4 Winter 2022-2023 Community Update Newsletter

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OPEN SPACE & PARKS Community Park 2022 Improvements Community Park is one of Louisville's largest and most used parks, and over time some of its infrastructures have exceeded their usable life. In April, City Council approved the Community Park Improvement Project recommended by the Parks and Public Landscaping Advisory Board. Parks staff has worked with contractors to replace the park's irrigation mainline, upgrade the irrigation pump panel, and remove the underutilized BMX pump track. Additionally, the Community Dog Park fence was replaced, and the surface was enhanced for weed mitigation. The final part of the project is the restoration of the irrigation pond to the east of the dog park. This pond is filled with reclaimed water and is no longer used for recreation, including dogs, due to changes in state rules mandating the discontinuation of all recreational uses of reclaimed water in Colorado. The area will be restored and enhanced to include a new walking path, rock seating, and plantings that, once established, will provide a natural area buffer to the dog park and tie into the adjacent open space. Wildfire Risk Assessment of Louisville Public Lands This December, the City of Louisville will select a consultant to lead the development of the Wildfire Hazard & Risk Assessment of Louisville Public Lands. This project will identify potential wildfire mitigation opportunities to increase resilience on public lands such as Open Spaces, Parks, Water Treatment Plant grounds, and other City properties. The City's project team is composed of members from multiple City departments and the Fire Department. The project is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2023. Public engagement meetings will be held as a part of the process. Staff has implemented preventative mitigation activities to reduce fuel loads and ladder fuels on some public lands, including select mowing and trimming or removing fire - impacted vegetation. For more information or to view meeting schedules visit LouisvilleCO.gov. Trail Improvements In October, a section of Coal Creek Trail at Dutch Creek (between Augusta Lane and the footbridge) was changed to concrete. This portion of the trail has suffered repeated flooding and extensive damage when Coal Creek overflows its banks. To help prevent future damage, the trail segment has been converted from crusher fines to concrete. While the creek will continue to flood in this area, concrete is a better -suited material for areas prone to floods or washouts, and will significantly reduce maintenance when flooding does occur. Additionally, the segment of Coal Creek Trail at Aspen Way was replaced with concrete to provide an overall safer user experience. Update on Tree Health in Fire -Damaged Areas During the Marshall Fire, hundreds of private and public trees were damaged in the City of Louisville. The trees endured different intensities and duration of heat and suffered with varying degrees of severity. Over the past year, the City Forester has been evaluating affected trees to determine the extent of damage. The evaluation determines if trees are dead or injured and whether there are any safety concerns. Unsafe or dead trees with no signs of recovery are scheduled to be removed by the end of 2022. Some trees are just injured (though they may appear dead) and are being monitored for growth until spring 2023 to decide if they are viable or need to be removed. Staff will plant new trees in late spring to replace trees that have been removed. COAL CREEK GOLF COURSE Coal Creek Golf Course Completes Fourth Step in Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program Coal Creek Golf Course is proud to participate in the internationally recognized Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP) for Golf Courses. ACSP-Golf is an education and certification program developed by Audubon International to help enhance the valuable natural areas and wildlife habitats that golf courses provide, improve efficiency, and minimize the potentially harmful impacts of golf course operations. By implementing and documenting six key environmental management practices, a course earns designation as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Over the past several years, Coal Creek Golf Course has successfully fulfilled four of the six requirements, including Environmental Assessment, Wildlife and Habitat Management, Water Conservation, and most recently, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety. This included reducing the use of herbicides and insecticides by 80%, reducing the use of fertilizers by 50%, modifying cultural and mechanical practices to reduce pesticide use, and completing required training classes. Receiving certification demonstrates leadership as a steward of the environment and publicly recognizes and rewards environmental achievements. Fall 2022 • Page 9