The steady stream of residents testifying before the Steamboat Springs City Council late Tuesday night all spoke of their appreciation for trails. But there was friction over where those trails should be built and whether publicly funded recreation should be designed for locals or visitors.
It’s a contentious narrative playing out across the Western Slope as residents of busy mountain towns push elected leaders to focus more on the local quality of life and less on the visitor experience. That’s a bold move in communities built by tourist dollars. And it’s a sign of the changing tides in tourism-based economies.
“A lot has changed in the last 10 years. We have had COVID and huge crowds in the summer and we are saying we want tax dollars spent locally,” said Larry Desjardin, whose Keep Routt Wild group is fighting a plan for new trails on Forest Service-managed land atop Rabbit Ears Pass near Steamboat Springs. “People are asking why we are funding these trails to attract tourists when we are already overcrowded and a growing number of short-term rentals has us facing a housing crisis.”
In 2013, Steamboat Springs voters overwhelmingly approved a plan to direct lodging taxes toward trails. As that funding plan expires next year, the city has developed a vast network of trails ranging from paved sidewalks to rocky singletrack, bolstering the city’s appeal for both locals and visitors.
The 2A ballot measure approved by more than 70% of Steamboat Springs voters was meant to expand the intent of the city’s 1986 accommodations tax ballot measure that promoted tourism, the economic health of the city and bolstered Steamboat Springs “as a premier destination resort.”
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