5000 homes

seems like conserving what we have in the foothills is a much bigger issue than dogs or mountain bikes. i am no expert and am not a biologist, but i have been researching the effects of dogs on wildlife online. what i have gleaned is that, aside from chasing, digging and random unsupervised hunting (which is behavior that no responsible dog owner would allow) the biggest issue is that dog scent changes wildlife behavior. animals who are prey of canids (coyote, fox, etc.) will move farther off the trails. how much of a problem this is depends on what sort of habitat is available.

i wonder how much impact 5000 more homes in the foothills has on habitat? i wonder how many dog owners would vote for another levy?




on to this morning's jaunt. i don't want this to be the poop report, so suffice it to say that there were at least 15 piles between heron and the pond coming in from 10th. right on the trail between 2 trash cans & bag dispensers.

bitterbrush is blooming- and fragrant. the arrowleaf balsamroot is still going strong, and these little purple guys- i think that they are brodiaea- are popping up. meadowlarks and redwing blackbirds singing.

2 runners, one mountain biker, one woman with off leash dog in the on leash area. she did leash up right away when i asked her not to let him run up to us.

another beautiful morning!