Weber letter: Ridge to Rivers

Recently, Boise City Council unanimously voted to adopt the Ridge to Rivers 10-year management plan into the Boise City Comprehensive Plan. I sat as a volunteer member on the plan advisory committee with 25 other hikers, runners, bikers, parents and representatives from land management agencies to assist in the creation of the document. I am thrilled to see it to this point.

Our beloved trails receive over one million visits per year, and as our population grows, so will use. I see first hand how important our open space, clean water, wildlife and access to our public lands are to the sustainable health of a community, and how vital it is to balance between love and overuse.

This plan received thousands of comments and input from residents through open houses, online surveys and public meetings which in the end will give R2R managers the tools to address challenges, needs and additional opportunities.

I thank the Ridge to Rivers partnership and the City of Boise for putting the pieces in place so future generations of this valley can climb those ridge lines and look back to see our wonderful city bloom.

This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 7:28 PM with the headline "Weber letter: Ridge to Rivers."