The Jeffco Open Space Foundation was incorporated in June 1998 and received 501(c)3 status in April 1999. It was incorporated “for education and charitable purposes to receive, solicit, administer and disburse gifts, grants devices, bequests or other conveyances or real and personal property or the income derived therefrom for the benefit of the Jefferson County Open Space Department upon a request from the director of the Jefferson County Open Space Department.”

The impetus for its formation was the dedication of the Nature Center Building and the fact that if one donated appreciated property to the County, the Internal Revenue Service would only allow deduction of the acquisition cost of the property. However, if the property was donated to a charity, the present market value was deductible.

The Foundation’s Director all are present or former members of OSAC plus past Open Space Director Ray Printz. Open Space Director Tom Hoby and Assistant County Attorney Steve Snyder serve as ex-officio members.

In the 13 years since the Foundation’s inception cash donations have totaled $764,000 – about $60,000 per year. These donations have been for memorials, bequests, and direct contributions. In these 13 years lands with a market value of $1,219,000, mineral rights with a value of $170,000, and a conservation easement with a value of $944,000 have been received.

Arvada Parks’ contributions. As such we have received donations for the West Arvada Dog (off-leash) Park, The West Arvada Disc Golf Course, The Skate Park (under construction) adjacent to the Apex Recreation Center, plus some contributions directed toward trails and conservation. Disbursements for these so far have included $63,950 for the dog park, $10,600 for the disc golf, and more than $20,000 is available for the skate park.

Accomplishments funded partially or fully by the Foundation for Open Space include:

Shelters in Elk Meadow Park

Exhibits at the Lookout Mountain Nature Center

Supplies to build trail bridges

Trail signs

Audio Visual systems for the Open Space meeting rooms

Improvements to the Plymouth Trail at Deer Creek Park

Fencing at Elk Meadow Dog Park

Picnic shelter at Lair ‘o’ the Bear Park

Memorials

Legal fees, back taxes, etc. for land and easement donations

Beginning in 2009, the Foundation began paying the Field Trip costs for Jefferson County Elementary and Middle Schools with 40% or more attendees on free or reduced lunch fees. To date more than $13,000 has been spent for trips to Lookout Mountain Nature Center, Hiwan Homestead Museum, Majestic View Nature Center (Arvada), Bear Creek Lake Park (Lakewood), and Dinosaur Ridge. The feedback from teachers, students, and staff at the parks for this program has been enthusiastic.

In 2009, the Foundation Board began looking for an activity that would raise the profile of both the Open Space Program and the Foundation. And, if it made money, that also was fine. Many events were considered, finally settling on a photo contest. The photo contest was held between October 2010 and March 2011. Entries were received from 190 individuals (30 youth). Entries came from all counties of the metro area plus St Louis, MO and Westfield, NJ.

The categories for the photos were: Wonderful Wildlife, Spectacular Scenery, and People in the Parks. As one would expect, Spectacular Scenery had the most entries, both adult and youth. Open Space’s most highly used park, Crown Hill, was the subject of the most entries. Twenty-three County parks were subjects of the photos along with six city parks partially acquired or developed using Open Space funds.

The Foundation plans to repeat the contest this year.

Here are some of the winning photos (click to enlarge).

All of the winning photos are on the Foundation web site:

www.jeffcoopenspace.org

When long-time OSAC Chairperson Greg Stevinson stepped down from this post as OSAC Chair in 2009, prior to the end of his term, Jan Wilkins and Wayne Forman – also seasoned veterans of OSAC, stepped up to co-chair the Committee. Finding that they worked together so well, they requested that this ruling structure remain in place, but alas…bylaws are bylaws, and OSAC doesn’t allow for co-chairing. So Wayne stepped into the Chairperson position, and Jan is now a Co-Vice Chair with Ken Morfit.

Talking with these two outside of an OSAC meeting is a genuinely pleasurable experience. Jan is warm and outgoing; she speaks freely of her involvement with open space issues over the years. Wayne is practical and forthcoming, and – as a practitioner of water, land use, and environmental law, extremely committed to Open Space.

