Trails Through Time: A Geologist’s Guide to Jefferson County Open Space Parks

/in /by

Jefferson County straddles one of the most conspicuous and important geographic and geologic boundaries in western North America, the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains. To the east you can travel 1,100 miles across Great Plains and Central Lowlands before you sight the western foothills of the Appalachians. If you travel in the other direction you will cross or skirt mountain range after mountain range until you sight the Coast Range near San Francisco, more than 900 miles to the west. Many of these mountains have different ages and origins than the Colorado mountains, but they are all part of the great mountain belt called the North American Cordillera that extends along the western edge of the continent from Alaska through Mexico.

What is the reason for the remarkably straight and abrupt eastern flank of the Colorado Front Range? The brief answer is that it marks the edge of a block of ancient metamorphic and igneous rocks that has been uplifted relative to younger flat-laying sedimentary rocks that underlie the plains to the east. During the uplift, the sedimentary rocks along the boundary have been uplifted and tilted eastward to form the discontinuous line of hogback ridges that parallel the mountain front. Erosion during and after the uplift has removed the sedimentary rocks that once lay above the harder rocks of the mountain uplift, carved the scenic peaks and mountain canyons in the hard crystalline rocks of uplifted block, and worn away the softer layers of sedimentary rocks of the plains, but left a few of the harder upturned layers along the mountain front as hogback ridges.

Jefferson County Open Space Parks, as well as other nearby parks and National Forest lands, offer marvelous opportunities to explore the geologic story behind this singular landscape. At first the distribution of rocks of different ages and types seems almost random, but careful study of the rocks and landscape features reveals a captivating geologic story, a history that tells of the building of the foundations of the continent, the rise and destruction of long vanished mountain ranges, the ebb and flow of ancient seas, and the constant shaping and reshaping of the landscape in response to the never-ending interplay between uplift and erosion. This historical account is constantly being improved and expanded as new evidence accumulates and new interpretations evolve.

To read the rest, please download the full PDF.

Rocky Flats Update, the 25th Anniversary of the FBI raid on Rocky Flats

/1 Comment/in , , , /by

What’s Happening at Rocky Flats Today?

For nearly 40 years the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant near Denver produced plutonium pits for nuclear weapons, with extensive toxic and radioactive contamination on- and off-site.

Colorado continues to struggle with the long-term environmental and historical legacy of Rocky Flats. Upcoming events include an unprecedented symposium at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities June 6-8, community organization meetings, meetings for citizens concerned about a new dog park on contaminated land, and more. Find out what you need to know at http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b091790d7900d4ee97eaee42b&id=8deb35ca37&e=7a743fe88a

Calling All Nature Photographers!

/in , , , , /by

The Clear Creek Land Conservancy is holding its Summer Solstice Photography Workshop with professional photographer Larry Caine on June 21st, 2014 from 6am – 10am.
Where:  Clear Creek Canyon (precise meeting place to be determined)
Level:  Beginning to Intermediate
Cost:  Suggested $50 tax-deductible donation (No charge for 2012 or 2013 CCLC calendar contest winners!)

Space is limited, reservations are required, closes June 1st. Call 303.718.9546 or email info@clearcreeklandconservancy.org.

CCLC Solstice Photo Workshop 2014

To print your own flyer, download CCLC Photo Workshop Poppies

Open Space Local Grants

/in /by

On February 11, the Board of County Commissioners approved the 2014 Local Grants as recommended by the Open Space Advisory Committee. Funds for the grants come from the County share of Lottery proceeds and Open Space Sales Tax Funds. Non-profits, recreation districts, and cities are eligible to apply for grants. Grants from the lottery proceeds must be used on publicly owned lands. Approximately $1.2 million are available for these annual grants.

Grants to non-profits included:

Beaver Ranch Community, $10,125 for improvements to the caretaker residence at Conifer Community Park (Beaver Ranch.) The improvements include insulation, some mold remediation, kitchen renovation with new appliances, and a new water heater.

