HIKING, TRAILS, AND WOODCUTTING PROCEDURES Approved by the CLRRA Board of Directors on June 18, 2016
Reference the CLRRA Administrative Policy dated December 19, 2015:
HIKING Hike any of the trails in Crystal Lakes at your own risk. Property owners who would like to “adopt” a hiking trail to check for proper signage and seasonal maintenance may contact the office.
TRAILS Hike on any of the Crystal Lakes trails at your own risk. A network of hiking and ski trails is available at Crystal Lakes for the exclusive use of members and their guests. Horses are not allowed on trails. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the trails. A map and listing of the trails is available in the Association office.
WOODCUTTING All property owners are encouraged to clear downed timber and thin timber stands on their lot. Members or contractors may be permitted to cut wood on Association property, provided they sign a waiver for liability. The general public is permitted to cut wood on Association property only when there is a Board-approved program in effect. Board approval is required for all woodcutting on Association property. This includes woodcutting by members, contractors, or the general public.
It is necessary, therefore, to implement the following procedures to carry out the above referenced policy:
HIKING 1. “Adopt” a Trail Program
1.1. Property owners can apply in the Office to “adopt” an existing trail. Staff will verify that the trail exists before forwarding the application to the GMC chairperson for approval. 1.2. The volunteer work required by the adopter is considered “minor” in nature. Examples include cutting fallen trees to reopen trails; repairing foot bridges; removing tripping hazards (e.g., rocks); repairing signs; adding new “nature” trail numbers; posting “CL” trail markers on nearby trees; updating trail maps; etc. The “minor” work does not require that fallen trees be completely carved up and the slash removed. Similar to forest trails, you often see two cuts in the fallen tree so that people can continue to use the trail while the tree decomposes in place on either side of the trail. 1.3. Adopters must sign a liability waiver and the Office will keep the waiver on file. 1.4. The Office will maintain a list of adopters and reconcile the list on an annual basis with feedback from the hiking group to ensure that the adopters are still active. Annual recognition of adopters should take place in the manager’s emails, newsletter, etc.
HIKING, TRAILS, AND WOODCUTTING PROCEDURES Page 2 of 3 June 18, 2016 1.5. The staff will post professional wooden signs at the trail head and road intersections denoting the name of the adopter. They will also provide the adopter with a number of “CL” trail markers to be placed on nearby trees so as to denote the trail as it meanders throughout dense areas. The “CL” trail markers are intended to show where the trail goes and should be used sparingly for cost and aesthetic reasons. 1.6. Adopters who are no longer able to perform their volunteer duties should inform the Office so that signs can be removed and new adopters solicited. 1.7. The “minor” work does not have to be done entirely by the adopter, some combination of staff and volunteer partnership is appropriate. For example, adopters can mark areas that need to be fixed with flagging tape, identify the location on a map, and submit a work order for staff to fix the issue. 1.8. Removing standing trees, (live, dead, leaning) is considered “major” work and requires additional procedures (see below).
TRAILS 2. Maintaining Existing Trails 2.1. Similar to the Adopt-a-Trail Program, maintaining existing trails is considered “minor” in nature and it can involve staff and/or volunteers. 2.2. Volunteers must follow the applicable procedures as outlined above in the Adopt-a-Trail Program (i.e., coordinate with the GMC chairperson, sign a liability waiver, etc.). 2.3. Removing standing trees, (live, dead, leaning) is considered “major” work and requires additional procedures (see below).
3. Removing Standing Trees 3.1. Removing standing trees (live, dead, leaning) is considered “major” in nature and requires Board approval because of the potential liability involved. The work can involve contractors, staff and/or volunteers and the GMC chairperson is responsible for coordinating these kinds of projects with the Board. 3.2. If contractors or staff are going to perform the work, volunteers can assist by marking the areas that needs to be fixed with flagging tape, identifying the location on a map, and submitting a work order. 3.3. If volunteers are going to perform the work, additional procedures apply such as coordinating with the GMC chairperson, signing waivers, obtaining plat maps, respecting private property boundaries, coordinating with affected property owners, etc. 3.4. Unlike the “minor” work as described in previous sections, removing standing trees normally requires that the logs and slash be removed and piled near a road so that it can be hauled away. For these reasons, this kind of work quickly becomes a project and like all projects, it must be properly coordinated and communicated with specific timeframes. 3.5. Additionally, respect for private property is paramount so the proposal must include detailed maps [i.e., geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning system (GPS), plats, etc.] that clearly denote private property boundaries, easements, etc.
HIKING, TRAILS, AND WOODCUTTING PROCEDURES Page 3 of 3 June 18, 201 4. Clearing or Realigning Existing or New Trails
4.1. Similar to removing standing trees, clearing or realigning existing or new trails is considered “major” in nature and requires Board approval because of the liability involved. The work can involve contractors, staff and/or volunteers and the GMC chairperson is responsible for coordinating these kinds of projects with the Board. 4.2. Follow the applicable procedures listed above under “Removing Standing Trees.”
5. Updating Trail Maps 5.1. The Board supports the effort to update the trail maps and has allocated resources towards this effort. 5.2. Volunteers should coordinate their efforts with the GMC chairperson. The Board desires something similar to the Glacier View Meadows trail map, including the creation of one or more “marked” nature trails (see GVM Crellin Canyon Nature Trail brochure as an example).
WOODCUTTING 6. Cutting Wood on Association Property (Property Owners)
6.1. Similar to removing standing trees, cutting wood on Association property is considered “major” in nature and requires Board approval because of the liability involved. The work can involve contractors, staff and/or volunteers and the GMC chairperson is responsible for coordinating these kinds of projects with the Board. 6.2. Follow the applicable procedures listed above under “Removing Standing Trees.”
7. Cutting Wood on Association Property (General Public) 7.1. This rarely happens but should the GMC chairperson want to implement this policy, follow the applicable procedures listed above under “Removing Standing Trees.”
8. Cutting Wood on Association Property (Contractors) 8.1. This only happens when a Board-approved program is in effect (e.g., hiring a contractor to clean up a portion of the greenbelts). 8.2. Follow the applicable procedures listed above under “Removing Standing Trees.” 8.3. The contractor must provide proof of license, certificate of insurance naming the association as additional insureds, and worker’s compensation.