Archive for category: JeffCo Open Space

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new trail in town! Here’s the full story, plus an amazing list of other projects which are on-going or have been completed…what a busy summer!

Clear Creek Canyon Park- Gateway Segment Open

Finally! The Gateway Segment of the Clear Creek Canyon Trail, that you’ve been reading about and heard so much about for months now, is open! It opened on August 25, following a 4 P.M. “cable cutting” ceremony, which was held at the Gateway Trailhead.

This 1.75-mile trail connects with downtown Golden along Clear Creek via the Grant Terry Trail and continues west to Tunnel 1 alongside US 6. The two new trailheads – one at the entrance to the canyon and one east of Tunnel 1 – feature more than 170 parking spaces, permanent restrooms, and shade structures. The parking area at the Gateway Segment Trailhead has the added features of a bike repair station, a bike rack with metal frame crafted from the parts of cars retrieved from the canyon during construction, and a drinking fountain that includes a ground-level fountain for four-legged hiking companions.

This project also includes the first suspension bridge in Jefferson County. This pedestrian-only crossing of Clear Creek near Tunnel 1 connects hikers with the restored wooden flume of the Welch Ditch on the south wall of the Canyon. Water access is also improved with rock staircases along the trail. This Gateway Segment – part of the Peaks to Plains Trail – honors the area’s mining history with materials and treatments like stained concrete and bridge railings that are designed to help the trail blend in with the canyon.

Access this new segment by parking at the Gateway Trailhead located at 20050 US Highway 6, in Golden at the intersection of US 6/HWY 93/HWY 58.  The trail will be open from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, with electronic gates at both parking facilities closing at those times to prohibit overnight parking.  With the opening of this new trail, park visitors are reminded to recreate responsibly.

Crown Hill Park Concrete Trail Replacement

Have you been to Crown Hill Park lately? JCOS is replacing big sections of the concrete trail on the south and west sides of the park. The cumulative effects of time, weather and traffic have taken a toll. Anticipate seeing trail detour signs and respect them. The affected trails will be closed for the duration of the work. Reconstruction is currently slated for September 20-27, but this may change, based on contractor availability and the weather. The project should take a full week to complete. No vehicle traffic will be allowed on the trails until October 18, to allow for some extra curing time.

White Ranch Park

The Trails Team & the Trails Stewardship Team, along with COMBA (Colorado Mountain Biking Association), are working on a small reroute of the Mustang Trail.  The reroute will replace the current section of Mustang Trail, which has deteriorating wooden ramps and parallels a drainage.  The new route will move the trail away from an adjacent riparian area, up onto the hill side. COMBA has also been volunteering to help keep the Middle Longhorn Trail in good shape, as it tends to develop erosional dips and swales from overuse. The Trails Team is targeting the opening of the rerouted Mustang Trail by the end of September.

Deer Creek Canyon Park

Scott Waters, Trail Services Team Lead, has a volunteer trail project every Tuesday & Thursday from April-November in Deer Creek Canyon Park.  In August, Scott and eight volunteers worked on a section of trail on Rattlesnake Gulch.  They worked on cutting back vegetation, worked on treading the trail, and enhanced the functionality of a switchback by widening it into more of a climbing turn.

Fairgrounds Trail

Scott Waters, Trail Services Team Lead, hosted a volunteer day to give much needed love to a trail in the system that starts at the Jeffco Fairgrounds and travels to Green Mountain Park in the City of Lakewood. Once again, Scott and the volunteers performed stellar trail work by restoring parts of the former trail, while constructing areas of new trail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elk Meadow Park

Mechanical trail construction wrapped up at Stagecoach South.  The finished tread work will be completed in the future.

Beaver Ranch Park

Trail construction continues at Beaver Ranch. The Trails Team cut roughly 2 miles of trail in August, and finished off about 1.5 miles of trail!  Work has started on the section of a new trail from Coyote Creek down to the bridge crossing. Huge thanks to the Trail Services Team for the assistance in knocking out the tread work after the Sutter went through.