Evergreen Audubon Society, $5,475 for a sign at the entrance to Evergreen Lake Park, two mural panels, and two new exhibits.

Grants to Park & Recreation Districts and Cities included:

Apex Park & Rec. Dist., $225,000 to partially fund 8 pickle ball courts, restrooms, and shelters at the Simms Street Center ( at 82nd).

Columbine Knolls Rec Dist., $11,375 to partially fund improvements at Marker Park including new swing set, Freenote outdoor instruments, and a separate water line to the restrooms.

Evergreen Park & Rec Dist., $79,000 to partially fund replacement and expansion of the boardwalk along the lake and to hard surface the trail to the Nature Center.

Foothills Park & Rec Dist., $100,000 to partially fund replacement of the playground at the Ridge Recreation Center.

Ken-Caryl Ranch Metro Dist., $42,733 to partially fund replacement of the playground at the Community Park.

South Suburban Park & Rec Dist., $6,125 to partially fund a port-o-let enclosure at TrailMark Park.

City of Arvada, $55,000 to partially fund development of Griffith-Station Community Park, 52nd & Carr.

City of Golden, $223,788 to partially fund a trail along 44th Avenue between Golden and Salvia Street.

City of Lakewood, $100,000 to assist in remediation to Bear Creek Lake Park from the 2013 flood damage.

Five weeks after the Advisory Committee had recommended the Master Plan on January 9, a group from the “development community” expressed concerns to the Commissioners and testified at the February 11 Commissioner meeting where approval of the Master Plan was scheduled. The expressed concern was that they had not had time to review the maps. The Commissioners then delayed approval until they could convey specific concerns to Open Space. They were then invited by Tom Hoby to meet personally and that was declined. Tom then requested that they have comments to Open Space by February 24, prior to the March 6, OSAC meeting. The comments were received February 27.

One of the concerns was that some of the balloons surrounding areas containing rare plants and wildlife could be interpreted that all of the land within the balloon was potential for acquisition by Open Space. As such could impact property values and would be considered during rezoning. In actuality, the balloons were from the biodiversity study done by Natural Heritage Program at CSU and are used so that the exact location of the rare plant or wildlife is not shown. Also the Open Space Master Plan is never considered during a rezoning application.

A second concern was the ability of a land owner who did not want Open Space to consider their property, to have the Master Plan maps show exclusions. Open Space has had a policy since the 2008 Master Plan than any landowner could request that their property not be considered. Until this February, no land owner had requested exclusion. A statement to this effect is included in the 2014 Master Plan text. Since the maps are conceptual, staff and OSAC felt that showing these exclusions on a map would serve no purpose.

At the March 6, OSAC meeting language was added to the Master Plan explaining that the maps contained information relative to all of Jefferson County and that the Open Space Acquisition Criteria focus on land that usually is different than lands suitable for commercial and residential development.

At the Board of County Commissioners on March 18, one of the developers testified that there should be no policy of exclusion, and thanked Open Space for the language that they developed to meet his concerns. The person who asked to have his lands excluded thanked Open Space for agreeing to exclude his lands and to show this on the maps when they are finalized. The Commissioners then approved the Master Plan as presented by Open Space.

Wild about Nature: Celebrating 42 years of Open Space: PLAN Jeffco Annual Dinner with the Commissioners

/in /by

 Wild about Nature: Celebrating 42 years of Open Space

PLAN Jeffco Annual Dinner with the Commissioners

The Vista at Applewood Golf Course,  14001 West 32nd Ave., Golden 80401

 Thursday, May 8, 5:30 p.m. to Midnight

Speaker Ian Billick, PhD, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Crested Butte and Gothic: “Science and Land Conservation: Building a Better Tomorrow”.

 PLAN Jeffco invites the public to attend the 2014 annual dinner with Jefferson County Commissioners to celebrate 42 years of Jefferson County Open Space.

