(OPENING MUSIC) (BEEPS FROM A SATELLITE) (BEEPS FADE) PERSON 1 SO IF THAT'S LOUISVILLE DOWN THERE,THEN THAT UP THERE MUST BE LONGMONT. PERSON 2 RIGHT. NOW LOOK THIS SIDE OF LONGMONT. SEE HOW THE LIGHTS STOP, THEN PICK UP AGAIN TO THE NORTH? THAT'S THE COUNTY LINE. ALL THAT DARKNESS IS FARMS AND OPEN SPACE. PERSON 1 REALLY? THAT'S ALL OPEN SPACE? PERSON 2 YEAH. ISN'T THAT GREAT? (MUSIC FADES IN) NARRATOR YOU CAN'T ESCAPE THE COLORS OF BOULDER COUNTY. GRASSY FIELDS OFFER US EVERY HUE OF GREEN AND GOLD, AND LAKES SHIMMER BLUE AND SILVER IN THE WINTER, ALL TURNS TO SNOWY EXPANSES OF WHITE AND AT NIGHT, A DEEP DARKNESS FALLS BETWEEN BOULDER COUNTY'S CITIES IT'S OPEN SPACE, THE UNDEVELOPED, PRESERVED LAND THAT KEEPS CITIES AND TOWNS FROM SPILLING INTO EACH OTHER, GIVES OUR EYES SOMETHING TO FEAST UPON, CONNECTS US WITH NATURE AND REMINDS US OF OUR ORIGINS AND LIFE'S SIMPLER PLEASURES. BOULDER COUNTY OPEN SPACE IS A GREAT TAPESTRY OF ALL THE DIVERSE AND DISTINCTIVE NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS THAT SURROUND US HERE IN BOULDER COUNTY, BOUGHT AND MAINTAINED WITH PUBLIC FUNDS. SOME BOULDER COUNTY OPEN SPACE IS MADE UP OF HUGE RESERVES OF LAND IN THE FORESTED MOUNTAINS OR THE ROCKY FOOTHILLS, LAND THAT PROVIDES CRITICAL HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE, LAND THAT RENEWS YOUR SPIRIT. OTHER BOULDER COUNTY OPEN SPACE REACHES OUT ACROSS THE PRAIRIE. IT'S CARPETED WITH GRASSLANDS AND DOTTED WITH PONDS AND MARSHES THAT ATTRACT ANGLERS AS WELL AS MIGRATORY BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE. PEOPLE HAVE LIVED ON THESE LANDS FOR MORE THAN 5,000 YEARS, AND BOULDER COUNTY OPEN SPACE SHELTERS IMPORTANT ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES, SUCH AS CAMPSITES OF THE ANCIENT ARAPAHOE AND CHEYENNE WHO WINTERED ON THE PLAINS. IN 1858, THE COLORADO GOLD RUSH DREW THOUSANDS TO MOUNTAIN CAMPS WITH THE PROMISE OF FORTUNES BUT WHEN THE BOOM TIMES PASSED, THOSE WHO STAYED TURNED TO WHAT THEY KNEW - FARMING. TODAY, AS THE TECHNOLOGY RUSH DRAWS IN A NEW WAVE OF BOULDER COUNTY SETTLERS, BOULDER COUNTY OPEN SPACE PRESERVES PIECES OF OUR PAST GIVES US PLENTY OF PLACES TO ENJOY NATURE AND ENSURES THAT WILDLIFE HABITAT AND AGRICULTURE WON'T BE GOBBLED UP BY TRACT HOUSING, STRIP MALLS AND PRAIRIE PALACES. BOULDER COUNTY OPEN SPACE IS A PUBLIC TREASURE FOR COUNTY RESIDENTS TO ENJOY TODAY AND LEAVE AS A LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. WITHOUT THE VISION OF THOUSANDS OF BOULDER COUNTY RESIDENTS OF THE PAST GENERATION, THIS LAND PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE OPEN SPACE TODAY, AND BOULDER COUNTY WOULD BE A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE. BOULDER COUNTY GOT ITS FIRST SIZEABLE PIECE OF OPEN SPACE THROUGH A LEASE WITH THE STATE LAND