Lair o’ the Bear Park

Park Services and Cory Marusin, Region Coordinator for Open Space, worked together to add material and grade the parking lot.  There are many more spaces now, a big improvement!!

Burro Patrol Team Unite!

Meet the Burro Patrollers, a volunteer group of teens and adult leaders assembled by Shaun Howard, Park Ranger. The Burro Patrol patrols the trails, looking for park visitors who are doing “the right thing”, such as dog-on-leash, bagging out trash, and staying on trail. When found, the Burro Patrollers give out small gifts and giant thank-yous. The Burro Patrol is also involved in service-based projects and assists at the trail courtesy popups. This summer, the Burro Patrol has helped with trash pickup, trimming emergency access routes, removing trees over trails, and assisting natural resources in deployment of research traps – specifically for the Natural Resources Team study of the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse. Keep an eye out for the burros and their pack goat assistants, coming to a park near you!

Photos by Chelsea Beebe and Shaun Howard

Help Reduce Wildfire Danger

Don’t forget the SLASH collection program, it’s happening now until the end of October, at rotating locations every weekend. Protect your home and community from wildfire by creating defensible space around your home to reduce risk of wildfire. Bring your tree debris to Jeffco SLASH this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, 9AM to 4PM each day. More info: https://www.jeffco.us/slash

Jeffco Bike Plan

Jeffco Transportation and Engineering is in the process of updating the Bicycle Plan for the county, focusing on unincorporated Jeffco and linking to Open Space or other popular destinations. For more information go to the Jeffco Bike Plan Update

 

Fall Stewardship Webinar Series

Jeffco Invasive Species Management and CSU Extension (Boulder, Jeffco, and Larimer Counties) are hosting a four week speaker series from September 15 through October 6.  This free program will educate and inform small acreage property owners on the latest trends in land stewardship. The talks are geared for owners of 2-10+ acres but all are welcome. Virtual sessions, from 6:00–7:30 pm. register here.

Volunteers Wanted for National Public Lands Day

Join us for National Public Lands Day along Clear Creek Trail near the Wheat Ridge Greenbelt to help with trash cleanup, vegetation trimming, noxious weed removal, planting and seeding, beaver tree painting, gold panning mitigation, and graffiti removal in the Golden Cliffs climbing area. End the day with a celebration at Anderson Park, FREE FOOD & FUN!

Register: offero.jeffco.us/Calendar

 

 

 

 

 

Photo of the Month

Every summer the Natural Resources Team assists Colorado Parks & Wildlife with the bighorn sheep survey in Clear Creek Canyon Park. This year the sheep did not disappoint! The team saw a total of 20 individuals throughout the canyon, including a large group of rams near Tunnel 1 and a group of ewes and yearlings just north of the Big Easy Trailhead. This monitoring not only provides a seasonal estimation of individuals and important age group and sex ratios, but it’s also a great opportunity to help our state wildlife agency and be a partner in conservation.
Photo by Natural Resource Specialist, Michelle Desrosiers

 

What a month! Miss Mountain Manners is astonished at how busy the Parks are in the summertime! There’s so much that needs to get done before the snow flies, and in the higher elevation parks, that will happen before you know it. Recreate responsibly, check https://www.jeffco.us/1531/Alerts-Closures for trail conditions and closures before heading out.

Miss Mountain Manners wants to let everyone at JeffCo Open Space know how proud we at PLAN Jeffco are of the terrific work that they’re doing. The next time you’re in one of our Parks and you see a JCOS Staffer or Volunteer, introduce yourself and say “thank you”.

 

 

So much has happened during this very busy month of July! Let’s dig in and see what Open Space has been up to!

1,192-ACRE GOLTRA ACQUISITION

Win-win is an understatement with this land conservation effort.  After numerous discussions with the Goltra family, JCOS plans to permanently preserve 1,192 of the 4,800 acres they own just outside Golden adjacent to Mount Galbraith, Clear Creek Canyon and Centennial Cone Parks.