Jan’s involvement as an activist for open space causes started around 1982, when – as a resident of Mount Vernon Country Club, on the west end of Lookout Mountain, she became chair of the Canyon Defense Coalition, an organization that opposed the plan to develop a rock quarry in Clear Creek Canyon. Her early exposure to Jefferson County’s approach to open space was her participation in the “Rock Round Table”, the County-initiated attempt at arbitration over this matter. Ultimately, and partially as a result of this experience, Jan developed her open space philosophy: “…just because land is undeveloped doesn’t mean that it’s preserved…”, and “…you need to buy it to preserve it!”

Jan also became a founding member of the Clear Creek Conservancy, citing Clear Creek as “a jewel on Denver’s doorstep, and a gift to this part of the world”. During this time she also stepped up to serve as President of the Mount Vernon Country Club. Never one to sit still for long, Jan teamed with Margot Zallen, Chair of PLAN Jeffco, Sharon Freeman and others to help with Save Open Space, a campaign organized by PLAN Jeffco and supported by OSAC, which at the time was being chaired by Greg Stevinson. The $160M revenue bond issue – to raise money to acquire open space land throughout Jefferson County – passed with a whopping 72 percent of the vote of county residents. As Jan said, “It’s one thing to oppose development; it’s another to form a method to save open space lands…the SOS campaign reflected the commitment of the voters.”

In 1998, Jan swapped her role as an Open Space activist for that of a politically-oriented Open Space advocate when she was appointed to OSAC.

To paraphrase Jan – the voters have seen so many key acquisitions since the passage of the SOS bond – they’ve been able to see what’s happened with the bond funds they approved with SOS. They’ve seen years of maintaining integrity in land acquisitions, of avoiding politicization of the process, of unwavering delivery of the process based on the founding principles of OSAC. In a moment of lightness, Jan confirmed that OSAC has had so much fun achieving the OS goals with the bond money…”OSAC, the most fun that you can have on a committee in this county!”

Jan spoke of Centennial Cone OS Park…dear to her heart, since it was very near the site of the proposed rock quarry back in the 80s, and is now almost totally protected open space. “Imagine, it went from a proposal for the largest gravel quarry in the state, to include 400 trucks a day, 7 days a week, traveling on Highway 6, to the crown jewel of Open Space. Centennial Cone is the best of citizen activism – it’s fulfilled such terrific ideals, 40 years of people’s visions…”

Wayne Forman’s attraction to Open Space began with his mountain biking excursions through the Open Space Park trails system. A 1984 graduate of CU Law in Boulder, and subsequently a resident of Denver’s Park Hill area, he saw Jefferson County Open Space as a way to “get away from it all”. In 1993 he moved to Genesee, in part to be closer to the lands that he’d grown to love. He’d been a JeffCo resident for about 6 months when he saw a notice in a local paper for an opening on OSAC. He applied, and was appointed as a reserve committee member. Wayne deprecatingly speaks of himself as the “token Democrat” of OSAC.

Wayne has a reputation among his colleagues as a quiet but very wise man. As per Jan, “…when Wayne has a point to make, it’s based on reason and logic.”

When asked about the “co-chair method” of governing OSAC, both Jan and Wayne agreed that it was great to have coverage for meetings and other events…one or another would always be available. At the end of the term, when it was evident that the “cochair method” would have to come to an end, Wayne and Jan discussed the issue and decided that Wayne would put his hat in the ring for the chair position, which he won. The question, of course, is “how different is the governing structure when it’s hierarchical (i.e. a single chairman) versus when there are two people sharing the leadership responsibility. Both agreed that the difference is minimal. Since Wayne took over as OSAC chair, the committee mindset has changed; the committee is now “a group of equals that is ‘horizontally balanced” with a lot of cross-person engagement and interaction”, to quote the two former co-chairs.

Wayne spoke to the invaluable nature of citizen participation in Open Space matters. He strongly believes that OSAC has to answer to the voting public, and that its mission is to benefit the Greater Good. “There’s a lot of balancing involved when you’re on OSAC; you have to hear all sides, you have to strike a proper balance.” According to Wayne, JCOS staff takes a lot of input early in the decisionmaking process, especially with individual and community meetings; they then share with and work very tightly with OSAC to develop a going-forward plan. “There’s two-way respect in the relationship, and OSAC trusts in the JCOS staff’s work, expertise, and recommendations.” Jan agreed, adding that “JCOS [staff] makes it easy for OSAC to make good decisions.”