BOARD IN 1972, THE ONE-HUNDRED-AND EIGHT-ACRE BALD MOUNTAIN SCENIC AREA. BETWEEN 1972 AND 1992, BOULDER COUNTY AMASSED SIXTEEN THOUSAND ACRES OF OPEN SPACE, THROUGH OUTRIGHT PURCHASES, CONSERVATION EASEMENT PURCHASES, DEDICATIONS AND DONATIONS. DURING THAT TIME, A GRASSROOTS GROUP WORKED TO IDENTIFY BOULDER COUNTY OPEN SPACES WORTH PRESERVING. ULTIMATELY, THEY WANTED TO DEVELOP A LONGTERM SOURCE OF STABLE FUNDING THAT WOULD BE USED TO BUY THOSE PROPERTIES. IN 1993, ON THE THIRD TRY, BOULDER COUNTY VOTERS APPROVED A SALES TAX DEDICATED TO OPEN-SPACE PRESERVATION. NOW BOULDER COUNTY OWNS AND MANAGES NEARLY SIXTY THOUSAND ACRES OF OPEN SPACE. THE CITY OF BOULDER FIRST PASSED A DEDICATED OPEN SPACE TAX IN 1967, ANDTHE CONCEPT HAS CAUGHT ON IN OTHER BOULDER COUNTY COMMUNITIES, TOO. CITIZENS IN LOUISVILLE, LAFAYETTE, GUNBARREL AND BROOMFIELD HAVE VOTED TO TAX THEMSELVES FOR OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION. THESE COMMUNITIES AND OTHERS, SUCH AS LYONS, NEDERLAND AND WARD, HAVE LEVERAGED THEIR OPEN SPACE DOLLARS BY PARTNERING WITH THE COUNTY ON OPEN SPACE PURCHASES. JOANN DUFTY: IN THE BEGINNIN OF THE OPEN SPACE PROGRAM EVERYONE THOUGHT WE WERE CRAZY, OR AT LEAST DREAMERS. WE WERE BOTH. WE HAD ONE STAFF PERSON AND A LOT OF VERY ENERGETIC VOLUNTEERS. WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY AND WE DID A LOT OF THE RESEARCH. WE CREATED A MAP AFTER A SURVEY OF THE OPEN SPACE THAT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE AND HOPED THAT SOMEDAY OUR DREAM WOULD COME TRUE. AND AFTER MANY YEARS IT DID. IT TOOK A LOT OF PEOPLE AND MANY MANY VOLUNTEERS AND NOW A GREAT STAFF. I'M SO PROUD OF THE PROGRAM THAT BOULDER COUNTY HAS NOW. NARRATOR: WHEN THE COUNTY ACQUIRES LAND FOR OPEN SPACE, THE AREA IS CAREFULLY INVENTORIED AND GREAT THOUGHT IS GIVEN TO HOW THE LAND CAN BE SUSTAINED FOR THE REST OF TIME. DAVE HALLOCK IN DEVELOPING A MANGAGEMENT PLAN WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS FIGURE OUT THE BEST AREAS FOR THE ANIMALS AND PLANTS THAT ARE THERE, THE AREAS THAT ARE MOST SIGNIFICANT FOR SENSITIVE SPECIES AND TRYING TO FIND AREAS THAT ARE MORE SUITABLE FOR PEOPLE TO USE. BASED ON THE MAPPING OF ALL THOSE RESOURCES WE FIND AREAS THAT ARE MOST APPROPRIATE TO PLACE TRAILS. WE LOOK AT RARE PLANTS, SIGNIFICANT PLANT COMMUNITIES, WE LOOK AT ANIMALS, EVERYTHING FROM BUTTERFLIES, TO BIRDS, TO BIGHORN SHEEP. THE WESTERN EDGE OF HALL RANCH IS IMPORTANT FOR BIGHORN SHEEP. SO WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE SURE WHEN LAYING OUT OUR TRAIL SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE LESS IMPACT, MAYBE FEWER PEOPLE GOING INTO THE WESTERN AREA. SO WITH THAT WE TRIED TO SAY MOUNTAIN BIKES CAN BE OVER HERE AND ONLY FOOT TRAFFIC CAN GO INTO THE WESTERN EDGE HAVING LESS IMPACT. IN