Preservation in Progress

2015 Annual Report

Plus: 26 Things To Do in Jeffco Open Space

Great Blue Heron Photographed at Pine Valley Ranch Park by Park Ranger Eric Holzman At Jeffco Open Space, we take action every day to support our vision of Commit enriching life throughout Jefferson County with an abundance of open space, parks, trails and nature-based experiences. Doing so involves balancing residents’ desire for outdoor recreation with their desire to see us preserve and protect lands.1

In 2015, we progressed toward our vision in new and dynamic ways. Table of Actions We made significant land acquisitions, celebrated trailhead openings, expanded education offerings, and lauded volunteers, who set a record Commit 2 for service hours. We restored and advanced trails, invited visitors to become stewards, and initiated a countywide effort to connect youth Plan 3 and nature. All the while, we applied conservation practices informed by staff-guided, volunteer-supported research of animal and plant life on Preserve 4 open space lands. Steward 4 In the Douglas Mountain Area, we acquired properties totaling 1,036 acres—our largest acquisition in nearly 15 years. At Apex Park and Crown Create 5 Hill Park, we completed reimagined, amenity-rich trailheads. In Clear Creek Canyon Park, the 4-mile segment of the Peaks to Plains Trail Communicate 5 progressed to connect Jeffco segments with Clear Creek County— a project supported by Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) through Teach 6 Colorado Lottery proceeds. Enlist 6 To extend the mind, body and spirit benefits of nature to more youth, we brought together a 31-partner coalition to receive GOCO funding for the Share & Care 7 Inspire Initiative. A $75,000 planning grant opens doors for community- based action and potential implementation funding. Connect 7 Through the power of social media and interactions in our parks, 8 we encouraged visitors to protect natural resources, be safe and be Account respectful. We completed recovery work on 24 miles of trails damaged by epic 2013 storms. Re-aligned trails at North Table Mountain Park and White Ranch Park were built to better withstand future storms and include trail features popular with visitors. 26 Things to Do As we continue to fulfill our mission to preserve open space and parkland, protect park and natural resources, and provide healthy, nature- Alderfer/Three Sisters Park based experiences, we invite you to follow our progress in this report, View Evergreen Lake from Preservation in Progress 2015. “The Brother” rock formation Happy Trails, Apex Park Explore Enchanted Forest Trail Cathedral Spires Park Tom Hoby, CPRE Photograph majestic cliffs Director of Jeffco Open Space & Parks

1 RRC Associates, Inc. 2011 Jefferson County Open Space Citizen Survey Overview of Findings, (December 2011) 22.

2 Jefferson County Open Space

Jefferson County Parks 128 Coal Creek Superior Education Center 95

k e e r C 121 l a o Jeffco Open Space Office C 93 Westminster 36 Coal Creek Canyon Park 72 Standley Lake Plan Jefferson County Boundary

L eyden C r White eek Major Road Ranch Arvada Goals, 2014-2019 Park Lake or Pond 1. Land Preservation North 76 Stream or River Van Bibber Table Park Increase land preserved by at least 1,700 acres, from 46 Mountain Jeffco Open Space

Park Creek Wheat Ridge 58 Clear 52,817 acres to a minimum of 54,517.Please know local Rules and Mount Regulations before entering Galbraith Crown each Open Space Park. Park Golden Hill Centennial Windy Saddle Park South Table Park Cone Park Mountain 2. Land Stewardship Jeffco Open Space 40 Park Welchester 6 C yon Park Conservation Easement lear Creek Can Tree Grant Refine stewardship standards and systems and Lookout Mountain Park 6 Public Access is limited or Nature Center and Preserve Apex 26 prohibited on most Jeffco Open Jefferson Lakewood implement for all Jeffco Open Space lands. Park County Space Conservation Easements. Genesee Fairgrounds 70 Other Public or

Matthews/ 95 3. Trails Conservation Land Winters Park 391 Expand the Jeffco Open Space trail system by 25 Elk 93 Meadow Idledale miles, from 227 miles to 252 miles. Park Kittredge Lair o' the Morrison Hiwan 74 Homestead Bear Park 285 Museum ear ek Mount B C re Falcon 8 4. Communications and CommunityThis map is inten dInvolvemented to show Evergreen Park Alderfer/Three Indian Develop and employ a CommunicationsOpen Space parks in and relat ion Sisters Park 73 Hills ek k e e r re C to each other. Refer to uffalo C b Community Involvement Plan. B u C individual park maps for trail information and amenities. 5. Nature and Park-RelatedChec kHistory closures a Educationnd specific South 470 Increase current programp participationark rules and regu lbyatio 27,000,ns: Valley Park from 75,000 people per yearKno tow b 102,000efore you g people.o. Conifer Chatfield Reservoir For more information visit: Meyer Hildebrand Flying J Ranch Park

Ranch Park Ranch Park Deer jeffco.us/open-space. k Creek e r e C 6. Volunteerism ill Canyon M 121 Park Increase volunteer support by 16,850 hours, from

285 22,500 hours per year to 39,350 hours.