The acquisition of this beautiful property continues the nearly fifty-year-long legacy of preserving land for conservation and public enjoyment.  JCOS has been working with the conservation-minded Goltra family and Martin Marietta Materials to bring this to fruition.  This property preserves more than double the acreage acquired in the 2004 exchange with the prior mine owner, LaFarge.  That exchange preserved 522 acres, primarily at North Table Mountain Park.

Next steps for the Goltra acquisition and HSE Agreement Amendment include consideration by the Jeffco Open Space Advisory Committee on August 5, 2021, for their recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners.

 

BEARS, BEARS, EVERYWHERE…

The Human-Wildlife Interactions 2021 Quarterly Report is in and it was a big quarter for bear sightings across our system of parks.  13 sightings were reported for a total of 17 individuals, including cubs.  Here are some excerpts from the interactions as reported by our visitors:

WSP: Running on Gudy Gaskill Trail from the west today, I came down into a little draw and heard the “huff” sound of a bear and looked to see the bear running away from me directly down the draw.  The bear stopped after a bit and watched to see what I would do.  I stayed still for a while, then walked further on the trail, which put me above and farther from the bear.  As I slowly climbed past (about 100 ft away at this point), the bear decided to leave, and turned and took off up the hill on the other side.

PVR: When walking back eastbound from the west termination of the Narrow Gage Trail, my wife and I sighted a black bear beside the fence along the trail about 50 or 60 yards ahead of us.  The bear was on the opposite side (north) of the fence from the trail.  The bear raised on its hind legs and balanced on a fence post with its front legs and stared at us for 10 or 15 seconds. This surprised us because with previous bear sightings, the bear has always immediately scampered away. 

In both cases, no negative interactions were reported. If you sight a bear, or any other critter, for that matter, and you want to report the sighting, go to https://www.jeffco.us/3620/Human-Wildlife-Interactions and fill out the form. Jeffco Open Space staff strives to balance the protection and preservation of wildlife and their habitat while promoting a safe and positive visitor experience. Visitors that provide information on wildlife interactions play a critical role as stewards and partners in managing wildlife. All reports are anonymous.

 

ALDERFER/THREE SISTERS 2020-2023 PLANS

In April of this year, JCOS hosted a virtual community meeting to discuss proposed trailhead expansion, a parking management plan, and visitor management strategies. The results of the 30-day public comment period are in, check out the report at https://www.jeffco.us/DocumentCenter/View/28177/AlderferThree-Sisters-Park-Community-Meeting-Public-Comment-Report-2021.

 

CLEAR CREEK CANYON PARK – GATEWAY SEGMENT

The Trails Team continues to make great progress on construction of stairs and creek access points. The Buildings & Historic Sites Team is busy constructing the entry signs.

The Building and Historic Sites team finished up the restroom, it passed final inspection from the City of Golden.

The Trails Team completed construction of the beautiful timber stairs that links the main Trail to the Welch Ditch trail.

Final Update Video of the Gateway Segment
The JCOS contractor and staff are working towards completing finishing touches on the Gateway Segment, nearing the volunteer and employee preview days, and the official ‘cable cutting’, which is currently scheduled for August 25^th.  This part of the Clear Creek Trail has taken nearly 2-1/2 years to complete. You can view its progress on the Clear Creek Canyon Park Gateway Segment Construction Updates YouTube channel; it’s truly a wonderful project.  The most recent video update is now available >> Watch the video

 

ELK MEADOW PARK – JENKINS PEAK

Trail construction to Jenkins Peak continues at Elk Meadow Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN NATURE CENTER

The Nature Center at the Lookout Mountain Preserve is once again open after over a year of COVID shutdown. Check the schedule for all the upcoming educational programs and events at https://www.jeffco.us/1568/Educational-Programs.

