Citizens Saving Vanishing Vistas: Colorado Open Lands

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by Vicky Gits

“Colorado Open Lands was an experiment. It was the incorporation of a citizens effort to save what Coloradans love about Colorado,” wrote former Gov. Richard Lamm (1975 to 1987) in an introduction to COL’s 30th anniversary report in 2011.

Colorado Open Lands

Location: Lakewood

Year founded: 1982

Executive director: Tony Caligiuri

Conservation easements in Jefferson County: 6

Acres preserved in Jefferson County: 1,903

Total conservation easements: 297

Total acres statewide in conservation easements: 267,687 in 40 counties

A statewide land trust based in Lakewood since 1982, Colorado Open Lands is an outgrowth of the 1980 Colorado Front Range Project, a citizens group created by then-Gov. Lamm to help shape the state’s future.

In 1982, Colorado Open Lands helped prevent the 3,200-acre Evans Ranch at the foot of Mount Evans in Clear Creek County from becoming a subdivision with hundreds of homes. With the help of a loan from the Gates Family Foundation, COL purchased the land, which was strategically divided into five lots, preserving the bulk of the property.

As of 2015, the nonprofit had 267,687 acres in its portfolio of conservation easements. Conservation easements enable private owners to use their land while agreeing to maintain it in a natural state and forgo real estate development. The landowner receives significant state and federal tax advantages for having donated or sold the easement and the land remains private. The conservation easement “runs with the land,” meaning it applies to present and future owners.

In connection with holding conservation easements, land trusts are responsible for stewardship of the related land, which includes inspecting it on an annual basis and verifying it is being maintained according to the terms of the easement agreement.

Passing the torch

Dan Pike, the former president and CEO of Colorado Open Lands, retired late last year after 17 years.

“Dan Pike has been an iconic leader in the land conservation industry both in Colorado and the national stage,” said Tony Caligiuri, president and CEO, who joined the organization in November from the National Wildlife Federation where he was senior vice president for conservation and education. “Pike was a leader in building Colorado’s first statewide land conservation organization into an organization of national stature,” Caligiuri said.

In 2004, Pike secured the conservation easement on 80,000 acres of the Trinchera Ranch in Costilla County, marking the largest such easement in Colorado history. Now owned by investor Louis Bacon, Trinchera previously was owned by Malcolm Forbes, who set up the conservation easement in 2004.

Pike also chaired the commission that helped establish the parameters for certifying land trusts that hold conservation easements where the state tax credit is used.

In June 2013, COL announced another major achievement with conservation easements on 21,000 acres of Louis Bacon’s Tercio and Red River ranches near Trinidad in southern Colorado.

Pike also initiated outdoor excursions, fishing opportunities and farm-products access to help connect people to conservation lands.

Growth impacts

Caligiuri said current conditions are somewhat less favorable to conservation efforts. “We are currently in a period of economic growth which can impact land values and diminish the ability of land trusts to conserve important landscapes. At the same time, many land trusts established in previous decades are evaluating their own capacity to steward land in perpetuity and the wisdom of too many organizations doing similar work. This is prompting some exciting conversations about partnerships and innovative evolution of the land conservation industry, which should help strengthen the outlook for the future,” Caligiuri said.

While continuing to pursue conservation easements, COL has launched a pioneering program to connect people to conserved land. The Conserved Colorado initiative allows buyers to purchase items such as beef, wine and family vacations, from people who have chosen to permanently conserve their land.

“Conserved Colorado allows people to support conservation through their buying power, and creates an additional incentive for property owners looking at the potential benefits of conserving their land,” Caligiuri said.

COL is certified by the state Conservation Easement Oversight Commission and also accredited by the national Land Trust Alliance. Colorado requires that all easement holders be certified by the state under a law signed by Gov. Bill Ritter in 2008 in order for donors to receive the tax credit.

COL in Jefferson County

Conservation easements: 6

Total acres: 1,903

Bear Tooth Ranch – North Hogback Valley

Heine Wildlife Sanctuary – Wheat Ridge

Indian Hills

Knoebel (B Bar K) South turkey Creek

Mirador Ranch – North Mountains

Williams Wildlife Preserve (Five Fridges Farm) – Wheat Ridge

A few of COL’s successes are:

Trinchera Ranch, 80,000 acres, 2004.Costilla, County, San Luis Valley. Malcolm Forbes- donated conservation easement, largest conservation easement in Colorado history.

