The Boise Foothills Conservation Advisory Committee will ask the Boise City
Council for money to fund police enforcement of existing dog leash laws and
trail-use rules for the Boise Foothills.
The city will also take some time to try to educate dog owners to clean up
after their canine companions, and wants a citizens' group to consider peer
enforcement of the rules.
The reprieve is good news for folks who feared a few bad apples and a lot of
dog poop could ruin the Foothills experience for all dog owners.
The citizens panel early Wednesday morning heard a recommendation for
harsher leash laws throughout the Foothills. In the end, the panel opted for
a cooling off period to enforce the rules already in place and evaluate the
results before making any dramatic changes.
For the last five years, the city has allowed dog owners to take their
animals on some Foothills trails without a leash, provided they keep the dog
on the trail and pick up any poop.
A special working group created by they city was looking for possible
solutions to dog poop left on a near trails, conflicts among trail users,
trampled vegetation and harassed wildlife.
But when the working group suggested that the city require leashes, a public
furor erupted.
Wednesday morning, a small classroom at the Foothills Learning Center was
standing room only as dog owners carrying signs listened to the committee's
deliberations.
Most of those opposed to any changes acknowledge there is a problem, but say
banning off-leash dogs is too extreme.
Boise parks Director Jim Hall said his staff will review the outcome from
stricter enforcement and bring it back to the advisory committee for further
review.
