Park Association Releases Economic Impacts Study

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The National Recreation and Park Association unveiled a study showing that local and regional public park agencies generated nearly $140 billion in economic activity and supported almost 1 million jobs in 2013.

In CoCrown Hill OS Park with dog walkerslorado only, local and regional parks generated $4.6 billion in operations and capital spending, representing 36,247 jobs statewide.

Colorado was second in the nation in spending on a per capita basis with $878 per person, compared to Illinois in first place with $1,007 per resident and Utah, with $706 per resident in third place.

The Economic Impact of Local Parks study is largely based on estimates of spending by local and regional park agencies on annual operations and capital expenditures.  It does not include visitor spending or any estimates of improvement in health and wellness or property values.

Researchers derived spending estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2013 Annual Survey of Public employment and payroll. Capital spending data was based on the ratio of capital spending to operational spending as shown by the NRPA database for 1,169 local and regional park agencies.

The National Recreation and Park Association, based in Ashburn, Va., commissioned the study from the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University.

The study is available at nrpa.org

 

Developer Gives Up On Applewood Golf Course Rezoning

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Applewood_Golf_Course_2As of Nov. 6, developer Carlson and Associates has dropped its plan to buy the 145-acre Applewood Golf Course in unincorporated Jefferson County near Wheat Ridge. The Prospect Recreation and Park District is now in a position to buy the property as open space following a Nov. 3 election in which voters approved a 1-mill property tax as well as an increase in debt up to $19 million to buy the land from Molson Coors.  The beer company has owned the golf course since the 60s. Molson Coors said in a statement that they are considering all options including selling the land to park district.  Carlson and Associates was seeking a rezoning to allow for 424 homes. The course and restaurant are at 140001 W. 32nd Avenue.

 

Park Visitors Attest to Restorative Effects of Nature

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Jeffco Open Space logoResearch points to both the mind-clearing and brain-boosting benefits of spending time outdoors. Jeffco Open Space visitors provide anecdotal evidence of the restorative effects of nature.

“Spending time in nature gives you time to think, to get ideas in your mind that, with crowds and people around you, you might not,” said Allan Reid of Arvada.

A 2012 study found that people immersed in nature for four days boosted their performance on a creative problem-solving test by 50 percent.1 The results support what Albert Einstein once said: “Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better.”

Dominic Dezzutti of Highlands Ranch is a believer. “Get out there in nature wherever it is,” he said, “because that’s what’s going to clear your mind, whether it’s a breeze, the sunshine or the view. You then get an idea that whatever you’re facing, you can overcome it.”

That sentiment is in keeping with 2007 findings from the University of Essex that in a group of people suffering from depression, 90 percent felt a higher level of self-esteem after a walk through a country park, and almost three-quarters felt less depressed.2

Time spent outdoors helps Jeffco Open Space visitors organize thoughts to make better choices. Said Rich Urbanowski of Lakewood, a frequent visitor to Mount Falcon Park,  “It helps me prioritize some of the things I have going in life.”

According to a 2014 Behavioral Sciences publication, “Exposure to natural environments protects people against the impact of environmental stressors and offer physiological, emotional and attention restoration more so than urban environments.”3

Of the benefit of time spent in nature, Hannah Mehsikomer of Denver puts it simply. “It’s a way to recuperate,” she said. “Everyone works too much during the week.”

1 Atchley RA, Strayer DL, Atchley P. Creativity in the wild: improving creative reasoning through immersion in natural settings. PLoS One 2012;7(12).

2 Peacock J, Hine R, Pretty J. Got the Blues, then Find Some Greenspace: The Mental Health Benefits of Green Exercise Activities and Green Care; University of Essex: Colchester, UK, 2007.

 3 Berto R. The role of nature in coping with psycho-physiological stress: a literature review on restorativeness. Behav Sci 2014;4(4):394-409.
Jeffco Open Space was founded as a land conservation organization in 1972 to preserve land, protect park and natural resources and provide healthy nature-based experiences. Funded with a one-half of one percent sales tax, the agency has preserved over 54,680 acres, and created 28 regional parks and 230 miles of trails in Jefferson County.

Jefferson County Public Health is committed to promoting health, preserving the environment and preventing injury and disease for the residents of Jefferson County, Colorado. For more information, call (303) 232-6301 or visit jeffco.us/public-health.

