Ken-Caryl public input scheduled for South Hogback management plan; residents urge preservation focus

Ken-Caryl staff outlined a public engagement schedule for the South Hogback management plan and said the board will consider final acceptance at its October meeting after a month-long comment period and an in-person public meeting.

At the board meeting, staff said the management plan would go live on the district website and that online comments would be accepted beginning immediately, with an in-person presentation by ERO (the district’s consultant) and task force community members scheduled for Sept. 17 in the Bradford Room from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Online comments will close Sept. 29, and staff expects to return to the board with a final acceptance item at the Oct. 28 meeting.

“I wanted to also share that the open space ranger program will be heavily participating on this input process,” a staff member said, describing planned breakout groups on topics including fire mitigation, weed management, property access, conservation and recreation.

Public commenters urged the board to protect the site’s conservation character. Resident Kathy Webster, identifying her long-time involvement with earlier preservation efforts, told the board the original intention for South Hogback was “to be preserved in perpetuity, putting wildlife and environmental needs above human wants.” She asked that educational and preservation goals remain central to the management plan.

Ruthie Seppert, another longtime resident, urged the board to review the original community ODP (outline development plan) and noted past legal actions protecting the area’s original restrictions. John Foshel, representing the South Hogback task force during public comment, asked staff to clarify what kind of input the task force should provide at the Sept. 17 meeting; staff said task force members should plan to listen and answer technical questions in areas of their expertise.

Board members discussed the timeline and publicity for the comment period. Staff said they would place signs with QR codes on trails (targeted to the Kathy Johnson Trail) and use other outreach methods to maximize participation. One board member said robust public response—“a couple hundred comments”—would be desirable before finalizing the plan.

Staff cautioned there was no rush to approve the final plan if additional work was needed after public input. “If additional work needs to be done, we certainly could exercise that option,” a board member said.

The schedule gives residents roughly a month to review the plan online and attend the Sept. 17 in-person meeting before the board considers final acceptance in October.