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.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.
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!
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.
Trails Talk Forum – “Know Before You Go”
/0 Comments/in Calls to Action, JeffCo Open Space, News & Views /by Michelle PooletFor Immediate Release:
This event will be held on Wednesday, April 29, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., at the American Mountaineering Center, 710 10th St, Golden, CO 80401 in the first floor conference rooms.
The topics at the Trails Talk will include the Trail Difficulty Ratings, the Annual Trails Assessment, upcoming trail projects, the Jeffco Outdoors Regional Map Series, and an update on the designated-use trails working group. Following a presentation, staff experts will be available for one-on-one questions on a variety of topics.
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. We are funded with a one-half of one percent sales tax that has preserved over 53,000 acres and created 28 regional parks and 230 miles of trails in Jefferson County.
Katie Matthews, Community Relations and Marketing Coordinator
Jefferson County Open Space
303-271-5960 Direct 720-415-9173 Cell
www.jeffco.us/open-space
Michelle Poolet here, from PLAN Jeffco: for a flyer which you can print out and share with family, friends and neighbors, click on the image to download.
Tuesday Birder Group Visits Bear Creek Lake Park
/0 Comments/in Articles That Educate /by BlogMasterTuesday Birders, led by Ann Bonnell, Dave Hill, and Phil Gerkin, visited Bear Creek Lake Park, a City of Lakewood Park, on March 31st for a four-hour walk amidst 58° – 75° weather to record bird species and numbers.
The following is their report:
Leader(s): Ann Bonnell, Dave Hill, Phil Gerkin
Observers: 30 (three groups)
Time: 0845-1300
Distance: 7.25 miles walked (combined)
Habitat: Reservoir, riparian, cottonwood, willow, cattails, open fields.
Elevation: 5800’
Weather: Mostly sunny, 58-75 degrees F, wind SE 0-5 mph.
Totals: 32 species, 217 individuals.
Summary:
Copyright © 2015 Ann Bonnell
Save The Date, 2015 Annual Dinner
/0 Comments/in Calls to Action, Events & Parties, Items of Interest, Past Events /by Michelle PooletCelebrating Land Trusts
Honorees:
Clear Creek Land Conservancy
Colorado Open Lands
Mountain Area Land Trust
2015 Annual Dinner
Meet and chat with the county commissioners
SAVE THE DATE
Monday, Sept. 21, 2015
The Vista at Applewood Golf Course, Golden
5:30 p.m. ‑ cocktail social hour
Registration opens in July at www.planjeffco.org
HELP US STAY IN TOUCH: If you would like to be on our email reminder list for this and future events please contact: Co*******@********co.org
Download a PDF version of our PLAN Jeffco 2015 Annual Dinner SAVE THE DATE announcement here.
Jeffco Open Space 2014 Annual Report…
/0 Comments/in Items of Interest, JeffCo Open Space, News & Views, Reports & Documents /by Michelle Poolet…is now available online. You can download a copy of Preservation in Progress 2014 from the JCOS website http://jeffco.us/open-space/reports/annual-report/ or you can read it online at www.issuu.com/jeffcoopenspace .
For additional information or questions, please contact Thea Rock, JCOS Manager of Communications, directly at tr***@*************co.us, D 303-271-5902, C 720-556-3354.
Open Space Parks – Seasonal Nesting Closures
/0 Comments/in Events & Parties, JeffCo Open Space, News & Views /by Michelle PooletIn addition, four rock-climbing crags in Clear Creek Canyon Park are currently closed to protect nesting golden eagles. The areas known as Stumbling Block, Bumbling Block and Skinny Legs/Blonde Formation are all within one-quarter mile of an established nesting area with bolted climbing routes directly blow it. These crags are located west of Tunnel One in Clear Creek Canyon and will remain closed through mid-May.
Jeffco Open Space monitoring volunteers, natural resources staff and park rangers will monitor these sites and enforce the closures. Help us protect the wildlife that make Jeffco Open Space Parks and Trails the extraordinary places that enrich our lives.
303-271-5903 direct
720-556-3354 mobile
Westerners Care About Conservation — The Results Are In!
/0 Comments/in Items of Interest, News & Views /by Michelle PooletThe 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.
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…
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…
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…
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.
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!
You can read the full article at http://westernviews.org/2015/02/27/the-results-are-in-westerners-care-about-conversation/
[Western Resource Advocates (WRA), a regional non-profit conservation organization headquartered in Boulder, CO 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]
Leaving Only Footsteps? Think Again!
/0 Comments/in Features & Opinions Archive /by BlogMasterby 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.
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!
/0 Comments/in Features & Opinions Archive /by BlogMasterby 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.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.
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) 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.
Leaving Only Footsteps? Think Again!
/0 Comments/in Items of Interest, Land Preservation, News & Views, Wildlife /by Michelle PooletSo 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” (you can purchase the proceedings of the conference now). The focus of their presentation was Outdoor recreation may enhance human health, but what about the impact on animals?
Solomon’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 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/opinion/sunday/leaving-only-footsteps-think-again.html?_r=0
Rocky Flats Burn Delayed
/0 Comments/in Items of Interest, News & Views /by Michelle PooletRead the entire article at http://www.denverpost.com/News/ci_27475898/US-Fish-and-Wildlife-Service-bows-delays-Rocky-Flats-burn.