Pine Cliff Ranch, Douglas County, 3,400 acres. Donated by Sedalia resident James Rathbone Falck for protection in 1986.

Heil Valley Ranch, 1,200 acres. Now part of Boulder County’s North Foothills Open Space, Heil Valley Ranch was a conservation easement to ensure the protection of County-owned open space purchased using Great Outdoors Colorado funds.

Wahatoya Valley, 1,019 acres, late 90s. Spanish Peaks area.

Wahl-Coleman Ranch, Park County, 3,600 acres, 1999. Protects iconic gateway views from Kenosha Pass.

Heron Pond Natural Area, 46 acres. South Platte River Greenway.

Allis Ranch Preserve, Douglas County, 830 acres. 1.5 miles of West Plum Creek.

Bar K Ranch III, Gunnison County, 480 acres.

Mission statement: “Our mission is to preserve the significant open lands and diminishing natural heritage of Colorado through private and public partnerships, innovative land conservation techniques and strategic leadership while bringing a statewide perspective based on our staff’s collective 100-plus years of experience.” 

SB-206 Signed Into Law: Greater Incentives for Conservation in Colorado

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This morning, Governor Hickenlooper signed Colorado Senate Bill 15-206 into law, providing greater financial return to landowners who wish to protect their land and water with a conservation easement.

Effective January 1, 2015, the bill increases the amount of the individual conservation easement tax credit in Colorado to 75% of the first $100,000 of the fair market value of the easement, and 50% of the fair market value above that amount. The cap is increased to $1.5 million.

THANK YOU to Sen. Roberts, Sen. Hodge, Rep. Garnett, and Rep. Keyser for sponsoring this bill. Another big thanks to CCLT lobbyist Benjamin Waters, CCLT public policy committee, and policy contractor Brandon Rattiner – your tireless efforts made the difference! SB-206 improves this conservation incentive and supports landowners in their decision to place conservation easements on their land.

Trails Talk (May 2015)

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Open Space held their Second Trails Talk program at the Mountaineering Center April 29. Trails Talks are planned for the spring and fall of each year to make the public aware of the trails activities and to obtain feedback from the public. About 40 public and 15 staff were present.

Tom Hoby, Open Space Director, announced that JCOS has started using the Twitter blog#jeffcotrails as a means of communicating trail conditions. The Twitter blog allows trail users to report their observations of trail conditions on the web where others can access them. Significant closures will still be posted on the Open Space Website, but the Twitter blog will allow for instantaneous communication.

Open Space with funding from the Jeffco Outdoors Foundation is preparing a series of eight regional trail maps that will include all trails, recreational facilities, parking areas, and much additional information within each region. The goal is to have all eight maps available by the fall Trails Talk program. The printing cost of the maps will be supported by advertising and donations; they will be available at no cost to the public.

Hoby also mentioned that JCOS’ first priority was taking care of what we already have and increasing volunteer stewardship of the trails. The Friends of Apex put in about 600 hours last year in repairing flood damage to Apex trails and have committed this year to continuing the work, especially in some areas on the Pick and Sledge trail that are subject to erosion.

The above items are implementations of goals presented in the 2014 Master Plan. The 2011 Citizen Survey indicated the desire to have equal weighted priorities for preservation and recreation.

Dave Davenport, Outdoor Recreation Coordinator, discussed the development of difficulty ratings for each of the trails. The trails will have an over-all rating and each trail intersection will indicate the rating for the next section of trail. The ratings are:

Least Difficult

More Difficult

Most Difficult

Typically the Least Difficult trails will have average grades of less than 3% and elevation gains minus losses of 100 feet. The More Difficult trails will have grades of less than 10% and elevation gains minus losses of less than 1000 feet. The Most Difficult trails will have grades greater than 10% and elevations gains minus losses greater than 1000 feet. These trail ratings will help bikers and equestrians, especially, gauge the difficulty of a trail before starting off and possibly finding themselves in trouble mid-trail.

At present Jeffco has 87 miles of Least Difficult, 115 miles of More Difficult, and 27 miles of Most Difficult. As new signs are placed on the trails they will indicate the difficulty: a green circle for Least Difficult, a blue square for More Difficult, and a black diamond for Most Difficult.

