Archive for month: February, 2025

Volunteers are the heartbeat of the Jefferson County Open Space system. In 2024, 6,038 individuals logged 57,000 working hours. They completed 549 projects, preserved 291 acres and created 17 miles of new trails.

All this effort represented the equivalent of 31 full-time workers, said Tom Hoby, executive director, at the 2025 Conservation Awards ceremony Jan. 30 at the Lakewood Cultural Center.

In his introductory remarks, Hoby highlighted efforts in forest health/fire mitigation by treating almost 900 acres with the help of various partners in four years. This represents 90 percent of the five-year goal.

He also commended the firefighters and Jeffco Sheriff’s Office for their response to the Quarry fire that burned some 800 acres including parts of Deer Creek Canyon Park last August. Deer Creek Park, Rattlesnake Gulch and Black Bear trails continue to be closed as a result of the fires.

Tunnel One to Huntsman Gulch. Hoby acknowledged substantial progress last year on the three-mile-long, $80 million Huntsman segment of the Clear Creek part of the Peak to Plains Trail from Tunnel One to Huntsman Gulch, west of Golden. This is the most expensive and most difficult section of the 19-mile canyon leg of the 65-mile trail. So far, two trailheads and a 1,500-foot viaduct, similar to the structure in Glenwood Canyon, have been built. Three of seven bridges have been placed. To help fund the build, Open Space secured $40 million from partners at CDOT, GOCO, DRCOG and local governments. The first half of the new segment is expected to open in late summer 2025.

The winners of the conservation awards were as follows:

ASPEN AWARD – For outstanding service by a volunteer in their first three years.

Amy Eisentrager: Amy turned in an incredible 600 hours, mostly on the trails restoration team. The job turned out to be essential to her healing process after a debilitating illness in 2022. She also participates in the Boettcher gardening, data and observatory teams. She has a passion for learning and teaching others about the importance of trail maintenance and restoration, in addition to wielding a pickax and a shovel.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN JUNIPER AWARD – For outstanding service with a stewardship project or education initiative. Allan Reid. He devotes 80 percent of his time to trails, and the rest to park patrolling and teaching a geology class. Reid spent 100 days last year on various trail projects. Joining open space in 2014 was just another volunteer job but it turned into a passion. “Every day is fantastic,” Reid said in the video interview. “When I finish the day, I feel I have done something positive,” he said.

DOUGLAS FIR AWARD – Recognizing an organization that is an outstanding partner in a conservation effort.  Team Rubicon and Arvada Fire Protection District for the Van Bibber fire mitigation project. This was a massive cleanup of a potential fire danger in the middle of the city of Arvada, removing 77,000 cubic feet of waste and creating a defensible space in a two-day period.

BLUE SPRUCE AWARD – For creating programs that connect people to healthy, nature-based experiences.  Josh Pollock, for Narrow Gauge Slabs Climbing Crag Development Coordination. Josh was instrumental in bringing numerous diverse groups from different backgrounds together to create a beginner-friendly climbing area in Pine Valley Ranch Park.

GAMBEL OAK AWARD – For pioneers in preserving open space and park lands. Denver Water for Strontia Springs Reservoir Watershed Sediment Mitigation Management partnership. Using low-tech and natural materials such as willow branches and stakes, participants created stream fences that keep sediment and contaminants from flowing into the water treatment plant.

JOHN LITZ AWARD – Recognizes an individual for significant long-term contributions to open space and conservation. Marsha Trout, 14-year volunteer, Marsha is a climber and mountain biker who turned her passion into action and loves getting her hands into the dirt. She is noted for her positive attitude and for bringing baked goods and homemade Oreos to work projects. She has had many volunteer jobs, but her favorite is trail work. “Every trail is a legacy,” she said.  She is also an educational specialist. Her enthusiasm inspires other volunteers.

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