The event will start at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, May 8 at The Vista at Applewood Golf Course, 14001 West 32nd Ave., Golden. The speaker will be Ian Billick, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Crested Butte and Gothic, who will be speaking on “Science and Land Conservation: Building a Better Tomorrow”

Tickets are $40 and include a cocktail (cash bar) and an hors d’oeuvres reception, buffet dinner and dessert.  Purchase online at planjeffco.org or call 303-835-0979 to make a reservation.

PLAN Jeffco is a nonprofit citizen organization formed in 1972 to campaign for a one-half percent sales tax to purchase scenic lands for public benefit. It serves as a watchdog and a source of inspiration to the Jeffco Open Space Division, which acquires property and manages 51,000 acres of public land and parks.

In 2000, Billick joined the RMBL in Crested Butte, where he lives. The RMBL was founded in 1928 as a living scientific laboratory in the abandoned mining town of Gothic. Thousands of students and scientists have studied and documented the ecosystems around Gothic, making RMBL an internationally renowned center for scientific research and education. Billick is interested in the interface between science and policy.

For information contact Michele Poolet, PLAN Jeffco board member, ContactUs@PLANjeffco.org, 303-835-0979.

 

 

 

 

There’s a New Version of the 2014 Master Plan…

/in , , , , /by

…for you to read at http://jeffco.us/parks/about/open-space-master-plan/.  Following the February 11th Board of County Commissioners public hearing, the BCC considered approval of the Master Plan.

At that time, members of the development community requested more time to review maps and make comments before approval. They were granted a 30-day extension.

The Open Space Advisory Committee will again review and consider the staff-recommended Master Plan at their regular meeting (open to the public) on Thursday, March 6, 2014 at 7:00 p.m, at the Open Space building, Ponderosa meeting room. Following this meeting, the BCC will consider the Master Plan at their regular hearing on Tuesday, March 18, 2014, 8AM. This meeting is open to the public; it will be in Hearing Room 1, Administration and Courts Facility (the Taj), 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden.

MALT introduces the Pennsylvania Mountain Natural Area

/1 Comment/in , /by

MALT introduces the Pennsylvania Mountain Natural Area. This amazinglMALT_Pennsylvania Mtn Natural Area_2014feb_thumbnaily beautiful area near Fairplay (Colorado) is located near existing residential development is on MALT’s list of highly-desirable conservation projects.

For nearly 40MALT_Pennsylvania Mtn Natural Area_2014feb_thumbnail2 years, this area has been the location for high-altitude graduate and scientific research on a plethora of topics, from fragile tundra plants to pollination studies – bees and plants and which gets pollinated when and how in the High Rockies, to small mammals and their interaction with tundra plants, and more… (http://www.savetheland.org/pennsylvania-mtn).MALT_Pennsylvania Mtn Natural Area_2014feb_thumbnail3

MALT is multi-phasing this project, in an effort to conserve the land and water resources in this Natural Area. Read about the latest research study at http://illumination.missouri.edu/f12/aromatic_attraction  and get more information on this conservation project and others by going to www.SaveTheLand.org.

 

 

MALT Announces the Conservation of 80 Acres in Woodland Park

/1 Comment/in , , /by

MALT — the Mountain Area Land Trust — does great things, and in this case it’s an 80-acre parcel which abuts U.S. Forest Service land. While the Conservation Easement contains an option for an environmental education center and potential eventual acquisition by the city of Woodland Park, it’s wonderful to have this area protected. MALT Announces the Conservation of 80 Acres in Woodland Park

For more information, go to the MALT website at http://www.savetheland.org/latest-news

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) Results Are In – from the February 2014 Count!

/in /by

by Michelle Poolet & Ann Bonnell

Website: gbbc.birdcount.org

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) Results Are In from the February 2014 Count!The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) results are in, and it was a success, with 144,109 checklists submitted, 4,296 different species observed, and 17,748,756 individuals birds counted between February 14-17, 2014!