Kim Frederick, Trails Services Superintendent, discussed the Annual Trails Assessment made at the beginning of each year. The assessment then is used to set the maintenance priorities for the year. Since Jeffco has three types of trail surfaces the assessment basis varies for each type: Natural Surface, Crusher Fines Surface, and Concrete Surface.

Trails in good condition and expected to remain in good condition are scheduled only for routine maintenance. Trails in fair condition probably will require some corrective action to stabilize the trail condition in order to deter further degradation. Trails in priority condition need major attention because of impacts to the natural resource and the recreational experience. It may be necessary to close these trails until stabilization work has been completed. This year 85% of the trail mileage was in good condition, 13% was in fair condition, and only 2% was in priority condition requiring prompt attention.

Volunteer assistance is appreciated for all levels of maintenance. To volunteer, go to http://jef fco.us/open-space/volunteer/, or call Jana Johns, Volunteer Services Administrator, at 303-271-5922.”

Mary Ann Bonnell, Visitor Services Superintendent, discussed the changes in Designated Use Trails that will be effective May 15, 2015. These changes are an outcome of feedback from the 2014 Trails Talk attendees. Open Space had 33 trails with designated uses with the goal of improving visitor safety and their experience. The designated uses were: Hiker Only, Bike Only, Alternate Day Use, Multiple Use, Hiker/Horse, No Dogs/Horses/Bikes, and Directional Use. When staff began their evaluation, the objective was to:

Improve Visitor Safety;

Enhance the Visitor Experience;

Reduce Confusion.

Outcomes were: 1) Centennial Cone – restrict horseback riding to weekdays and the non-biker weekend days to reduce the conflict with bikers traveling at faster speeds; 2) Deer Creek – horses will be allowed on the previously hiker-only trails; 3) Lair o’ the Bear – remove the bikes/horses signage between the entry road and the restroom and also allow horses and dogs on the Creekside Loop; 4) Mount Falcon – allow horses on the Turkey Trot Trail and designate Parmalee and Tower Trails as multiple use; 5) South Valley – allow horses on the Swallow Trail.

Amy Ito, Planning and Stewardship Manager, discussed the new trails process, The 2014 Master Plan goal was a minimum of 25 miles of new trail by 2019. The implementation goals for new trails are to address the demand, enhance the experience, and focus on trails closer to homes. At present there are 25 miles of trail in the planning process; these are being studied for practicality, potential routing, and impact on the natural resource. There are 2 miles in detailed design. There are 17 miles presently under construction.

One question after the program was the potential for trails on Mt. Glennon, near the town of Morrison. Director Hoby said that Mt. Glennon was under natural resource study this year prior to potential route evaluations, but that a trail along the hogback from Alameda to Morrison probably would be completed first.

The evening ended with most of the audience discussing specifics with staff at the various stations set up to support the subject matter of the program. 

Leaving Only Footsteps? Think Again!

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by Michelle Poolet 

So you think you’re only leaving footsteps when you’re out in the wild? Think again after reading this opinion article in the February 13, 2015 New York Times by Christopher Solomon. Solomon discusses and quotes much of the data that Dr. Sarah Reed presented at PLAN Jeffco’s November 2013 conference. The title of Drs. Reed and Sarah Thomas’ presentation at our conference was “Balancing Recreational Access and Conservation Objectives in Open Space Programs.”The focus of their presentation was that outdoor recreation may enhance human health, but what about the impact on animals? Click to read a summary of their presentation or purchase the complete proceedings of the conference, which includes full write-ups and slides used by the presenters.

Photo of an elk in the snow. Leaving Only Footsteps? Think Again! by Michelle PooletSolomon’s article discusses the loss or movement of wildlife away from areas of different forms of recreation in the outdoors. Surprisingly the studies show that motorized vehicles cause less disruption because their noise alerts the animals and they don’t stay around for very long. Read the entire article at: The New York Times

Thanks for your interest in Open Space, and thanks for reading our articles. To become a PLAN Jeffco member and become more involved with our open spaces: Membership 

Westerners Care About Conservation — The Results Are In!

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by Michelle Poolet

The most recent Conservation in the West poll, conducted by the Western Resource Advocates, shows that westerners really care about clean air, clean water, and access to their open spaces.