The conversation then moved to the challenges facing OSAC and JCOS. The bond monies are mostly spent, and for the foreseeable future the organization will be working with an extremely tight budget of approximately $6M per year for acquisitions, development and joint venture grants. Open Space supporters are aging, and finding ways to attract a new population of supporters will be on the top of OSAC’s (and JCOS’s) to-do list. With OSAC’s support, JCOS Director Tom Hoby has launched a project to survey existing and potential users of Open Space properties, in an attempt to take the pulse of the changing demographics and understand how trail use concepts are shifting. Jan remarked on the recent Open Space Foundation photo contest, in the category of ‘Kids Under 18’ alone there were over 100 entries, many of which were of remarkable quality. She feels that this bodes well for support from the youngest generation.

Speaking to the future: “We are entering a new part in the life of the Open Space Program, where the focus is shifting from just acquisitions to more of an acquisition-development-management balance…we’ve got as much land as we could acquire, and now big blocks of land outstrip our financial capacity to acquire them…but we will manage.”

Speaking to the topic of the value that Open Space adds to Jefferson County, “…after more than 30 years involvement with Open Space, it’s apparent that the recognition of Open Space to the health of the county has never been stronger…there’s strong support from the Board of County Commissioners, the cities, and the park ‘n’ rec districts…natural resources (i.e. Open Space) are proeconomy, pro-lifestyle, and pro-quality of life…Open Space adds value to living in Jefferson county.”

In summary, Wayne pointed out that “people get involved initially [with Open Space] as an advocate for a point of view, to have the opportunity to make a difference. PLAN Jeffco and other agencies – MALT, CCLC, CARE, and many others – give people a chance to advocate.” From Jan’s point of view: “…with the very broad base of support [that Open Space has], I feel very optimistic about the foundation we all have laid for the Open Space program.” 

by Marilyn Mueller

PLAN Jeffco functions as more than just a watchdog group. It observes meetings of the Open Space Advisory Committee, participates in subcommittees and issues groups, proposes and works for important acquisitions, provides advice to the Open Space Program, helps solve problems and keeps citizens informed of what is going on in their Open Space Program.

PLAN Jeffco, (PJ), operates thru its Board of Directors, which meets monthly. PJ schedules at least two major gatherings each year for the membership and interested citizens. Coming up in September will be “The Dinner with the Commissioners.” Held at Mt. Vernon Country Club, its aim is to bring together the Commissioners, The Open Space Staff, members of the Open Space Advisory Committee, PLAN Jeffco members and other citizens. In early spring, each year, there is the Annual meeting featuring a speaker or a workshop on topics of current interest.

A Candidates Forum will be held this fall. This meeting will feature the two candidates for County Commissioner, speaking and answering questions from the audience. See notices regarding the Commissioners Dinner and Candidates Forum in this issue.

Chairperson Margot Zallen and the PJ board have been busy responding to matters and events needing attention this year. Of major interest:

Trails – Continued involvement in meetings of the Open Space Trails Committee, whose purpose is to review use and conflict issues on our trails. Peter Morales (PJ Board Member) played a significant role in meetings and negotiations and actual decisions regarding the restructuring and repurposing of trails at Apex Park. Changes include directional traffic for bicyclists on odd-numbered calendar days over three segments of trail, construction of two new segments of trail and installation of trail features to add interest and moderate speed. For more information on specific trail changes and a new map of the Apex trail system, go to http://co.jefferson.co.us/jeffco/openspace_uploads/trail_use_changes_at_apex_park.pdf

Jefferson Parkway – This is the proposed extension of W470 on the north end of the Metro area, now called the Northwest Quadrant Toll Road. PLAN Jeffco has opposed this plan from the standpoint of the increased environmental impact to adjoining open space lands, the ensuing commercial and residential development which would substantially increase that impact, the fact that it would not solve the present traffic problems and would likely result in an increased tax burden on the residents of Jefferson County, to compensate for revenue short-falls.

County Master Plan Reviews – The County is revising their Master Plan and the segmented studies of the Mountain Backdrop areas in the North, Central, and South Plains areas. PJ Board members John Litz, Don Moore and Michelle Poolet have been active on this and any other present and long range planning subjects.