 

 

 

 

 

SOUTH TABLE MOUNTAIN – FIRST T-REX TOOTH FOUND IN 1874

Back in June of 1874 a School of Mines geology class was hiking on South Table when a student found a large serrated tooth. Edward Berthoud, who was at the time a Geologist at the School of Mines, packed up the tooth and sent it to O.C.Marsh, a leading vertebrate paleontologist at Yale University.

The tooth lay unstudied, in the Yale collection, until 2000, when Dr. Kenneth Carpenter, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, identified it as Tyrannosaurus rex tooth. It only took 126 years to get it figured out, but the South Table Mountan tooth is the first fossil evidence of T. rex ever discovered.

The trail that will traverse the easement included in the DOE Land Exchange at South Table will be named “T. Rex Tooth”. Now it’s up to you to help protect South Table. Prospecting or collecting fossils is not allowed. If you spot a fossil that has weathered out after a rain or snow event, notify JCOS or DMNS immediately. Removing a fossil from a site without thorough documentation can compromise historical understanding.  Illustration of the tooth is by Edward Berthoud.

 

 

 

MOUNT GALBRAITH – HEAT STROKE MEDICAL EMERGENCY

It’s true that (generally) air temperature decreases as you move up-elevation, and Mount Galbraith tops out at 7260 feet. But even the cooler air at elevation cannot guarantee protection from heat stroke. On 7/20, Jeffco Rangers assisted with a helicopter evacuation of a heat-related medical emergency on Mount Galbraith. A young man presented with symptoms of heatstroke – rapid pulse, disorientation, delirium, loss of consciousness, flushed skin, no perspiration.

You can prevent heat-related medical emergencies. Dehydration exacerbates heatstroke. Monitor for signs of heat stress including headache, nausea, poor coordination, and fatigue. Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water and take breaks in the shade before you think you need to.

 

HOT DOG IN THE SUMMERTIME

 It’s hot out there, and as much as we all love to hike with our best fur-friends, maybe it’s better to leave them at home until the weather (and the surface of the trails) cools down a bit. Dogs don’t sweat like we do, so they can’t get rid of the excess heat that can build up to the point where it’s life-threatening. Do you know the signs of heatstroke in dogs? If you notice:

• Rapid panting
• Bright red tongue
• Red or pale gums
• Thick, sticky saliva
• Weakness/constant desire to sit or lie down
• Wanting to stop and lay down
• Vomiting/diarrhea
• Shock

Then you need to take immediate action:

• Seek shade immediately
• Wet dog with cool water or wet cloth on foot pads, groin, armpits, and ears
• Fan air on dog
• Take dog to vet as soon as possible

KEEP ONE EARBUT OUT!

Heatstroke isn’t the only danger to dogs in the parks. Rattlesnakes happen. Their home is the park; we are only visitors. KEEP DOGS ON LEAD. Keep one earbud out. Wear close-toed shoes. Be aware of your surroundings. Teach children how to be safe in rattlesnake country.

Do you know what to do when you encounter a rattlesnake? It’s something called the 30/30 rule:

• Back away by 30 feet;
• Give the rattler 30 to decide to leave;
• Repeat as necessary;
• Do NOT throw rocks or try to move the snake, that only serves to make them defensive.

Do you know what to do if you get bitten by a rattlesnake?

• Call 911 immediately, give them an EXACT location;
• Keep the bitten area at or below the level of the heart;
• Take off jewelry or any other constricting item (anticipate swelling);
• DO NOT cut, suck, or ice the bite area.

Do you know what to do if your dog gets bitten by a rattlesnake?

• Know before you go – find the veterinary closest to the Park that stocks antivenom.
• Immediately transport your pet to that veterinary.

 

JEFFCO SLASH HELPS REDUCE WILDFIRE DANGER

SLASH means something other than twigs and brush – it stands for Sustainable Lands And Safer Homes. Jeffco Open Space is partnering with the County as they provide a rotating sequence of slash (the twigs and brush) locations for drop off over the summer.

