Archive for category: Features & Opinions Archive

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:

Elk Meadow. Photo by Linda Besler (April 2015)

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

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. 

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. 

by Michelle Poolet

Did 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.