THE END WE MAP ALL THESE RESOURCES AND START OVERLAYING THESE MAPS AND FIND AREAS THAT ARE REAL SIGNIFICANT FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND AREAS THAT ARE MORE SUITABLE FOR PEOPLE TO USE. NARRATOR BOULDER COUNTY'S NORTH FOOTHILLS OPEN SPACE SWEEPS FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE PLAINS AND PROVIDES IMPORTANT WILDLIFE HABITAT, INCLUDING AN ELK MIGRATION CORRIDOR. JANET GEORGE Describing the migration, how valuable the corridor is for elk as well as other mammals. NARRATOR WHEN BOULDER COUNTY ACQUIRES FARMLAND, EITHER BY BUYING THE LAND OR NEGOTIATING A CONSERVATION EASEMENT, IT LEASES THE LAND BACK TO FARMERS AND GIVES THEM ALTERNATIVES TO SELLING THEIR LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT. JULES VAN THUYNE: talking about how without the county program, he wouldn't be here. NARRATOR OTHER ACQUISITIONS ARE VIRTUAL RECLAMATION PROJECTS. WALDEN PONDS, FOR EXAMPLE WAS A COUNTY GRAVEL PIT, FIRST MINED IN 1958. STRIPPED TO BEDROCK OVER TWENTY YEARS, ONLY OPEN PITS AND PUDDLES OF GROUNDWATER REMAINED. BUT SINCE THEN, THE MINE HAS BEEN CRAFTED INTO PONDS AND MARSHES THAT ATTRACT MORE THAN A DOZEN SPECIES OF WATER BIRDS, FROM GREAT BLUE HERONS TO AMERICAN AVOCETS. COUNTY OPEN SPACE ISN'T JUST FOR PLANTS AND WILDLIFE. IT'S FOR PEOPLE. MANY OF OUR OPEN SPACE AREAS OFFER GREAT PLACES TO HIKE, RIDE HORSES AND MOUNTAIN BIKES AND FISH. MANY PEOPLE ALSO ENJOY NATURE STUDY, BIRD WATCHING AND PHOTOGRAPHY ON COUNTY OPEN SPACE AREAS. MO BRAY: Discussing recreation opportunities on county open space. NARRATOR: DOZENS OF COUNTY EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING BIOLOGISTS, ECOLOGISTS, FORESTERS, CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE CREWS. ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERSWORK TO PRESERVE AND LEARN FROM OPEN SPACE. BOULDER COUNTY PARKS AND OPEN SPACE EMPLOYEES USE A VARIETY OF TOOLS TO TAKE CARE OF THE FORESTS. AGRICULTURAL MANAGERS USE MOWING, GRAZING AND EVEN BUGS TO CONTROL INVASIVE WEEDS AND FOSTER NATIVE PLANT GROWTH. VOLUNTEERS HELP BUILD TRAILS WORK AS PARK HOSTS COUNT WILDLIFE, WRESTLE WITH POLICY DECISIONS AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT BOULDER COUNTY'S OPEN SPACE TREASURES. VOLUNTEER NATURALIST: addressing the group on a point VOLUNTEER NATURALIST: Expounding on some point about the balance of nature, including something about a legacy. NARRATOR: TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AFTER IT BEGAN, BOULDER COUNTY'S OPEN SPACE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO ACQUIRE OPEN LAND AND PRESERVE IT FOR THE FUTURE. NOT ONLY ARE BOULDER COUNTY RESIDENTS SAVING UNDEVELOPED LAND TODAY; THEY ARE PRESERVING ITS HISTORY AND ITS WILDNESS FOR THE GENERATIONS TO COME. (CLOSING MUSIC)