97 Pine Junction 7. Visitor Stewardship Reynolds Create “Share & Care” program to promote individual Park

and group stewardship of public0 lands2 and4 increase

Miles Cathedral 96 educational contacts by 12,000, from 11,000 to 23,000. r 0 4 8 e iv Spires Park e R Pine Valley Foxton att Pine Pl th Kilometers Ranch Park Grove Sou Scale is 1:367,000 when printed at 8"x11" 8. The Nature-Health ConnectionLast Revi sed 3/11/2016 Create five additional regional Jeffco Outdoors maps Buffalo LAR IMER Jefferson County Open Space Creek in collaboration with the Jeffco OutdoorsWE LD Foundation and private partners. BOULDER BROOMFIELD ADAMS GILPIN Pike National DENVER CLEAR Forest CREEK ARAPAHOE Jefferson County Parks JEFFERSON 128 Coal Creek Superior Education Center 95 ELBERT DOUGLAS k e e r PARK C 121 l a o Jeffco Open Space Office C 93 Westminster 36 67 Coal Creek Centennial Cone Park TELLE R EL PASO Canyon Park 72 Standley 126 Lake Jefferson County Deckers After the Elk Range Trail seasonal Boundary FR EMONT

L eyden C r White eek Major Road closure, conquer a 12-mile loop Ranch Arvada Park Lake or Pond Clear Creek Canyon Park D enver

North 76 Stream or River Access a heritage-rich waterway Van Bibber Table Park 46 Mountain Jeffco Open Space Crown Hill Park Park Creek Wheat Ridge 58 Clear Please know local Rules and Mount Regulations before entering Galbraith Golden Crown each Open Space Park. Spot a bird from our checklist Centennial Windy Park Hill Saddle Park South Table Park Cone Park Mountain Jeffco Open Space 40 Deer Creek Canyon Park Park Welchester Data Sources: Jeffco Open Space, Jeffco ITS, USGS, NHD, 6 C yon Park Conservation Easement lear Creek Can Tree Grant CDOT Lookout Mountain Park 6 Public Access is limited or Nature Center prohibited on most Jeffco Open Travel “The DWall”isclaime r: onThis Plymouthinformation/map isTrail the pr operty of the and Preserve Apex 26 Jefferson County Open Space Program (JCOS), Jefferson Jefferson Lakewood Park County Space Conservation Easements. County, Colorado and is copyrighted material. Reproduction, Genesee Fairgrounds manipulation or distribution of this product is prohibited 70 Other Public or without the prior written consent of JCOS staff. Jefferson County does not warrant the completeness, accuracy, or Matthews/ 95 Conservation Land 3 correctness of this product, its use for any purpose, and Winters shall not be liable for damages of any kind arising from use 391 Park of the product or for any errors or inaccuracies. Elk 93 Meadow Idledale Park Kittredge Lair o' the Morrison Hiwan 74 Homestead Bear Park 285 Museum ear ek Mount B C re Falcon 8 This map is intended to show Evergreen Park Alderfer/Three Indian Open Space parks in relation Sisters Park 73 Hills ek k e e r re C to each other. Refer to alo C b Buff u C individual park maps for trail information and amenities. Check closures and specific South 470 park rules and regulations: Valley Park Know before you go. Conifer Chatfield Reservoir For more information visit: Flying J Meyer Hildebrand

Ranch Park Ranch Park Deer Ranch Park jeffco.us/open-space. k Creek e r e ill C Canyon M 121 Park

285

97 Pine Junction Reynolds Park

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Miles Cathedral 96 r 0 4 8 e iv Spires Park e R Pine Valley Foxton att Pine Pl th Kilometers Ranch Park Grove Sou Scale is 1:367,000 when printed at 8"x11" Last Revised 3/11/2016

Buffalo LAR IMER Creek WELD

BOULDER BROOMFIELD

ADAMS GILPIN Pike National DENVER CLEAR Forest CREEK ARAPAHOE JEFFERSON

ELBERT DOUGLAS PARK

67 TELLE R EL PASO 126 Deckers

FR EMONT

Denver

Data Sources: Jeffco Open Space, Jeffco ITS, USGS, NHD, CDOT Disclaimer: This information/map is the property of the Jefferson County Open Space Program (JCOS), Jefferson County, Colorado and is copyrighted material. Reproduction, manipulation or distribution of this product is prohibited without the prior written consent of JCOS staff. Jefferson County does not warrant the completeness, accuracy, or correctness of this product, its use for any purpose, and shall not be liable for damages of any kind arising from use of the product or for any errors or inaccuracies. Goal 1 Preserve Working with willing landowners, Jeffco Open Space acquired three properties in 2015. The acquisition of these properties added the greatest number of acres to the agency in 15 years. When added to the 800 acres preserved in 2014 the 1,072 new acres allow us to exceed our Master Plan goal to preserve at least 1,700 acres by 2019.