Will LebzelterJeffco Open Space logo_capra

Communications Associate

D 303-271-5961, C 720-556-3353

jeffco.us/parks

 

Invitation to In Plein Sight 2016

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Dear Open Space and Art Lovers,

In Plein Sight - PLAN Jeffco is excited to announce a series of events to celebrate the beauty of our open space in September & October 2016. Plein air painting by Don Hamilton (pictured here) and many others.For more than 40 years PLAN Jeffco has worked for the protection and conservation of our open spaces. Because of our initiatives, Jefferson County established the first county-wide Open Space lands program and has protected more than 55,000 acres of open space lands with outstanding scenic, natural or recreational values.

As open spaces and art lovers, PLAN Jeffco is excited to announce a series of events in September and October 2016 to celebrate the beauty of our open space. These events will include an art exhibit, a week of plein air painting in our Jefferson County Open Space parks and an art show with the freshly painted landscapes to view and purchase.

In addition to providing a unique cultural experience for our entire Metro Denver community, these events will allow attendees to bring the beauty of Jeffco’s Open Space parks into their homes and offices as a reminder of why we live in Colorado.

We invite you to join us to promote these events by becoming a sponsor!

Proceeds from your sponsorship will help PLAN Jeffco continue its successful efforts to conserve our open space lands. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Margot Zallen, President of PLAN Jeffco

Margot Zallen, President of PLAN Jeffco

PLAN Jeffco 2015 Annual Dinner

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PLAN Jeffco 2015 Annual Dinner 
with the County Commissioners to Celebrate 43 years of Conserving Jeffco’s Open Spaces

“Celebrating Jeffco Land Trusts”

Date: September 21, 2015

Location: The Vista at Applewood Golf Course, 14001 W 32nd Ave, Golden, CO 80401

Honorees: Clear Creek Land Conservancy, Colorado Open Lands and Mountain Area Land Trust.

Their efforts have protected over 11,000 acres in Jeffco and over 290,000 acres in Colorado.
For this we all owe them a big THANK YOU!

The September 21 dinner in the Vista Room at the Applewood Golf Course was enjoyed by the almost 100 attendees. The dinner was also attended by the three County Commissioners and Tom Hoby, the Open Space Program Director who joined with PLAN Jeffco in honoring the Mountain Area Land Trust, Clear Creek Land Conservancy and Colorado Open Lands. All of these have been actively protecting Jeffco open space lands and two of these also focus their efforts on preserving lands throughout Colorado.

Representatives of the land trusts received framed photographs of properties that they have conserved. Peter Morales, a member of the PLAN Jeffco board, volunteered his services as photographer.

Claire Riegelman received the award for the Clear Creek Land Conservancy. The conservancy has protected lands on both sides of Clear Creek.

PLAN Jeffco 2015 Annual Dinner - Celebrating Jeffco Land Trusts - Claire Riegelman received the award for the Clear Creek Land Conservancy. The conservancy has protected lands on both sides of Clear Creek.

Dan Pike and Tony Caligiuri receive the award for Colorado Open Lands. Colorado Open Lands has protected lands along North Turkey Creek and adjacent to Golden Gate State Park.

PLAN Jeffco 2015 Annual Dinner - Celebrating Jeffco Land Trusts - Dan Pike and Tony Caligiuri receive the award for Colorado Open Lands which has protected lands along North Turkey Creek and adjacent to Golden Gate State Park.

Kurt Ballantyne receives the award for the Mountain Area Land Trust. MALT got its start with an easement on Noble Meadow and since then has protected many properties within the county, including a large area of Resort Valley.

PLAN Jeffco 2015 Annual Dinner - Celebrating Jeffco Land Trusts - Kurt Ballantyne receives the award for the Mountain Area Land Trust. MALT got its start with an easement on Noble Meadow and since then has protected many properties within the county, including a large area of Resort Valley.

Birds of Mount Falcon

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On September 29, seventeen members of the “Tuesday Birders” spent four and one-half hours looking for and counting birds at the West (upper) end of Mount Falcon Open Space Park. One hundred ninety-five individual birds, representing 31 species, were sighted. At the upper park’s elevation, about 7800 feet, both plains and mountain species can be seen.

The most common mountain species were:

nuthatches – 18 pygmy, 6 white-breasted, and 2 red-breasted; and

dark-eyed juncos – 18 gray-headed, 1 pink-sided, and 1 Oregon.

The most common plains species were:

robins – 15 American and

sparrows – 10 chipping and 2 juvenile whitecrowned.

