Best Dog Friendly Hikes Utah – Utah Forest Service Bans Professional Dog Walkers – Elsewhere, the agency has banned commercial dog walking on federally managed lands, citing conflicts with other canyon users and stress on wildlife.
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That’s because Linda Gregerson, full-time dog walker and owner of Big Dog Day, makes sure to check on the dogs she walks. Only friendly, well-behaved puppies may be observed. But Gregersen is qualified, he trains the dogs to stay in the pack.
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One Friday morning, Lily, a teenage miniature schnauzer, stumbles through the tall grass like a rabbit, but Gregerson turns around impatiently when called. Lily receives a gift from Gregerson’s package of blueberries. With Gregerson’s summer tan and long dark hair, walking all seven dogs is an incredibly easy and zen endeavor.
With 10 years of experience, she believes that the work is important for the well-being of dogs and their owners.
“Anyone who knows dogs knows that the only way for most dogs to get exercise is to take them around town on a leash,” Gregerson said. For young dogs and high-energy breeds, she thinks a walk in the woods is the best way to get them outside.
“We know it not only helps us physically, but also mentally,” Gregerson said. “Actually, it’s the same for dogs.”
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But providing that service became more difficult last summer when the U.S. Forest Service began cracking down on popular Wasatch Valley hikers against commercial dog walkers. According to the agency, walking dogs in exchange for payment on USFS land is a commercial enterprise and violates federal regulations. (Permits are being distributed to ski resorts and heli-skiing services, despite opposition from some environmentalists).
Other commercial activities are also prohibited, including “outfitting and guiding without a license; commercial photography; transportation services; the sale or offering for sale of any product; conducting any activity or service under an official USFS trail sign.”
But dog walking business owners are calling for stricter enforcement of the law this year. Especially in summer, many professional dog walkers rely on several dog-friendly canyons that provide shade and water. According to Salt Lake City law, several nearby canyons are closed to all dogs. This is due to the five gorges: City Creek; top red bar; barley; Big Cottonwood and Little Cottonwood are urban aquifers and the source of more than 60% of the Salt Lake Valley’s drinking water.
With no access to federal lands in popular canyons like Millcreek and Neffs, dog hikers say the few remaining spots — like the trail leading from Tanner Park to the mouth of Barley Canyon, near Interstate 215 south — are threatened by people with puppies. .
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One of the many debates on the Wasatch Front is that the human and dog population is exploding. It’s difficult to know how many dogs the Wasatch owns, but a 2017 survey in Salt Lake City found that 38% of households owned dogs. A quick look at the pet-friendly website rover.com reveals that more than a dozen people in the city are interested in dog walking.
There are many opinions regarding dogs in open spaces. Social media platforms are full of long discussions about dogs. Well behaved dogs and disbelievers. About who and what picks up dog waste. Who throws these big plastic bags into landfills and waterways and can’t get them back?
Meanwhile, community leaders, elected officials and advocates are grappling with how to manage and share the open spaces that people and dogs love.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Linda Gregerson walks her dog on a trail near Tanner Park, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023.
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The Forest Department prohibits any commercial activity without permission. But that doesn’t mean companies aren’t working on its land.
“We are always trying to find the right balance between protecting these important resources while still providing a variety of recreational opportunities,” said Salt Lake Ranger District park ranger Chelsea Phillip.
Five ski resorts – Alta, Brighton, Snowbasin, Snowbird and Solitude – all operate with special permits on Forest Service lands along the Wasatch Front.
“Any time someone runs a business on public land, they have to get a special use permit,” Philip said, “and now all these commercial dog walkers are technically breaking the law.”
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People with their own dogs have no problem. They can walk their dogs in special yards as long as they are on a leash. At Mill Creek, canyon dogs relax on odd days.
Philip said his agency has received complaints about commercial dog walking in the Neffs, Mill Creek and Ferguson valleys. The Three Gorges offers plenty of shade during the summer months and people are allowed to walk their dogs there, but on a non-profit basis.
“We have certainly heard concerns from the public, local residents and some local authorities about the increase in commercial dog walking,” Philip said.
The Forest Service now posts signs that commercial dog walking is prohibited. Rangers began leaving warning tickets on car windshields and issuing citations to violators.
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“Some of the concerns are public safety, one person trying to manage multiple dogs,” Philip said, “increased conflicts between users, liability and the negative impacts of animal waste.”
“I think people should respect the law,” Nablock said. He cites the impact on wildlife and the difficulty of controlling so many dogs to prevent commercial movement of dogs onto Forest Service lands. He also questioned the ability of commercial dog walkers to pick up litter from multiple dogs.
Asked about other commercial activities on Forest Service land, Nablock said there is a difference between walking your dog and skiing.
“Ski resorts provide a service that helps people rebuild,” Nablock said. “Commercial dog walkers run a business where social regeneration is hindered.”
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(Nicole Sandor) At Mill Creek Canyon, where Nicole Sandor groomed her clients’ dogs, a group of dogs posed for photos before U.S. Forest Service rangers began cracking down on the commercial operation.
Some studies show that dogs harm wildlife, especially non-commercial walking dogs.
“The most serious effect is they can kill wildlife,” said Julie Young, associate professor of wildlife resources at Utah State University. But “in general, it’s more harassment and hatred.
“If it persists or after a very difficult period, it can cause [wildlife] some sort of deficit,” Young said. Animals may leave an area if dogs and humans continue to threaten wildlife. This can be a big problem in winter, however, if the area provides significant habitat.
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People generally don’t like the desert. Even though nature is a balm for the soul, it doesn’t seem like a win-win situation.
This summer, Christine Peterson wrote for High Country News: “A 2016 analysis of 274 articles on the effects of outdoor recreation on wildlife found that 59 percent of the correlations were negative. »
In a 2019 article, the Mountain Journal reported that a solo hiker can move wildlife 150 feet, and that a ranger accompanied by a dog on a leash can move wildlife 280 feet.
Yang noted, “We’ve found in a lot of studies of urban wildlife that they’re a little more stressed if they’re in a noisy, crowded environment, like ours.” »
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Some biologist groups are calling for an increase in no-man’s land, Young said, but implementing such a policy could prove difficult.
“I honestly think with the number of people on the planet and the number of people living to recreate, the best practice is to be careful when you’re out there,” Young said. “You have wild animals that share space, and you have to do things to share that space in a way that allows both of us to coexist in order to use that space successfully.”
Young said it makes sense to close critical winter areas or close high-traffic areas such as national parks to dogs. But when he’s allowed, he says he also enjoys hiking in the desert with his dog.
“I use dogs all the time for research, they can go out and find rot, and they can identify species and do these things to protect wildlife,” Young said. “Most of them work for wildlife protection,” he said.
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(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Linda Gregerson walks her clients’ dogs on a trail near Tanner Park on Friday, August 25.