What’s accepted?  Tree debris, limbs up to 8 feet in length and a maximum diameter of 6 inches, loose pine needles, tree bark, and pine cones. Leaves are accepted at the Thunder Valley location only.

You can bag the little stuff, but be prepared to dump out the debris at the drop off site. Take the bags home, refill them, and come by again.

Don’t bring construction material or lumber, household trash, metal of any kind, rocks, tree stumps, yard waste or grass clippings.

The cost is modest, $20 a load (6 cubic yards, 162 cubic feet), credit cards only. For detailed information on what constitutes a “load” go to https://www.jeffco.us/2493/Slash-Collection. Check the Slash Collection Calendar for the date of the closest location to you.

 

TRAILS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

Applications for the Jeffco Open Space Trails Partnership Program (TPP) are available now! If you haven’t heard about this program, and you are part of an organization that could use financial support for trails and connectors, you may want to head on over to https://www.jeffco.us/4138/Trails-Partnership-Program and check it out.

The TPP provides financial support to partners seeking to meet the goals of the Jeffco Trails Plan: improve safety, provide equitable access, and increase connectivity of Jefferson County trails or greenspaces. Applications are due on September 20 with expected January 2022 funding.

During the first year of the TPP (2020-21), over $2.7M was gifted to partners who applied for the TPP. The projects ranged from trail bridge maintenance to trails several miles long, so no project is too small or too large. Apply now!

 

NEED A RIDE TO THE TRAILHEAD? CALL LYFT

Take advantage of JCOS’ pilot program that aims to shuttle visitors to and from the Open Space parks while avoiding the hassle of overcrowded trailhead parking. The pilot program is servicing three parks: North Table Mountain, west trailhead; South Table Mountain, Camp George West and the Golden Hills access points; White Ranch, east trailhead. Through the end of the year, Lyft users can take advantage of a $2.50 reduction in fare, each direction. Discounts will be valid during park hours, seven days a week, to these locations.

Going somewhere not serviced by the Lyft discount? Download the Lot Spot app and check for parking availability ahead of time. Fourteen (14) trailheads are Lot Spot enabled.

Don’t forget, some parks and trails may be closed for seasonal or construction reasons, so check before heading out. https://www.jeffco.us/1531/Alerts-Closures

 

IT’S FIRE SEASON: TIPS TO STAY SAFE

At Jeffco Open Space Parks:

No campfires, including at campgrounds.

No charcoal grills or open flames – visitors are allowed to use liquid or gas fueled grills or camp stoves in designated camping and picnic areas only.

No smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or a developed trailhead area that is devoid of all vegetation. Visitors must safely and properly dispose of all cigarette butts.

In general and at your home:

Keep an eye out for Red Flag warnings and limit hazardous activity on those days.

Properly dispose of cigarette butts in receptacles.

Do not burn brush or trash.

Avoid parking in dry grass.

Do not operate machinery which could cause sparks or open flames (torches, chainsaws, etc.).

Keep trailer chains from dragging on the ground and sparking.

Create a defensible space around your home by using the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) zone concept.

Choose fire-resistant plants.

Regularly prune trees, mow grassy areas, and remove dead and dry plants that could fuel a fire.

Take advantage of the Jeffco SLASH program and recycle your slash at a safe facility.

 

RANGER TEAM – 2021 2ND QUARTER STATS

Let’s hear it for the Open Space Ranger team!  In the second quarter of 2021, our Rangers made over 9,000 informal Stewardship Education contacts along our Open Space trails and at the  trailheads.  Rangers gave 550 verbal warnings to correct compliance concerns.  Rangers issued 79 written warnings and 98 tickets in the 2^nd Quarter.  Top three offenses were Parking, Control of Pet, and Posted Notice.  Rangers picked up 619 unattended poop bags and properly disposed of them in waste receptacles.  Overall education contacts, including social media, traditional media and ranger programs totaled 675,658!