Two properties of 532 and 504 acres north of Centennial Cone Park in the Douglas Mountain area, and 36 acres near Meyer Ranch Park further our mission to preserve natural, cultural, historic and scenic resources in perpetuity. The next steps for these new lands involve inventories of wildlife and vegetation species before evaluation of appropriate public use.

Douglas Mountain

Elk Meadow Park Goal 2 Reach the top of Bergen Peak Flying J Ranch Park Picnic in the shelter overlooking the meadow Hildebrand Ranch Park Steward Photograph the scenic barn Our stewardship is grounded in scientific research that guides management of wildlife and habitat, and contributes to quality of Hiwan Homestead Museum life for area residents. In 2015 we published reports that inform our Check out the Native American understanding of orchids, prairie dogs and nesting raptors on open art collection space lands. We partner with other organizations to support sound management decisions. Staff assisted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with their recovery program for the endangered black-footed ferret by providing prairie dogs, which make up 90 percent of the ferret’s diet. This effort helps to keep prairie dog populations in balance with the carrying capacity of habitat. Work continues with recreation groups to develop guidelines for practices consistent with natural resource protection.

Our staff plays a leading role in Urban Coyote Safety and Awareness in Jeffco.

4 Goal 3 Create High-quality experiences in nature begin at a trailhead with clean restrooms and an informative kiosk, and extend into a park with well- maintained trails. We continue to improve the visitor experience. In October we celebrated the reopening of the Apex Park trailhead with County Commissioners, Open Space Advisory Committee, the public, volunteers and staff. We also completed restoration of flood damage on trails at White Ranch and North Table Mountain Parks, with dedicated volunteers helping us to realign sections and make them better able to withstand future storms.

Youth in the Trail Stewardship Team advanced the Peaks to Plains Trail in Clear Creek Canyon Park.

Progress continues on a 4-mile segment of the Peaks to Plains Trail construction in Clear Creek Canyon Park in partnership with Clear Creek County Open Space. Supplemental Goal 4 support provided by our matching fund partners and Great Outdoors Colorado will allow part of the trail Communicate to open in 2016, providing safer access to the heart of the canyon for As part of our 2014 update of the Jeffco Open Space Master Plan, we many types of outdoor experiences. committed to engage with the community based on three tenets: to Inform, Inspire and Interact. Providing accurate, consistent and timely information to visitors is critical to our vision. We communicate in a variety of ways, including public forums, social media, our e-newsletter Panorama, Lair o’ the Bear Park community volunteer events and through jeffco.us/open-space. Connect to Denver Mountain Parks via Bear Creek Trail Our bi-annual Trails Talk Forum helped us to evaluate interest in Lookout Mountain Nature Center designated-use trails. We also strengthened our presence on Instagram, Learn about mountain lions conveying regulation and safety messages through a social media Matthews/Winters Park platform that’s highly popular with a growing segment of park visitors. Jeffco Open Space Park Rangers complement their patrols with Twitter Get to a high point and admire messages conveying trail reports, photos and stewardship messages, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre take to the television airwaves to reach an even larger audience. Meyer Ranch Park Take a loop hike when the aspens are gold jeffco.us/open-space 5 Goal 5 Research shows that time spent Lookout Mountain Nature Center in nature inspires curiosity, was recognized with a state award encourages discovery and supports for a unique partnership with lifelong stewardship. We enrich Jefferson County Public Schools Teach the outdoor experience with that creates young “EcoSystem interactive learning opportunities Investigators.” Hiwan Homestead designed to connect visitors with Museum staff continues to develop the species, natural cycles and our History in the Parks program Halloween fun at the cultural histories of preserved with volunteer support, revealing the Lookout Mountain Nature Center lands. Through colorful past with a personal touch. our nature, history, and Park Ranger safety and stewardship education, Mount Falcon Park See Walker we connected Ruins. Imagine what a Summer with 98,536 White House might have been. visitors in Mount Galbraith Park 2015, nearing Enjoy this hiker-only park our goal of reaching North Table Mountain Park 102,000 Stand atop Lichen Peak people Pine Valley Ranch Park annually by Go fishing. License required. 2019.