Browse the results online on the National Audubon/Cornell website:

Results for Jefferson County (Colorado): Jefferson County

Hot Spots for Jefferson County, which includes a number of Jeffco Open Space Parks: Hot Spots for Jefferson County

Results for the nation and worldwide: National and Worldwide Results

The GBBC is one of the more popular projects run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, powered by thousands of citizen-scientists located in nearly every corner of the world. These citizen-science participants are part of one of the world’s largest research teams, gathering data on a scale that would be impossible to achieve otherwise. Scientists analyze these data to understand how birds are affected by environmental change, including climate change, urbanization, pollution, and land use. Participants learn about birds and have opportunities to see their own data on maps along with those of thousands of other participants.

The next Great Backyard Bird Count is scheduled for Friday, February 13 through Monday, February 16, 2015.

Bird watchers and enthusiasts can also check out the following bird projects:

Project eBird »

Count birds anytime, anywhere. A real-time, online checklist program, eBird has revolutionized the way that the birding community reports and accesses information about birds. Launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, eBird provides rich data sources for basic information on bird abundance and distribution at a variety of spatial and temporal scales.

Other Citizen-Science Projects »

Find other citizen-science projects on the Cornell website.

Project FeederWatch »

Each year, 15,000 people count birds at their feeders for Project FeederWatch. With more than 1.5 million checklists submitted since 1987, FeederWatchers have contributed valuable data enabling scientists to monitor changes in the distribution and abundance of birds. Using FeederWatch data, scientists have studied the influence of nonnative species on native bird communities, examined the association between birds and habitats, and tracked unpredictable movements in winter bird populations. Participants gain from the rewarding experience of watching birds at their feeders and contributing their own observations to reveal larger patterns in bird populations across the continent.

Project NestWatch »

By finding and monitoring bird nests, NestWatch participants help scientists track the breeding success of birds across North America. Participants witness fascinating behaviors of birds at the nest and collect information on the location, habitat, bird species, number of eggs, and number of young. Scientists use these data to track the reproductive success of North American breeding birds across the continent. Launched in 2007 with funding from the National Science Foundation, NestWatch has collected more than 100,000 nesting records. Combined with historic data, this information will help scientists address how birds are affected by large-scale changes such as global climate change, urbanization, and land use.

Project Bird Cam »

By watching Bird Cams online, visitors from around the world enjoy live images and streaming videos of birds at their nests. Most recently, our Bird Cams have allowed viewers to follow the courtship, nesting, and chick-raising activities of Red-tailed Hawks, Great Blue Herons, and Osprey. Bird Cams are a unique learning experience for the study and appreciation of animal behavior, viewed by hundreds of thousands of people in more than 130 countries.

Project Celebrate Urban Birds »

Celebrate Urban Birds engages urban and rural residents in science, cultural, and community activities related to birds. Participants receive or download a free kit with posters, flower seeds, and data forms, then observe a small, defined bird-watching area for 10 minutes and report on the presence or absence of 16 species of birds. The project assesses the value of green spaces for birds, ranging in size from a potted plant to half a basketball court. Launched in 2007, Celebrate Urban Birds has partnered with nearly 5,000 community organizations and distributed more than 100,000 kits in English and Spanish. The National Forum on Children and Nature selected Celebrate Urban Birds as one of 30 nationally significant projects to connect children with the outdoors.

Project YardMap Network »

Now in Beta, the YardMap Network is an NSF-funded project that builds online communities to investigate the impacts of bird-friendly and carbon-neutral practices in backyards, community gardens, and parks. Participants will locate their yards or parks on a Google maps interface, then document their sustainable practices, such as adding native plants, putting up bird feeders, installing a solar panel, or biking to work. YardMap will serve as a detailed site description for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s citizen-science bird observations. By providing access to rich media resources for learning about sustainable practices and enabling people share their maps and practices with each other, YardMap strives to create online conservation communities engaged in real life sustainable practices. The YardMap Network will be tested and launched in 2011, in partnership with the National Audubon Society, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Empire State College’s online alumni program, and the American Community Gardening Association.

Educational Articles »

Learn more about local bird species in Jefferson County, Colorado on the PLAN Jeffco Articles that Educate page.