Photo: Arizona Loves Its Water - Westerners Care About Conservation — the Results Are In!Arizona Loves Its Water 
Arizona may be a desert state, but the polls show the Arizonans care deeply about water. 89% of people in Arizona say that the low levels of water in rivers is a serious problem … 

Photo: Colorado Loves Its Outdoor Lifestyle - Westerners Care About Conservation — the Results Are In!Colorado Loves Its Outdoor Lifestyle 
Coloradans love their state and truly value their clean environment and outdoor lifestyle, with public land access trumping even economic opportunities for the greatest draw. Above all other states, Coloradans were the most in favor of politicians promoting greater renewable energy usage and protecting public lands … 

Photo: New Mexico Loves Its Public Lands - Westerners Care About Conservation — the Results Are In!New Mexico Loves Its Public Lands 
New Mexicans love their public lands and they are the state with the highest percentage of people likely to reject the sale of public land to reduce the federal budget deficit … 

Photo: Utah Worries About Its Air Quality - Westerners Care About Conservation — the Results Are In!Utah Worries About Its Air Quality 
Residents of Utah love their close access to public lands and low cost of living, but worry about their water supplies and air quality… More than any other Western state, people of Utah felt that air pollution or smog was a problem, with two-thirds saying it is a very serious problem. 

Photo: Wyoming Loves Its Access to Public Lands - Westerners Care About Conservation — the Results Are In!Wyoming Loves Its Access to Public Lands 
Wyoming residents love where they are and more residents say access to public lands is a reason to live and stay where they do more than economic opportunities, taxes or cost of living. 97% of Wyoming residents polled said they visited public lands in the past year, with 43% saying they had been more than twenty times! 

Western Resource Advocates (WRA)You can read the full article at: Western Resource Advocates

Western Resource Advocates (WRA) is a regional non-profit conservation organization headquartered in Boulder, Colorado with programs and staff from Idaho to Arizona. Their mission is to protect the West’s land, air, and water. Their toolbox includes law, science, economics, advocacy, education, and action. 

Starting the Discussion: Regional Conservation Networks

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by Vicky Gits

“We need to find out what’s on your radar screen and get those things on the map,”—Tom Hoby.

Jefferson County Open Space is encouraging conservation enthusiasts to think regionally and get together with like-minded individuals across county and organizational lines.

In pursuit of the goal Jeffco Open Space conceived and hosted a “Conservation Café,” to explore the idea of creating “conservation networks,” specifically four such networks, targeting four major drainage regions in Jefferson County.

Ralston Creek, Clear Creek, Bear Creek and Deer Creek potential conservation areas were discussed.

PLAN Jeffco and The Jeffco Outdoors Foundation joined in as sponsors of the half-day event and participated in the planning process. The idea for the event grew out of a proposal by PLAN Jeffco on how to implement the acquisition strategies in the recently adopted Open Space Master Plan.

Forty-five individuals involved in recreation, parks, nature preserves and watershed joined Open Space staff for the gathering November 20, 2014 at the Boettcher Mansion on Lookout Mountain. See side bar for the 35 organizations attending.

The goal was to introduce the concept of regional conservation networks and explore the possibility of creating regional conservation networks in Jefferson County.

The structure of the gathering was “World Café style.” Participants rotated among four conversation centers covering four geographic areas of concern: Ralston Creek, Bear Creek, Clear Creek and Deer Creek, all of which run from the western border of the county to the east.

Organizations represented at the Conservation Cafe:

Bear Creek Watershed Association
Boulder County Parks and Open Space
Clear Creek County
Clear Creek Land Conservancy
Coalition for the Upper South Platte
Colorado Department of Health and Environment
Colorado Ecological Services Office
Colorado Open Lands
Colorado State Land Board
Conifer Area Council
Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield
Denver Mountain Parks
Denver Mountain Parks Foundation
Denver Water
Douglas County Open Space & Natural Resources
Evergreen Audubon Society
Federal Highway Administration
Foothills Park & Recreation District
Golden Gate Canyon State Park
Great Outdoors Colorado
Jeffco Outdoors Foundation
Jefferson County Conservation District
Jefferson County Nature Association
Ken Caryl Master Association
City of Lakewood
Lariat Loop National Scenic Byway
National Park Service
Jeffco Open Space Advisory Committee
PLAN Jeffco
Rocky Mountain Wild
Table Mountains Conservation Fund
Team Evergreen
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers
Water Action Network
City of Westminister

Executive director Tom Hoby set the stage by introducing the concept of regional conservation and describing the successful Chatfield Basin Conservation Network (CBCN), which was created in 2006 and functioned for about six years before disbanding. (See Chatfield Basin Conservation Network Green Infrastructure System: Conservation Connections for Nature and People, May 2006.

