Ann & Mary Ann at the Lookout Mtn Nature Center 2018

Ann Bonnell Lived A Life of Service

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Ann Bonnell head shot

Ann Bonnell’s death on December 26th, 2023, at the age of 85, left a gaping hole in the heart of the Jefferson County birding community and in the hearts of her fellow PLAN Jeffco Board members.

Ann’s life was focused on family and service. As a high school biology teacher and volunteer Water Safety Instructor for those with special needs, she was able to reach into the lives of many, passing along her belief in service, empathy, and passion for the outdoors and all that it encompasses. Her specific focus, as we at PLAN Jeffco knew her, was birds – birding, leading Tuesday Birders, and teaching about bird life. Read more

Pioneer PLAN Jeffco Board Member John Litz

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John Litz head shot, OS Volunteer Picnic

Pioneer PLAN Jeffco Board Member John Litz Served 51 years

By Vicky Gits

John Litz’s death on Dec. 29 at 87 marked the end of an epic career in the service of PLAN Jeffco and the cause of preserving natural lands in general.

A metallurgical engineer by profession, John was a remarkably prolific volunteer who donated most of his free time over the years to various charitable organizations and land stewardship causes.

He is survived by three daughters, Kari Litz, Kirstin Litz, and Denise Litz and by three grandchildren.  His wife of 49 years, Karen, died in 2007.

He was a member of nonprofit PLAN Jeffco for 51 years from 1972 to 2023 and treasurer for most of that time, working closely with longtime chair Margot Zallen.  He was a member of the Jefferson County Open Space Advisory Committee for 30 years, from 1993 to 2023.

John was known for his spreadsheets and mastery of finance and operations, said Ralph Schell, executive director of the open space division from 1998 to 2009.  But he was also approachable. “John was just someone that everyone could appreciate and get along with.”

He was a tireless workhorse on behalf of the outdoors and a living history record of the open space saga.

At the beginning Read more

ENOR camper circle

ENOR Turns 50!

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ENOR camper circle

EAGLE’S NEST OWL’S ROOST (ENOR) Environmental Discovery Camp of Colorado State University Extension in Jefferson County celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024.

The camp began in the 1970’s and has pioneered education for over 20,000 children in 4th through 8th grade, in outdoor skills and stewardship of the local open spaces and trails. Read more

Empty pillar where interpretive sign once stood.

Founders Sign Removed from Open Space Park

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Empty pillar where interpretive sign once stood.By Vicky Gits and Bette Seeland, Nov 26, 2023

Early this year Jefferson County Open Space quietly removed without replacing an interpretive sign that had stood for about 20 years as a tribute to the visionaries whose genius and hard work launched PLAN Jeffco and created the Open Space Park system.

Now that the sign is gone, it is probably gone for good, according to Matt Robbins of the Open Space department.  Positioned in Elk Meadow Open Space in Evergreen, the sign was removed because it had fallen into disrepair after weathering outdoors for so long.

Evergreen resident Joe Mackey brought the missing sign to the attention of the Open Space Advisory Commission in October at a regular meeting. A former member of OSAC in the ‘70s, Mackey thinks the sign should be preserved. Read more

Seen Any Moose Around Here Lately?

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Bull moose standing in a fieldHave you seen a moose in our Open Space parks yet? If you haven’t, you may soon. Moose, which was a rarity in Colorado only 50 years ago, are now routinely sighted in Clear Creek and Jefferson Counties since their introduction in 1978 — transplants from Utah and Wyoming. The transplants have delighted in their new home state. According to biologists from Colorado Parks & Wildlife, there are an estimated 3500 moose roaming the Rockies between Red Feather Lakes and Pagosa Springs. Read more

Mount Tom is Conserved!

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On Tuesday, April 11th, 2023, a joint effort between Jeffco Open Space, The Conservation Fund, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, and Great Outdoors Colorado came to fruition with the conservation of some 2,000 acres within the Mount Tom Conservation Corridor area. This swath of land is located adjacent to the Ralston Creek State Wildlife Area, northwest of Denver and Golden.