 

BRUSH TRUCK

Through an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for interdepartmental transfer between JCOS and the Jeffco Sheriff’s Office, JCOS is now the proud manager of a Type VI Brush Truck.  The truck will be used for fire suppression on JCOS managed lands.  The truck will be utilized by a future JCOS Wildland Fire Team (WFT).  The Ranger team is currently crafting safety, equipment, certification, and management trigger SOPs for the WFT.  The WFT will comprise current JCOS employees authorized, through specific training and certifications, to respond at a higher level than routine operations to wildfires on JCOS lands or bordering lands that may impact JCOS property. When responding to a fire, the WFT will operate as a mutual aid resource under the command of the fire Incident Commander.

 

 

 

AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA)

It’s time to start sharing your ideas about how to spend the $$$ that will be flowing to Jefferson County through the American Rescue Plan Act. On the Jeffco website there’s a form through which the community can provide input to help develop funding ideas and prioritize community needs.  This link to www.jeffco.us/ARPA will help those who would like to provide input on the Plan to make sure that all ideas and proposals get collected and reviewed. These digital entries and are much easier to organize and track than emails or voicemails coming in from many sources. Share your ideas now by going to www.jeffco.us/ARPA and taking the survey.

 

What a month! Miss Mountain Manners is astonished at how busy the Parks are in the summertime! It pays to check ahead, to confirm that you will be able to park safely and responsibly when you get there. The idea of having a chauffeur take you to the trailhead is intriguing. After a long and arduous experience in the park, the driver can pick you up and transport you to your favorite spot for a refreshing post-hike libation, then take you directly home. How much better could this get?

Miss Mountain Manners wants to let everyone at JeffCo Open Space know how proud we at PLAN Jeffco are of the terrific work that they’re doing. The next time you’re in one of our Parks and you see a JCOS Staffer or Volunteer, introduce yourself and say “thank you”.

 

 

Despite a cold and snowy start to the month of May, JCOS was able to make good progress on many project fronts…read on!

Beaver Ranch Park

Trail construction is underway, and the Trails Team is making great progress.

Through an extensive community engagement process, the Beaver Ranch Park Master Plan was completed in 2017 and includes an outline for park-wide improvements.  The primary focus of the proposed improvements is to create a main trailhead at the Park’s entrance and limit the vehicular access beyond this new space.  The trailhead will become the primary parking destination for most visitors, and most amenities not included in the new trailhead design will be accessed on foot.

As a part of park-wide improvements included in the Master Plan, Jefferson County Open Space is considering a relocation of the dog off-leash area.  To get a better understanding of the community needs, a Beaver Ranch Dog-Off Leash survey was issued, which ran from April 1 – April 30.  To follow what’s happening at Beaver Ranch, click the link to the Open Space Beaver Ranch Park page.

Peak to Plains Trail

The Buildings & Historic Sites Team repaired railing along the trail damaged from a rockslide in early May (freeze-thaw, anyone?).

Lots of great progress happening in Clear Creek Canyon as JCOS races towards the Grand Opening in August.

The entire trail segment south of Clear Creek has been poured and awaits stain in late July.  The concrete entry drive for the Gateway Trailhead was poured in late May and the permeable pavers were scheduled to be completed by the end of that week.

At the Tunnel 1 Trailhead, the last lift of asphalt in the parking lot as well as the two new deceleration lanes were completed.  There’s still a lot of work to do, but JCOS is on track to open on August 5!

P2P Trail – Clear Creek Canyon Park Gateway Segment

Wet and cold temperatures in the early part of May allowed interior work to continue with electrical, plumbing fixtures and finishes installed.  Warmer temperatures in mid-month allowed for the installation of exterior stone, window manufacturing, more concrete and pavers.

As of the end of May, restroom roofing was completed and the roofing and rough plumbing both passed inspection.

 

South Valley Park – Raptor Report

One of the many reasons why South Valley Park is STAY ON TRAIL and STAY OFF ROCKS is to protect excellent raptor nesting habitat.