The CBCN consisted of 75 partners, including several developers. As a group they worked together to identify important conservation priorities, such as preserving trails and wildlife corridors around Chatfield Basin.

The network received a $6 million grant from Great Outdoors Colorado, and partners acquired the property that resulted in Hildebrand Park, created a trailhead at County Line Road between Broadway and Santa Fe, and created the Audubon Nature Center at Chatfield State Park.

Hoby cited the example of the creation of the Front Range Mountain Backdrop, an $80 million investment, as another successful regional effort.

The main purpose of conservation networks is to identify various lands that, in the opinion of the network members, need to be preserved for various reasons. The second part is to demonstrate the need to the general public.

“Jeffco Open Space’s guiding philosophy is we only deal with willing buyers and fair market values,” Hoby said.

“How much land is enough? It’s difficult to quantify. Some people think we have enough and others think there is never enough,” Hoby said.

“We need to say why that’s important, categorically, whatever those things might be. Conservation is an ongoing process. Not something we are going to be done with some day. We can slice and dice them however we want to. The ones we identify could be a starting point or expanded,” he said.

“We need to find out what’s on your radar screen and get those things on the map,” Hoby said.

After the introductions, participants broke up into groups to discuss their areas for 15 minutes per group.

These breakout groups viewed large tabletop maps and made notes on their goals such as creating trail connections from Meyer Ranch to Beaver Ranch, From Flying J Open Space Park to Evergreen and from Flying J to Conifer High.

Overall, there was a concern for protecting areas identified as especially valuable for biodiversity purposes by scientists from Colorado State University under the Colorado Natural Heritage study program that identifies the rarest and most threatened species and plant communities: Survey of Critical Biological Resources Jefferson County, Colorado.

The Ralston Creek Region has some efforts that are underway. The Rocky Mountain Greenway project builds on President Obama’s “America’s Great Outdoors Initiative’ intended to connect communities to the nature that surrounds them. This initiative includes connecting the Rocky Mountain Arsenal to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Associated with the Rocky Mountain Greenway is the desire to realize the full alignment of the Colorado Front Range Trail. Identification of opportunities to fill gaps in this important north-south trail alignment across Colorado is most important in this northern portion of Jefferson County, leading into Boulder County where there are many on-road and off-road cycling possibilities.

View sheds were discussed as critically important to preserve along both the Indiana and Highway 93 corridors. Protecting the Ralston creek watershed and water quality in the corridor were found to be important.

The Ralston Creek Region is rich in natural resources, including the Preble’s Jumping Mouse, raptors of all kinds, sensitive native prairie habitat, and open expanses which enable wildlife movement. Protecting areas of high biodiversity is paramount in this region.

Conversation on the Clear Creek region referred to preserving the view north from I-70 to Centennial Cone. Large parcels in the watershed such as the Goltra property east of Centennial Cone and north of Clear Creek Canyon Park need to be protected.

Maintaining momentum on the Peaks to Plains Trail project along Clear Creek was discussed along with protecting gaps along the corridor with emphasis on wildlife habitat and movement.

A shuttle from the Jeffco Courts & Administration building along the Lariat Loop was mentioned as a means of allowing more people to enjoy the parks and cultural resources in the area.

Suggested opportunities for preservation of lands in the Bear Creek Region include private lands west of Matthews/Winters Park, east of Red Rocks Park, and south of Lair o’ the Bear Park. Water quality was discussed by the articipants for this region along with forest health and wildfire mitigation. Also discussed was the expansion of Firewise practices on all properties within the region.

Additional trails to connect Evergreen with Morrison and Conifer were discussed.

Conservation partnerships were the focus of discussion about the Deer Creek Region. Because of the many areas of high biodiversity, there is need for a preservation effort that focuses on plant communities, watershed/source water protection, restoration, and recreation.

The major water corridors, including the South Platte, Buffalo Creek, and Deer Creek offer opportunities for large-scale restoration. Trail opportunities include along the South Platte and connecting Conifer with the parks in the Region.

At the end of the morning, JCOS planning director Amy Ito said the division staff was committed to choosing one of the four areas and organizing and leading a conservation network group for that area. It would be up to participants to organize other groups.

