OSAC Meeting Notes – March 5, 2020

Study Session

The March 5 meeting of the Open Space Advisory Committee was unusually short as most of the action was during the study session.  The Study Session was a review of the latest draft of the “Conservation Greenprint.”  This document replaces the 2014, 5-year Master Plan with a less onerous document that sets the goals for the next five years.

The park users will be pleased with the goals, which will be available for public review once Covid-19 is under control.  New goals include: 1)  600 acres of forest thinning like that which is being done at Flying J; 2) treating all 48,000 acres for weeds; 3) restoring 325 acres of disturbed land; 4) restoring 50 miles of social trails to their natural habitat; 5) improve 11 trail heads.  Targets for old goals include: 1) 38 miles of new trails; 2) preserve 3000 new acres; 3) improve visitor service standards; 4) improve visitor stewardship; 5) improve community engagement; 6) increase volunteer hours; and 7) recruit volunteers for specialized tasks.

Regular Session

In the regular session the Committee: 1)  approved a boundary change on a Douglas Mountain property where an ancient barbed wire fence did not follow the surveyed property line; 2) approved the voluminous Master Plan for major improvements to Dinosaur Ridge; and 3) approved a program for fees to cover commercial-type uses of Open Space.

** end of report submitted by John Litz, PLAN Jeffco, OSAC Secretary **