA grant to fund this much-needed westward expansion.

Mr. Desjardin represents Keep Routt Wild, a group formed with the sole purpose of preventing the implementation of the Mad Rabbit trails project. The group is trying to maintain exclusive access to public lands on Rabbit Ears Pass for the hunting community. Colorado Parks and Wildlife, in conjunction with the USFS, recently released an Adaptive Management Plan for the Mad Rabbit project — which paves the way for resolution of the CPW objection.

After a seven-year review process by the USFS including extensive input from CPW (which resulted in 60% of the trails being dropped from the project), the USFS is poised to give final approval to this project.

Please understand that promoting the Core Trail is just another effort by KRW to attack the Mad Rabbit project and its intended funding source. The MR project will provide much needed multi-use trails for all types of trail users in our community to enjoy. If you support this project, please let City Council know you would like to see the 2A funds allocated to the Mad Rabbit project at citycouncil@steamboatsprings.net.

Craig Frithsen
Steamboat Springs