PLAN Jeffco’s Margot Zallen urged the JCOS staff to think about how many opportunities might be lost if the staff doesn’t think about the rest of the county at the same time.

Open Space is planning to start with a Network focusing on the Deer Creek Region. There are at least 56 partner agencies in this region and many efforts already are underway.

The staff report on the conservation Café is posted on the Open Space web site under Meetings. 

Stampeding Black Elephants

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by Michelle Poolet

Stampeding Black ElephantsDid you realize that PLAN Jeffco and Jefferson County Open Space are an integral part of a world wide effort to deal with massive environmental problems such as global warming, climate change, deforestation, mass extinction and water pollution? Well, we didn’t either until we read Tom Friedman’s op-ed piece in the New York Times Sunday Review Section on November 23, 2014 entitled “Stampeding Black Elephants.”

So what’s a Black Elephant? When Friedman was at the recent World Parks Congress in Sydney, Australia, he heard this term used for the first time. The Black Elephant is a cross between “… ‘a black swan’ (an unlikely, unexpected event with enormous ramifications) and ‘the elephant in the room’ (a problem that is visible to everyone, yet no one still wants to address it).”

The Black Elephant in question is the plethora of environmental issues which are influencing each other — global warming, deforestation, ocean acidification, mass extinction and massive fresh water pollution. These tragedies strike and we claim they’re unpredictable black swans. In truth they’re the elephant which is already in the room.

The Congress brought together some 6,000 scientists and environmentalists from around the globe, all of whom were focused on the same goal: “guarding and expanding protected areas, which are the most powerful tools we have to restrain the environmental black elephants.”

Russ Mittermeier, one of the world’s leading primatologists, said to Friedman that “…protected forests, marine sanctuaries and national parks are not zoos, not just places to see nature. They are the basic life support systems that provide the clean air and water, food, fisheries, recreation, stable temperatures and natural coastal protections that sustain us humans …”

This article brings a global perspective to what we’re trying to do in Jefferson County, in preserving and conserving our open spaces. Friedman cites perspective after perspective, from countries across the world, and they all point to a common thread of thought…our open spaces and “parks are really the heart, lungs, and circulatory systems of the world — and they’re all endangered.” You can read the entire column in The New York Times online.

Fish & Wildlife Proposes 700 Acre Burn at Rocky Flats

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by Michelle Poolet

U.S. Fish & Wildlife is planning a “controlled burn” of 701 acres in the southern section of Rocky Flats. LeRoy Moore, PhD, a consultant with the Rocky Mountain Peace & Justice Center and Boulder resident who has followed Rocky Flats for 35 years, has raised the alarm.

We first heard of this plan via Judy Dennison’s “Golden Newsletter”. Judy re-published a letter that Dr. Moore had written for the Boulder Camera, the full text of which can be found here: Rocky Flats burn a bad idea.

Rocky Flats, which is now a National Wildlife Refuge, is managed by U.S. Fish & Wildlife. During the 40 years (1952-1989) when Rocky Flats housed a nuclear weapons plant, there were documented episodes of plutonium release, on-site and off-site. The subsequent Superfund Cleanup “stabilized” Rocky Flats by sequestering plutonium particles in the soil.

The concerns of Dr. Moore and his colleagues is that, when the soil is disturbed, as it will be by a burn of this magnitude, it will release the plutonium into the air. Aerosolized plutonium is the most dangerous form this radioactive contaminant can assume, since it’s easily inhaled by unknowing victims. And plutonium doesn’t destabilize and loose its radioactivity very quickly. From the EPA website: “… the half-lives of plutonium isotopes tend to be relatively long: Pu-238 has a half-life of 87.7 years; Pu-239 has a half-life is 24,100 years, and Pu-240 has a half-life of 6,560 years. The decay process continues until a stable, non-radioactive element is formed.”

This week, both the Golden Transcript and the Westminster Window have picked up the news story and detailed it more completely. To read these articles, go to The Golden Transcript, or The Westminster Window. The articles quote Paula Elofsen-Gardin — a Rocky Flats activist and longtime researcher of Rocky Flats history, David Lucas — refuge manager for the Fish & Wildlife Service, Michelle Gabrioloff-Parish — resident of nearby Superior, CO, which is downwind of Rocky Flats, and Dr. Moore — former professor and co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Peace & Justice Center.