Coopers Hawk. Photo by William H. Majoros (Wikipedia.org).

Cooper’s Hawk. Photo by William H. Majoros (Wikipedia.org).
Black-Capped Chickadees. Photo by CheepShot (Wikipedia.org).

Black-Capped Chickadees. Photo by CheepShot (Wikipedia.org).

Hawks included:

1 Cooper’s,

2 red-tailed, and

1 American kestrel (it really is a falcon).

Woodpeckers included:

2 Hairy and

3 northern flicker.

Jays included:

2 pinyon and

6 Steller’s.

Chickadees included:

16 mountain and

3 black-capped.

Bluebirds included:

39 western and

6 mountain.

Finches:

22 Cassin’s and

2 lesser goldfinch

Other birds identified were:

1 turkey vulture,

1 black-billed magpie,

3 American crow,

1 common raven,

2 brown creeper,

6 Townsend’s solitaire,

1 yellow-rumped warbler,

1 western tanager, and

1 pine siskin. 

See also:

Mount Falcon Park 

Copyright © 2015 Ann Bonnell

Prospect Park Rec District Tries to Buy Golf Course

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Applewood Golf CourseFrom: Denver Post, 08/29/15

Prospect Recreation and Park District has submitted a ballot measure to its voters requesting help in acquiring the Applewood Golf Course property in Jefferson County.

The measure asks voters to incur a debt to finance the purchase of the 140-acre property, which has been the center of controversysince a developer announced plans to purchase it for residential development.

A second ballot measure asks for a one-mill property tax increase to support the Prospect Recreation and Park District properties generally, including this proposed acquisition, district board chairman Jim Zimmerman said in a news release Friday….

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_28720969/rec-district-seeks-ok-to-purchase-applewood-golf-course-near-golden

Meadow to Mountain: Mountain Area Land Trust

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by Vicky Gits

Mountain Area Land Trust’s first success was helping to preserve Elk Meadow Open Space Park near Evergreen, one of the most visible and most loved scenic parks in the foothills area.

Mountain Area Land Trust

Location: Evergreen

Year founded: 1992

Executive director: Jeanne Beaudry

Conservation easements in Jefferson County: 47

Acres preserved in Jefferson County: 7,567

Total conservation easements: 68

Total acres in conservation easements: 14,707

Still a viable elk grazing area today, 23 years ago, the land previously known as Noble Meadow was on track to become a high-end housing development.

Under a cooperative land-purchase agreement, the developer/owner Hiwan Ridge Development donated the 281-acre conservation easement to MALT; Jefferson County Open Space purchased 117 acres, Evergreen Park and Recreation District purchased 10 acres for athletic fields and the community raised $200,000 toward the purchase price of $2.28 million.

Six counties

Based in Evergreen, MALT is active in the mountain areas of Boulder and Jefferson counties, as well as Clear Creek, Park, Gilpin and Teller counties.

It currently has about a dozen active conservation efforts in progress, said executive director Jeanne Beaudry, who joined the organization in January 2009.

In its focus area of Jefferson County, MALT holds 47 conservation easements over 7,567 acres. In total MALT has conserved 14,707 acres in 68 private conservation easements and one fee-held property from 1992 through December 2014 in six counties.

Saving the aspens

Exemplifying its spirit of stewardship, in 2014 MALT spearheaded a project that fenced off a dying grove of aspen saplings on one of its large properties in Clear Creek County. Known as a desirable bird habitat, the trees were being overgrazed by mule deer and elk. MALT provides long-term monitoring as well.

High-altitude research

This summer MALT is partnering with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado and others to design and build a one-mile loop trail at Pennsylvania Mountain Natural Area. The site has been used for scientific research for more than 37 years.

Beaudry said preserving an area on Pennsylvania Mountain was one of her most memorable and significant efforts to date. “Pennsylvania Mountain Natural Area is so biologically significant. It encompasses research, 1,800-year-old bristlecones and recreation.”

“There are only two other high-altitude research areas where they study climate change and effects on trees, animals and pollinators. It was private property and slated to be sold for building large homes.”

MALT purchased 92 acres of the 500-acre site in 2014 as part of a multiphase project.

Nationally accredited

MALT earned national accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission of the Land Trust Alliance in September 2012. Achieving national accreditation is a documentation process requiring years of effort and means a group meets the highest professional standards.

MALT was certified by the Colorado Conservation Easement Oversight Commission in March 2010, as required by state law.