This year, the Natural Resources team has observed FIVE different species of raptors actively nesting in the Park, including golden eagles, prairie falcons, red-tailed hawks, great-horned owls and the smallest falcon, the American kestrel.

The hogback rock formations offer protected locations for nests and the surrounding grass/shrublands provide plenty of hunting habitat to feed young.  In the photo, a male (right) and female (left) kestrel share a small mammal snack.  Photo by volunteer raptor monitor, Audrey Boag.

Van Bibber Park

The Trails Team prepared for the Earth Day volunteer project on Saturday, April 24.  The focus of the project was natural surface trail construction, unauthorized trail restoration, fence installation and shrub/forb plantings.

Land Acreage Verification Project – Complete!

The Land Acreage Verification Project (LAVP) began with the need to understand the different types of acreage Jefferson County Open Space has contributed to preserving. Through an exhaustive and meticulous three-year collaboration between the Real Estate and GIS Teams, each JCOS land record was examined and its acreage verified, which has led to an accurate count of the preserved acreage: 54,318 acres. Moving forward, the Real Estate and GIS Teams will work together to ensure this number is accurate and up-to-date, and have developed processes to ensure that whenever someone asks how many acres JCOS is preserving, they can answer that question with confidence.

One of the later ideas that came of the LAVP was to create a simplified list of our land association types. The list below, called Land Preservation Types, is intended to make the information more easily understood, both internally and by the public. It will eventually make its way into our public-facing maps and applications.

 JCOS Owned in Fee

JCOS Jointly Owned in Fee

JCOS Owned in Fee Managed by Others

JCOS Conservation Easement

JCOS Easement

Agreement Held by JCOS (licenses/leases)

Deeded to Local Governments

Partners in the Outdoors 2021 Virtual Conference Details and Registration

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Partners in the Outdoors Conference unites partners in the outdoors community as they continue to explore the complicated relationship between conservation and recreation in our state.

This year’s virtual conference continued efforts to advance the priorities identified in Colorado’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), while also supporting Colorado’s Outdoor Principles.  Conference sessions began April 22 and continued through June 3.  JCOS was a conference sponsor and a presenter, specifically highlighting the May 20 session, “Effectively Managing Increasing Visitation to Colorado’s Public Lands”.

2020 Preservation Progress

In the week of May 13^th, JCOS posted the 2020 Preservation Progress. This year’s addition is a reflection of the Conservation Greenprint 2020-2025, a strategic framework for the preservation of open space and parkland, protection of park and natural resources, and provision of healthy, nature-based experiences in Jefferson County. This document outlines the ten goals for the next five years and provides accomplishments from 2020. The 2020 Preservation Progress document can be found on the Reports page of the Open Space website.

Rachel Brenna – New Trails Program Manager

Welcome Rachel Brenna to the Open Space team as the New Trails Program Manager.  She started in this position in late May.

“I am inspired by the beauty of the landscape and the richness of human connections.  As I have moved through my life in Colorado, Mississippi, and the Mid-West, I continue to be amazed by the power of connecting people to each other and their environment.  These inspirations ground me as a person and inform my career as a landscape architect. I have worked at many levels of detail – from creating community-wide park and trail master plans to construction detailing for public art installations – all to provide opportunities to make the environment a part of people’s daily experience.

Aside from brief stints at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the National Park Service, I have been in the private sector for most of my career and am excited to return to public service working on one of the most essential parts of our communities – trails!…”

Miss Mountain Manners agrees completely with Rachel, without the beautiful and responsibly planned and maintain trails, how would we be able to enjoy our Open Space parks? Thank you, Rachel, for agreeing to join JCOS!

Miss Mountain Manners wants to let everyone at JeffCo Open Space know how proud we at PLAN Jeffco are of the terrific work that they’re doing. The next time you’re in one of our Parks and you see a JCOS Staffer or Volunteer, introduce yourself and say “thank you”.