Staunton Park – This is a newly opened State Park, located in Jefferson County. PJ Board Member Vera Smith brought this to the Board’s attention when it was in the early planning stages, and PJ has been following the planning whenever public input has been possible. For more information on Staunton Park (and some fabulous pictures of the area) go to http://parks.state.co.us/Parks/Staunton/Pages/Staunton.aspx

Alex and Evelyn Rooney’s House – The house is located on county open space land and is part of a “hot button” area which includes the mountain backdrop, the Rooney Ranch and pastures, an historic Ute Indian council tree and assembly area, the Dinosaur Ridge Visitor Center, and the adjoining road over and along the hogback. An additional heavy impact from the East is the Three Dinos proposed plan for a large commercial and residential development. PJ board members Sally White and Ken Foelske have worked on proposing sealing and moth-balling Alex and Evelyn Rooney’s house until a study can create a Master Plan for the many uses, inter-entity relationships, and stakeholder involvement in this special area. For more information on the Rooney Ranch, go to http://www.rooneyranch.com/index.html

Identification of Desirable Additional Open Space Lands – PJ Board Member Greg Penkowsky is always on the hunt to identify additional open space land purchases and applicable sources of funding.

PLAN Jeffco is fortunate that our secretary, Betty Seeland, is also active in the League of Women Voters; this connection opens avenues of interaction between the two groups. John Litz, former PJ Chair, has been a member of the Open Space Advisory Committee for seventeen years and his presence gives PLAN Jeffco an important link to the Open Space staff and to the Commissioners.

This year’s Annual Meeting, held last March, featured two speakers who provided us with a full morning of entertaining yet relevant information. The meeting was co-sponsored with the League of Women Voters, the Audubon Society of Greater Denver, the Clear Creek Land Conservancy, the Rocky Mtn. Bird Observatory and the Colorado Mountain Club in Golden. The Mountain Club provided the use of their excellent auditorium.

The first speaker, Dyana Furmansky, introduced and reviewed her newly published book, “Rosalie Edge, Hawk of Mercy.” Dyana is a dynamic speaker; she writes about the truly important and pivotal contributions that Ms. Edge made. Starting in the early 1900’s, Rosalie Edge alerted the public to the need for conservation programs protecting wild life. At that time, eagles and hawks were considered desirable hunting game. Quoting from the book jacket: “In 1930, Edge formed the militant Emergency Conservation Committee, which not only railed against the complacency of the Bureau of Biological Survey, Audubon Society, U.S. Forest Service, and other stewardship organizations but also exposed the complicity of some in the squandering of our national heritage. Edge played key roles in the establishment of Olympic and Kings Canyon National Parks and the expansion of Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.” Reading this book will definitely strengthen and motivate efforts for the protection and stewardship of our own natural environment. For additional information on Dyana and her book “Rosalie Edge, Hawk of Mercy”, go to http://www.dyanazfurmansky.com/Default.htm

Note: Dyana Furmansky was active in the 1972 election campaign that authorized the Jefferson County Open Space program.

The second speaker, Jason Beson, Special Monitoring Projects Coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, brought with him some “Up Close and Personal” slides of raptors found in Colorado. Not only did these slides show how handsome and elegant these hawks and eagles are, but he pointed out identifying markings to look for when you are viewing them in the field. He also spoke about the raptor migration surveys and pointed out that one of the early spring observation periods takes place on Dinosaur Ridge, which is part of our own Dakota Hogback, west of Denver. During migration from wintering places in the South to breeding sites in the North and back again, these raptors are aided by gliding and flying with the thermal currents created from the temperature differences between the high Rockies and the adjoining lower plains. The RMBO is headquartered at Barr Lake. Excited by Jason’s pictures, we recommend finding some binoculars and going out to Barr Lake to look for hawks and eagles, and in addition, check out the many other birds in that location. For more information on the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, go to http://www.rmbo.org/

Some of the guiding principles which guide PLAN Jeffco interests and subsequent recommendations:

1. Protection of viewshed areas

2. Protection of watersheds

3. Protection of areas important for solitude

4. Protection of dark skies (for star gazing)

5. Protection of wildlife, wildlife migration corridors, riparian areas and other critical wildlife habitats and buffer zones

6. Protection of the mountain backdrop

7. Protection of bio-diversity and endangered vegetation habitat

8. Encourage the consolidation and additions to larger rather than fragmented parcels of open space

9. Encourage the “buying and holding” of open space for long term preservation rather than the need to develop each parcel of open space acquired by the County

10. Review and consider needed amendments to the County Master Plan to support the appropriate preservation of open space