A few of MALT’s successes are:

North Fork of the South Platte River near Bailey, 71 acres, 2015. Conservation easement on scenic property formerly used as a retreat owned by a bicycling club in the early 1900s. Preserves half mile of river frontage.

The Nicholas Family Mountain, 50 acres, 2014, Bailey, near the Mount Evans Wilderness. Includes several rustic cabins from the early 1900s and mountaintop views. Family-owned for three generations, it was the family’s dream to see it conserved forever.

Bristlecone view Horizon and Bristlecone View Horizon South Park County ranch near Fairplay, 1,400 acres, 2011. Visible from both U.S.285 and Highway 9, this large conservation easement by a single owner preserves views on the way to mountain resorts in Summit County.

Long Meadow Ranch, Park County, 240 acres, 2013 Historic ranch on U.S. 285 on the North Fork of the South Platte River.

Public-private projects in Jefferson County, (partially owned and managed by other public entities):

Elk Meadow Open Space

Beaver Brook Watershed

Bergen Nature Trail

Blair Ranch

Owen property Upper Bear Creek

Conservation easements in Jefferson County include the following:

Chatfield Turkey Farm, 43 acres, Jefferson County, 2013. Historically part of a turkey farm. Today provides habitat for big-game including elk, mule deer, black bear, turkey and mountain lion.

Roller-Roller estate, 57 acres, 2013, near Conifer and U.S. 285, the Roller-Roller estate is adjacent to the James Q. Newton Park on the south. Current and proposed use is outdoor recreation and outdoor education. Access will be provided through outdoor and conservation classes.

Upper Bear Creek near Evergreen, 2013, 70 acres. Habitat for mountain lion, black bear, turkey, mule deer and more. Preserves scenic enjoyment along upper Bear Creek Road.

Mission statement: “Our mission is to save scenic vistas, natural areas, wildlife habitat, water resources, working ranches and historic lands for the benefit of the community and as a legacy for future generations.”

MALT Preservations:

MALT Preservations - Elk Meadow. Photo by Linda Besler (April 2015)

Elk Meadow. Photo by Linda Besler (April 2015)

MALT Preservations - Columbines. Photo by Allan Casey (July 16, 2015)

Columbines. Photo by Allan Casey (July 16, 2015)

New Apex Park trailhead opens Thursday, 8/27

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JCOS logoDear Apex Park friends-

We are very pleased to announce that we will be opening the new trailhead area on the east side of Apex Park tomorrow.  Although a more formal grand opening will occur next month, all trailhead amenities will be open tomorrow.  The trailhead includes many new features including a new restroom with water (water fountain, bottle filler and dog watering fountain).  The trailhead also has a new improved parking area, concrete trail connection for all users and a soft surface trail for hikers.  A new kiosk will also provide information and educational information.

Please note, the temporary upper parking area and trailhead will now be closed and all access on the east side will move to the new trailhead area.

Happy Trails everyone!!

Tim

Tim Sandsmark

Lookout Region Supervisor

D 720.497.7602 C 303.916.6553

jeffco.us/parks

Join Jeffco Open Space in Celebrating National Public Lands Day

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JCOS logo
Volunteer Work Centered on Elk Meadow Park

National Public Lands Day is Saturday, September 26, and Jeffco Open Space welcomes your volunteer contributions at Elk Meadow Park in Evergreen. Volunteers will help to improve the trail that originates at the Buchanan Park Recreation Center and travels through Noble Meadow. They’ll also restore plants native to the area.

Registration is required through www.jeffcoopenspace.eventbrite.com. The event is from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Heavy rains in 2015 have resulted in damage to the trail. As visitors have tried to avoid muddy areas, the trail has widened and braided, becoming three separate paths in some areas.

Nearly a mile of the trail, to the north of Painter’s Pause, will be improved to withstand storm damage, including a slight re-route.

National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands. To learn more, visit http://www.publiclandsday.org/about.

Jeffco Open Space was founded as a land conservation organization in 1972 to preserve land, protect park and natural resources and provide healthy nature-based experiences.  Funded with a one-half of one percent sales tax, the agency has preserved over 53,000 acres and created 28 regional parks and 230 miles of trails in Jefferson County.

2014 Jeffco Open Space Annual ReportJeff Golden

Communications Assistant

303-271-5963

jeffco.us/parks

For more information or to comment on this posting, please contact Thea Rock, Communications Manager, Jeffco Open Space, trock@jeffco.us or 303-271-5902.