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Potential to "spook" horses and livestock as these bright and multicolored aircraft descend to land, but this activity typically does not occur in these areas.

Relationship to setting:
Hang gliders require a ridge or mountain from which to launch and a relatively flat, unimproved open area to land.

Facilities and services:
No special facilities or improvements are required except for launch sites on Open Space where adequate parking and easy access are useful. Near by automobile access is desirable for the transportation of the disassembled equipment.
If there were increasing levels of all activities on Open Space, a few well placed signs could mitigate potential impacts to other visitors.
Good safety track record of 30 years of hang gliding activity. A Liability insurance policy is paid for by local participants and names the city of Boulder as a named insured. Accidents occur occasionally and are often se

Compatibility with other uses:
Generally compatible with other uses because of limited season (primarily practiced from April through September), low levels of use (approximately 25 active Boulder pilots averaging 10 to 12 flights per week during the season), very little trail use is involved in the activity, most but not all launch sites occur on private land, and most landing activity occurs on flat terrain, often park land, majority of flight is spent at altitude where other users of Open Space don't see the activity, and the activity is virtually noiseless. The only potential to interface with other Open Space visitors is on the landing. The pilot has significant control of the aircraft should a change in his flight path be required to avoid an unforeseen conflict.
Potential to "spook" horses and startle other visitors.
Participants often erect temporary streamers for a visual wind direction reference. Streamers left on-site could be considered an aesthetic concern by other visitors.
On Open Space launch sites there are few, if any, facilities available (parking and easy access) which could create parking in neighborhood streets and trespassing problems.
Potential impacts to natural, cultural, scientific, or agricultural values:
Little off-trail activity occurs in the participation of this sport when participants launch from private lands. On Open Spac launch sites, participants are primarily off-trail and could create social trails and could result in impacts to plants and animals (especially in fragile shale barren communities in north Boulder).
Vegetation trampling could occur where participants launch from Open Space or in areas where they disassemble their equipment and load it on their vehicles. This occurs within 10-20 feet of the parking area and typically at the roadside. The activity is not practiced in wet weather.
Effects on wildlife (particularly raptors) are unknown.