When I gather with friends, the conversation almost always drifts to trails and hiking. People love to share where they’ve been and also mine others for new, great options. Some of my friends no longer tell me of their discoveries because they know I’ll share them.

Recently an acquaintance hinted that there was a new stretch of trail to explore that connects to a trail he and a friend built years ago. The old trail is in Pike National Forest and not a system trail. What they did was illegal.

Building a trail is hard work. The pair worked on it over many months in their spare time. They used good techniques and it remains a well- designed, sustainable trail.

I’m not condoning their actions. I would argue the current process of getting new trails approved or closed trails reopened in Pike National Forest is extremely frustrating and too often can result in illegal activity.

I regularly attend city and county parks advisory board meetings. If a resident has a question about a trail, they can contact parks staff directly or they can attend a board meeting and query the board or staff publicly.

Pike National Forest doesn’t host regular public meetings where people can attend and feel heard. In the past, special meetings for the Bear Creek Watershed and Waldo Canyon provided the public with opportunities to influence the final plan. People felt like their opinion mattered.

A couple of things would help. Pike National Forest needs more staff. They need additional staff to improve customer service and provide additional enforcement. Too many people ignore forest rules because they are unlikely to be caught and fined.

Pike National Forest also needs to revisit and rewrite a forest plan that hasn’t been updated since 1984. The forest plan is designed “to consider how to best manage the forest while providing for multiple uses.” It’s supposed to be revised “every 15-20 years.” This comes directly from the USFS website. The 1976 National Forest Management Act was revised in 2012 to, among other things,“strengthen the role of public involvement and collaboration” with an “emphasis on sustainable recreation.” The revision was also designed to allow plans to be revised more quickly and reduce the cost.

Think back to 1984. Colorado Springs had a population of 307,000. Today it’s 693,000. There were no mountain bikes, cellphones or drones. Ultra marathons and other endurance races weren’t a thing. Recreation patterns have evolved. More people want access to America’s Mountain.

We need a revised forest plan with an emphasis on sustainable recreation. Once we have a plan, let’s collectively and legally build system trails that accommodate the increase in usage. Let’s build trails that balance recreation and conservation. And let’s not be naïve because all this requires dollars. We need to commit to providing Pike National Forest with adequate resources to produce a revised plan and fund trail development and maintenance. Other forest districts are taking innovative approaches and accomplishing exciting projects. We can too.

Davies is the executive director of the Trails and Open Space Coalition.

Bison Peak is a 12,432-foot mountain along the Tarryall Mountains within the Lost Creek Wilderness of Pike National Forest. It’s a short drive from Woodland Park.

Chhun Sun/Pikes Peak Courier