HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-27-23 Public Comment - L. Schulz - UPF_PRAT PlanFrom:Lara Schulz
To:Agenda
Subject:[EXTERNAL]UPF/PRAT Plan
Date:Wednesday, July 26, 2023 1:37:00 PM
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UPF Board-
I would like to encourage the preservation of the Gallagator Trail, as it currently exists: an
unpaved and natural corridor without the addition of lighting. There are many reasons tomaintain the trail as dirt/gravel and unlighted. First and foremost, the trail is a watershed.
Paving the trail increases damaging and toxic runoff (see this link for morehttps://ei.lehigh.edu/envirosci/enviroissue/sprawl/paving.html).
There are many who seek out the Gallagator trail for its lack of pavement. The surface iskinder to the joints when running and walking, and kinder to the little knees and elbows of
children riding bikes. It is also quieter than pavement. The dirt trail absorbs sound andoffers a more peaceful experience. Lack of pavement on the Gallagator offers connectivity
to the Petes Hill trail system which is also dirt and gravel and provides urban recreationistsan opportunity to experience something that is more natural than pavement, which is
increasingly important for mental health as our town is expanding and paving more eachday.
Lighting trails introduces well studied and known negative impacts on humans and wildlife(see this link for some of those impacts,
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/light-pollution/). Again, leaving the trail as
it is, offers a more natural and peaceful experience than pavement and bright LED lights.
The trail has been loved for decades, just as it is. As the saying goes, “if it isn’t broken,don’t fix it”.
Lara Schulz3306 S 29th Ave
Bozeman MT 59718