Brass Cap Locations Next Step In Bridle Trail Solutions [AUDIO]

First meeting of a new Rotary Park-Bridle Trail Committee gave landowners and trail users a chance to ask questions and hear what direction the committee will go in defining and solving issues around the use of the popular, but ill-defined,  hiking trail south of Casper.

Listen here,

Locating the brass caps that mark land parcels in the area around Rotary Park and the Bridle Trail is the next order of business for those interested in seeing the trail remain open for public use.

"We've always known it was a black hole, that we don't have good data up there."  Russel Moore, GIS Analyst for Natrona County, says that's true of all of Casper Mountain. He says his department hopes to get to work on locating as many brass caps as possible in the trail  area before the snow falls.

"In a month or so were not going to be able to go up there so we're really rushing the field season as best we can.  If we can get a lot of response from people about brass caps we can do much better work during the winter."

That work involves accurately defining where the trail runs, where accurate land boundaries lie, and historical easements need to be verified.  Accurate markings will make that job a lot easier.

Defining the trail is just one of a number of issues that the committee will tackle over the next eight months. Also on their agenda, "to get, hopefully, a legal right for citizens in Natrona County to use that area." Natrona County Parks Board Chairman and Chair of the Bridle Trail Committee, Stuart Hill, says how the trail is maintained in the future is also a concern.

But the main issue, for many will be liability. Natrona County Attorney, Bill Knight, says Wyoming Statute 3419, in essence, exempts landowners from liability from recreational users, but he also advised property owners to seek council if they have more questions.

You can track the progress of the Bridle Trail Rotary Park Committee on a link to more information at the Natrona County website that county staff hope to have up and running by the 15th of September.

Here's a link to the county's website and more information, http://www.natrona.net/