The Mount Tom Conservation Corridor is comprised of fee-owned and conservation easements. It connects to other previously conserved areas, extending in a landscape-wide manner the natural resources for wildlife and Colorado communities while protecting floral and faunal species of special concern, as well as endangered species that live in this area, plus a critical watershed, the headwaters of Van Bibber Creek, a tributary of the South Platte River. The area is not yet open to the public, but following intensive monitoring, investigation and inventory of the future preserve, access for outdoor recreation for the publicly-owned sections are planned.

To read the entire press release, go to the JCOS News Flash here.

Another success for land acquisition!  Let’s hear it for this quorum of conservation organizations — many thanks to all the fine folk who worked so long and so hard to make this happen.

Miss Mountain Manners-PLAN Jeffco

Volunteer celebrating after a successful National Public Lands Day 2022

Open Space Update – October 2022

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Autumn – the leaves are turning gold and red and brown and falling to the ground. In some of the higher altitude parks the snows are accumulating, while the critters are getting ready for their long winter’s nap.

Let’s take a look and see what’s been going on at Jeffco Open Space these last two months…

NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY 2022 – A WHOPPING SUCCESS

Volunteer celebrating after a successful National Public Lands Day 2022

The Clear Creek Trail Open Space Park got a thorough scrubbing on Saturday, September 24th, National Public Lands Day, when nearly 700 volunteers from Jeffco Open Space, the City of Golden and the City of Wheat Ridge cleaned up a 22-mile stretch of the Peaks to Plains Trail. Read more

September 2022 Newsletter

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Inside this issue: Stewardship Academy 2022; Conservation Awards; South Table Solar; Mt. Tom Conservation Area; Forest Management; Courtesy Signs; OSAC Notes

Download your copy of the September 2022 newsletter here

2020-2025 Conservation Greenprint

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Nearly a year ago this article on the The Conservation Greenprint, the guideline by which JeffCo Open Space directs its parks and trails management and administration, was posted. It’s time to take a look at it again, and see what’s been accomplished, and what still needs to be done.

If you’re a frequent Open Space Park Visitor, maybe you’ve noticed there have been quite a few changes lately.  If you’ve ever wondered why, and what’s happening to the Parks, here’s your chance to find out. There’s a document called The Jefferson County Open Space 2020-2025 Conservation Greenprint that lays out what the goals are for the next half-decade.

The Conservation Greenprint is part of a set of documents called the Jeffco Open Space 2020 – 2025 Conservation Greenprint References, which you can peruse by clicking here.

We have a summary copy of the Conservation Greenprint in our Library, which you can read and download by clicking here.

While you’re in reading mode, we also have downloadable copies of the Jeffco Open Space 2020 Preservation Progress Annual Report and the Dinosaur Ridge Master Plan 2019 in our Library — so stop and by and have a read!

Subscribe, share, follow us at @PLANJeffco, @MannersMountain, Facebook.com/PLANJeffco — we appreciate your support!

Miss Mountain Manners-PLAN Jeffco

 

 

Open Space Update – August 2022

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It’s the end of Summer 2022, and what a summer it’s been! So much has happened, from the last report on JCOS happenings until now. Let’s take a look and see what’s been going on at Jeffco Open Space this summer…

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

The “Know Before You Go” rule is the most basic and fundamental that any visitor to any park, not just Jeffco Open Space Parks, but to all parks along the Front Range and into the High Country, must follow.  This summer has seen multiple unfortunate incidents, including deaths, some of which were avoidable, had the victims been adequately prepared and taken precautions appropriately. When you see the sign “Open Space Park”, do not confuse it with a city park. The Jeffco Open Space Parks, Boulder Open Space, state parks, national parks – these are wild places. Visitors to these places are expected to understand how to manage their own safety…thus the admonition, “Know Before You Go”. Read more