Female park ranger cartoon

DEAR MISS MOUNTAIN MANNERS – An Advice Column on Multi-Use Trail Etiquette

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In memory of our beloved Board member Bette Seeland, we’re republishing a few of the articles in which she was a major contributor…this is one of them.

Dear Miss Mountain Manners: When I got to my favorite Jeffco Open Space Park for a hike, the parking lot was full. What should I do? Feeling Shutout

Dear Shutout: You could walk close to home instead of driving to a park. Do not park on the road shoulder leading to the park. Download, sign up, then check the LotSpot parking lot app to find a park not currently overcrowded.  Come at a time when the park is less crowded such as weekdays, before 9 am or after 3 pm.

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Hygge: Hot Chocolate in front of fireplace

Miss Manners – Winter Contemplation

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Hygge: Hot Chocolate in front of fireplace

In memory of our beloved Board member Bette Seeland, we’re republishing a few of the articles in which she was a major contributor…this is one of them.

It’s called hygge, defined as a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being. It’s a defining characteristic of Danish culture, where winters can be long and dark and cold.

Here in the middle of a North American winter, we’ve been experiencing some pretty darn chilly days.  A little bit of hygge (purse your lips and say hu-gue) might feel pretty good right now, so I invite you to join me in front of the fireplace.  Read more

Bette Seeland head shot

PLAN Jeffco Loses Co-Founder Bette Seeland

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Bette Seeland portrait

PLAN Jeffco co-founder Bette Seeland helped launch the campaign for Jefferson County Open Space and was a pillar of PLAN Jeffco for 52 years.

By Vicky Gits

Bette Seeland, one of three co-founders of PLAN Jeffco in 1971, along with John Litz and Margot Zallen, passed away March 2, after a long illness. Read more

PLAN Jeffco Monthly December 2024

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May your days be filled with peace, hope, and joy this Holiday Season and throughout the New Year. May your every wish come true; may your days be merry and bright and your evenings be cozy with contentment.

Download your copy of the December newsletter here.

 

 

 

 

Furred, feathered & finned critters that are protected by conservation easements

Conservation Easements Preserve Open Lands, Protect Wildlife

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Furred, feathered & finned critters that are protected by conservation easementsIn 1971, Carol Karlin conceived of the idea of buying large swaths of scenic mountain property to protect it from development and build trails for public recreation. Shortly thereafter, PLAN Jeffco was formed, and months later, the Jeffco Open Space program was voted into reality. Read the full story here.

Since that time, nearly 58,000 acres have been purchased by Jeffco Open Space, lands that have become Open Space Parks and that have been incorporated into local city and park & recreation district trails and playgrounds. But purchasing lands is not the only way to preserve open space.

Conservation easements, voluntary, legal agreements that permanently limit uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values, are instruments that have protected and preserved some 2.7 million acres in Colorado alone, a number that represents over 6% of private lands in the State. Read more

Remembering the Founders – Carol Karlin

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The Woman of the Living Room Legacy

By Vicky Gits and Bette Seeland

Karlin is credited with launching PLAN Jeffco and the open space movement in 1971 from her Lakewood living room along with a gathering of members of the League of Women Voters and others.

Without the vision and genius of Carol Karlin the Jefferson County Open Space system might never have become reality.

Thanks to Karlin’s idea of scooping up cheap acreage for posterity, the Front Range enjoys a generous portfolio of trails and parks owned and maintained in perpetuity by the residents of and visitors to Jefferson County who pay a half-cent sales tax.

This explains why there is a charming outdoor seating nook framed in pinon and boulders in a distant corner of Elk Meadow Park in Evergreen. Established sometime around 2008, the site is marked with the sign that says, “Carol Karlin Overlook.” Read more

HISTORICAL versus CONTEMPORARY WILDFIRES

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Wildfires in the mountain west have become less frequent but more intense.

Recently, the Denver Gazette published a short article on current research comparing historical versus contemporary wildfires in the America Southwest, with (to this reader) some rather surprising results.

The areas investigated in this study were primarily dry conifer forests dominated by Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir, very similar to our own forests in the Jeffco Front Range. Prior to 1880, wildfires used to sweep through these forests every 10 to 12 years. These were almost entirely low-to-moderate intensity fires that cleared out undergrowth and forest duff, burning off the lower limbs of the trees, but not devastating enough to kill the trees themselves. Typically, these low-intensity burns involved smaller areas, 5 to 250 acres. Despite the small size of these wildfires, the frequency and style of these fires were able to maintain forest health, even during prolonged periods of drought, when fires were started by lightning strikes and/or Indigenous forest stewardship events. Read more

PLAN Jeffco Monthly October 2024

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Apex Open Space Park, the Enchanted Forest Trail with hikers on a misty morning

Apex Open Space Park, the Enchanted Forest Trail

Join us at the Apex Enchanted Forest Trail as we celebrate the beauty of autumn! With warm days and cool nights, it’s the perfect time to explore Jeffco Open Space Parks. Our parks are open for your enjoyment, so don’t miss out on the chance to engage with nature. We invite you to participate in the 2024 JeffCo Open Space Survey to share your thoughts on park improvements. The October #PLANJeffcoMonthly is now available! Let’s work together to preserve our beautiful open spaces! #JeffcoOpenSpace #HikingAdventures #NatureConservation #CommunityEngagement #FallHiking

Download your copy of the October 2024 newsletter here