Council approves green and yellow trails at Gans Creek, defers blue trail after public concerns

The Columbia City Council on Jan. 6 approved an amendment to the Gans Creek Recreation Area master plan that authorizes construction of the green and yellow natural-surface trails while requiring a future master-plan amendment and public review before building the blue trail.

Parks and Recreation Director Gabe Huffington told the council the full Nomad Trail Development design presents 10.5 miles of natural-surface trails in the park but that staff and contractors have split the plan into green, yellow and blue segments so they could manage environmental impacts and public uses. "The green level trail is a beginner level hiking and biking trail," Huffington said in his presentation, and the department described protections including a 200-foot center-line buffer around a heron rookery and a self-imposed construction pause during nesting season.

Why it matters: The Gans Creek site is adjacent to Rockbridge State Park and includes sensitive creek and floodplain habitat. Residents and conservation groups urged the council to protect the creek and the heron rookery; recreation and trail organizations argued professionally designed single-track would reduce erosion and expand recreation opportunities,…