Tim Sandsmark Goal 6 Ongoing volunteers are at the heart The number of hours our volunteers of our operations—patrolling our log annually is equal to the parks, answering phones, giving workload of 16 full-time employees. tours, monitoring wildlife and Based on the national value of Enlist modeling stewardship by caring for volunteer time, our volunteers park resources. One-day volunteer contributed the equivalent of In 2015, volunteers set a record events help us to complete park $776,813 to Jeffco in 2015. with 2,700 people contributing and trail projects. 33,000+ hours of time and talent. Groups build In just two years, volunteer hours camaraderie in a have jumped by nearly 10,000. natural setting and improve parklands Sign up for 2016 through projects we Michaelis Von Carol Volunteer Trail Events customize to suit. June 4 4-H youth in the June 25 “Pony Patrol” volunteer alongside July 16 Patroller Carol Von Sept. 24 Michaelis to reward good deeds in Oct. 8 the parks. jeffcoopenspace.eventbrite.com 6 Goal 7 parks, the resources and public are muddy—or walking through the trails in Jefferson County. mud when conditions present— leashing pets and preventing dogs In 2015, we developed consistent from overheating. Share and creative messaging to encourage safety, courtesy In person, our Rangers made & Care and Leave No Trace principles. 20,268 contacts on the trails. Through the formal outreach of Rangers issued warning and Share & Care is a philosophy social media, signs, television citations as situations warranted; for interactions with park appearances and Ranger-led events however, visitor education in a visitors, encouraging personal and programs, we encouraged such friendly manner is our first choice responsibility for sharing the trail, steps as avoiding trails when they and the most effective means of caring for the park and valuing changing behavior. Rangers and natural resources. Visitors began volunteers are also quick to thank with experiencing, then ultimately people who do the right thing. loving and actively caring for the

Reynolds Park Bike the entire North Fork Trail South Table Mountain Park Spot a mule deer on the mesa South Valley Park Photograph red rock formations as a scenic backdrop after a winter snow Van Bibber Park Survey the ponds from an observation deck Above, Chris Kumm, @iliketrails on Instagram, helped spread the message to hike through mud.

Goal 8 with friends, or a conversation with Foundation, a series of eight a park host, connections enrich our durable regional maps have been lives. We foster those connections created to highlight the number Connect through partnerships we develop of outdoor experiences and trail with other organizations. connections offered by different agencies across Jefferson County. Welchester Tree Grant Park Not all Jeffco residents have easy Watch the leaves of a access or the confidence to get cottonwood dance in the breeze out and enjoy nature. That’s why White Ranch Park Reserve a Jeffco Open Space coordinated the 31-agency Be Wild, Jeffco coalition. campsite and set up a tent The coalition received a $75,000 Windy Saddle Park planning grant from Great Outdoors Photograph Clear Creek Canyon Colorado (GOCO) to identify barriers from Lookout Mountain Trail and devise a community-driven action plan to connect underserved youth and families with nature through the GOCO Inspire Initiative. Whether through an interesting education program with classmates, Partnering with the Jeffco Outdoors recollections over a shared hike 7 45,000 acres in Jeffco and 230 providing outdoor experiences. miles of trails for public, trail-based We were founded as a land Account activity. Jeffco Open Space funds conservation organization in 1972. Every time you support Jefferson support supplemental projects Our mission is to preserve open County businesses, you invest in cities and park and recreation space and parkland, protect park in public open space, parks and districts through local grants and natural resources and provide healthy outdoor experiences and distribute a portion of healthy nature-based experiences. through a dedicated half-cent the County’s Conservation sales tax. Jeffco Open Space funds Trust Funds from Colorado allow for management of nearly Lottery proceeds to nonprofits

2015 Actual Sales Tax Revenue Allocation $41.93M 2015 Actual Expense Budget $36.30M

Debt Payments Debt Payments Operations for Land Acquisitions County Share for Land Acquisitions $10.93M $12.85M $16.21M $12.85M 30% 30% 39% 35%

Cities Share Park & Trail $12.87M Land Acquisitions Development 31% $4.80M $7.10M 13% 20%

Local Govt. Grants $0.62M 2% Board of County Commissioners Libby Szabo, District One Casey Tighe, District Two Donald Rosier, District Three

Open Space Advisory Committee Janet Shangraw, Bob West, John Litz, Ken Morfit, Mike Dungan, Felicity Hannay, Jacy Rock, Rebecca Watson, John Wolforth, Paul Murphy

Jeffco Open Space Leadership Tom Hoby, Director of Open Space & Parks Every time you support Amy Ito, Planning Manager Jefferson County businesses, Don Klima, Support Services Manager you invest in public open Mary Ann Bonnell, Interim Visitor Services Manager space, parks and healthy outdoor experiences through Brian Hardman, Interim Stewardship Manager a dedicated half-cent sales tax. jeffco.us/open-space Katie Matthews, Interim Community Connections Supervisor

700 Jefferson County Parkway, Suite 100 Golden, Colorado 80401 jeffco.us/open-space (303) 271-5925

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