Dr. Moore has created an online petition located at: Cancel the “prescribed burn” at Rocky Flats. It requests that the Fish & Wildlife Service consider cancelling the prescribed burn (scheduled for sometime in April of 2015) because of the potential for plutonium release as a result of this burn.

Apex Park Fully Reopens – All trails open to the public following flood recovery efforts

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by Tim Sandsmark, Lookout Region Supervisor, Jeffco Open Space

Apex Park fully reopened on Monday, Nov. 24 for the first time since the devastating floods of September 2013.

Apex Park Fully Reopens - All trails open to the public following flood recovery efforts Apex Park Fully Reopens - All trails open to the public following flood recovery efforts

Jeffco Open Space staff installed several bridges and abutments last week on lower Apex Trail, which was the only remaining area closed. To maximize efficiency and effectiveness, a helicopter was used to deliver the staff-built bridge decks to the park for final assembly and installation. Visitors can now access all 9.5 miles of trail at the popular 697-acre park.

With the full reopening, odd-day directional travel by mountain bikers will be reinstated on Apex, Argos and Enchanted Forest trails, as had been in effect prior to the flooding events.

The flood event severely damaged 3.8 miles – roughly 40 percent – of the trails at Apex Park, which was one of two Jeffco Open Space Parks closed in its entirety. Using a phased approach to recovery, staff and volunteers repaired washed-out segments of the Apex, Pick ‘N Sledge, Sluicebox, Enchanted Forest, Hardscrabble, Grubstake, Bonanza, Poco Calle and Argos trails.

Community support and staff dedication were vital to the recovery effort. Volunteers put in a total of 906 hours during 16 separate projects to reopen the Park for public enjoyment.

“We appreciate everybody’s patience and all the great support we’ve had from volunteers and trail users,” said Kim Frederick, Trail Services Supervisor for Jeffco Open Space. “We’re looking forward to completing flood recovery at other locations.”

Remaining repairs on the Mustang and Wrangler’s Run trails at White Ranch Park will continue during the winter as weather conditions allow. The projection to open those trails, as well as the Mesa Top Trail at North Table Mountain Park, is late spring or early summer 2015. Work is also ongoing on a formalized trailhead on the east side of Apex Park, which is slated to open in spring 2015.

Apex Park Fully Reopens Nov. 24 - All trails open to the public following flood recovery efforts

For a bird’s eye view of bridge installation, see www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Gp0CAeMoxA

MORE INFO:

Apex Park

Apex Park Update – Work Progresses on the New Trailhead

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by Tim Sandsmark, Lookout Region Supervisor, Jeffco Open Space

You may have noticed the flurry of activity happening at Apex Park. The large dirt mound from excavation and grading is now gone as work progresses on the new trailhead area. In addition, much work has occurred on the closed portion of the lower Apex Trail.

Trailhead Project

Jeffco Open Space and County Road and Bridge crews have been working steadily on completing the new restroom, walkways, grading of slopes for erosion control and construction of the new concrete trail extension. The current pace of activity is dependent on weather and barring other unforeseen circumstances.

Apex Park Trail Network

Most of Apex Park’s trails have been open since last winter, but a severely damaged section of the lower Apex Trail remains closed. State and local permits were obtained and final approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) occurred in October to make significant repairs. Efforts are progressing rapidly and require the installation of 3 bridges and a large culvert in the most heavily washed out areas. The bridges are being constructed off site and will be lifted into place by helicopter. Work is also taking place on trail erosion and maintenance efforts on the west section of Apex Trail.

Thanks to the efforts by our Open Space trails staff and many dedicated volunteers, we are still on track for the Apex Trail restoration efforts to be completed by November 26. Once the lower Apex Trail is reopened, the odd-day directional travel by mountain bike will be reinstated on Apex, Argos and Enchanted Forest Trails, as had been in effect prior to the flooding events.

Remaining activity will include repairs to the upper Apex Trail and the realignment of the damaged Pick N’ Sledge Trail which will continue into the Spring of 2015. Some limited trail detours or closures will occur for this remaining construction activity.

Apex Park Update - Work Progresses on the New Trailhead

Volunteers & Trails staff working on bridge abutments and trail repair on the lower Apex Trail on October 29th at Apex Park (Jefferson County Open Space).

MORE INFO:

Apex Park