Caring for Button Rock Preserve

Please visit the Natural Resources Department's Plans, Maps & Reports page to see the Managemetn Plan and Appendices. The final draft of the plan was presented to City Council on March 14, 2023. It is scheduled for final acceptance on April 11 at a City Council Regular Session.

Button Rock Preserve is the only protected preserve in Longmont’s system of open spaces, natural areas and parks. The purpose of Button Rock Preserve is to protect Longmont’s primary municipal drinking water supply which also means protecting the incredible biodiversity found throughout the Preserve’s 2,671 acres, 13 drainage basins, 14 ecological systems and two source water reservoirs. Today, visitor use numbers (people and cars) are much higher than they were when the Preserve first opened in the 1960s and when Preserve rules were last updated in the 1990s.

The Plan describes Button Rock Preserve’s purpose, goals and short- and long-term objectives and priorities. The water resources, ecology, native wildlife and cultural resources data gives managers a science-based lens through which to address present-day management concerns at the Preserve.

Science, visitor use data and best management practices along with community feedback from public surveys, public meetings and three Longmont Advisory Boards all guided the development of the Plan’s management recommendations. Some key decisions include implementing management zones to protect critical plant and wildlife resources, prohibiting domestic dogs to protect source water, soil and native wildlife, continuing recreational fishing and a fee-based fishing permit program, updating Preserve hours, and utilizing prescribed fire as a fundamental forest management tool.

After participating in the planning process and reading the final draft Plan, Longmont’s three advisory boards voted as follows:

• On Feb. 27, 2023, Water Board voted 4 to 0 in support of the Plan
• On Feb. 15, 2023, Sustainability Advisory Board voted 5 to 1 in support of the Plan and signed a Letter of Support
• On Feb. 13, 2023, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board voted 5 to 1 in support of the Plan but acknowledged that they were split 3 to 3 on the recommendation to prohibit dogs

by Amy Golden, Longmont Leader reporter

Longmont City Council agreed with staff that prohibiting dogs would be in the best interest of the water quality and ecology of Button Rock Preserve.

The Button Rock Preserve Management Plan is the culmination of a two year study — which turned into four years thanks to COVID — to look at how best to manage Longmont’s only preserve and includes several recommendations. Longmont City Council approved the draft as written at Tuesday’s study session, and will formally adopt the plan at the next regular meeting.

Staff emphasized that the first priority of the 2,691-acre Button Rock Preserve was to protect its municipal water supply, followed by preserving the nature and wildlife within the area and allowing limited recreation if it does not affect the city’s first and second goals.

Button Rock Preserve opened to the public in 1965, seeing increased use in the 1990s that made the city formalize the trail system and slowly add other recreation opportunities like fishing. The last decade saw a huge jump in visitors, kicking off this management plan in 2019.

The plan went through three public meetings, four public surveys and three advisory boards, which all approved the plan though the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board was split on one of the key changes — prohibiting dogs from the preserve.

Project Manager Danielle Cassidy explained the dogs have immediate impacts on the nature preserve, displacing wildlife more than humans alone do while dog waste hurts soil, water quality and biodiversity. Since introducing an interim dog visitation policy that required all dogs be on leash and only allowing one dog per visitor, park rangers said that dog leash enforcement has been the top violation in recent years.

Cassidy noted that there are several other outdoor areas in Longmont and nearby that do allow dogs. Sandstone Ranch is the only other Longmont property prohibiting dogs altogether.

Cassidy also noted the high biodiversity of Button Rock, which is made up of 85% native plants and creatures, along with its rich cultural heritage and unique hydrology. The area is especially significant for bat activity with four species of rare bats found within the preserve, totalling eight species — there are 19 different bat species in total across Colorado.

Two members of the public spoke up in support of the plan, both noting that prohibiting dogs was a necessary part of preserving the area.

“Button Rock is our only preserve in Longmont,” resident Shari Malloy said. “It's a privilege to have any access. My father always said, ‘With privilege comes with responsibility.’ This preserve deserves our respect and responsible management. Prohibiting dogs is a sacrifice worth making to help safeguard this gem.”

City council was supportive of the plan, emphasizing that it's not a punishment for dog owners but instead a way to better preserve the area.

“What differentiates this from trails, greenways, state parks, federal parks is that this is a preserve,” Councilmember Tim Waters said. “Its primary purpose — not the only, but primary — is water storage and water quality is the highest priority.”

Beyond the dog prohibition, the plan outlines steps to manage the increasing use at the preserve. Current use has far exceeded what the area was initially designed for — the preserve saw annually about 3,200 visitors in 1988 and 18,000 in 1998 compared to nearly 60,000 in 2021, according to staff documents.

Other recommendations include minor modifications to the fishing permit program, rule and regulation updates, management zoning, increased signage and prescribed burning. The city may consider an entry fee or shuttle transportation at the preserve in the future.

Poll: Should Longmont ban dogs at Button Rock Preserve

Originally published online on Times-Call website on March 14, 2023

Read an article published on April 30, 2019 , on Denver Channel 7 News, about issues with pet owners not cleaning up after their animals:

https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/360/careless-pet-owners-costing-colorado-parks-volunteers-money-and-time-to-clean-up-waste

Read an article published on Dec. 23, 2019, on Colorado Public Radio, about dogs on trails.

https://www.cpr.org/2019/12/23/youve-got-perfect-trail-etiquette-but-how-about-your-dog-rangers-penned-hundreds-of-tickets-in-2019-for-poor-pooch-protocol/

Read an article published on Dec. 1, 2019, in the Denver Post, about statewide dam safety amongst climate change concerns.

https://www.denverpost.com/2019/12/01/colorado-dam-safety-climate-change/

On May 1, 2019, Longmont City Council directed staff to implement new rules requiring all dogs be on leash when in the Preserve and allowing only one dog per visitor. These rules grew out of increased visitation to the preserve and concerns for the health of the watershed. The need to balance resource protection with passive recreation has become critical.

The interim rules will remain in place until the final Button Rock Preserve Management Plan is adopted, likely in the latter part of 2020. Research, feedback and findings in development of that plan will be used to determine the future dog visitation policy.

Other regional parks and open spaces in the area may offer different leash laws. The City encourages residents to explore any and all options available. Below are links to a few of these options.

• City of Longmont parks and trails
• City of Fort Collins parks
• City of Boulder parks
• City of Loveland parks
• Boulder County parks & open space
• Boulder Mountain parks & open space
• Larimer County parks, open spaces and trails

Read an article published on Nov. 6, 2019, in the Longmont Times-Call, about Button Rock Preserve's thriving ecosystem.

https://www.timescall.com/2019/11/06/new-longmont-study-shows-a-healthy-resilient-ecosystem-at-button-rock-preserve/

Read an article published on Oct. 9, 2019, in the Longmont Times-Call, about fire mitigation efforts throughout Boulder County. Paragraphs 11 and 12 specifically note the effect wildfires could have on Longmont reservoirs.

https://www.timescall.com/2019/10/09/boulder-countys-fire-mitigation-work-in-a-race-against-time/

Read an article published on Oct. 16, 2019, in the Longmont Times-Call, further explaining Button Rock Management Plan efforts.

https://www.timescall.com/2019/10/16/longmont-moves-forward-with-button-rock-management-plan/