About Boulder County Parks and Open Space
Boulder County's Parks and Open Space program was initiated in the
mid-1960s by citizens interested in preserving land from rapid
development. At that time, there were fewer than 130,000 people living in
Boulder County. Now, there are nearly 300,000.
 In
1975, Ernie Betasso's 773-acre ranch, six miles west of Boulder, became
our first major open-space acquisition. Today, we own or oversee almost 89,000 acres of open space.
Our mission is to conserve natural, cultural, and agricultural
resources and provide public uses that reflect sound resource management and
community values.
Over 65% of land in Boulder County is protected from development by
Boulder County and federal, state, and local agencies, either through
conservation easements or land ownership. Read the
statistics here.
Open space is acquired in a variety
of different ways using a variety of funding sources. It is used to:
- Shape and buffer urban areas.
- Preserve critical ecosystems, cultural resources and scenic vistas.
- Provide access to lakes, streams and other public lands.
- Conserve forests, agricultural land and water resources.
- Protect areas of environmental concern.
Open Space properties are governed by the Parks and Open Space Advisory
Board (POSAC), which makes
recommendations concerning acquisition and use to the County
Commissioners. POSAC meets the fourth Thursday evening of every month.
There are three videos that can be
watched from our site that provide more information about Boulder County
Parks and Open Space.
Other Department Functions
Boulder County Parks and Open Space has about 108
part- and full-time employees
and 12 extension office employees, as well as approximately
30 seasonal employees. They acquire land, preserve historic buildings and
features, build and maintain trails, operate farm leases, control weeds,
track and protect wildlife, and preserve wetlands, forests and other plant
communities.
Our planners work closely with the Current and Long-Range Planning
divisions of the Land Use
Department to assess the environmental impact of new development and
open space issues related to the Boulder
County Comprehensive Plan.
Parks and Open Space manages Boulder County Fairgrounds
Park, located in Longmont. About 50% of the operating costs of the
park are funded by Boulder County taxpayers with the remaining 50%
recovered through user fees.
The Colorado State
University Cooperative Extension, located at the Fairgrounds in
Longmont, is also a part of Boulder County Parks and Open Space. The
extension works in cooperation with the County to provide information to
residents about agriculture, horticulture and family and consumer issues.
Boulder County residents have acknowledged the value of
our natural and cultural heritage and made deliberate choices to spend
taxpayer dollars to pass that heritage on to future generations. We
have preserved almost 89,000 acres of county land, from mountain meadows
to plains grasslands. We have made great strides in preserving our most
critical wildlife habitats, protecting farms and ranches and preventing
some of our eastern cities and towns from growing into each other. We have
over 90 miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding and
wonderful opportunities for picnics, nature photography and quiet
reflection.
We take our stewardship role very seriously. From tracking elk to
controlling noxious weeds, we use the latest technology and an extensive
network of volunteers. Volunteers also help us with interpretive
programming, educational outreach to schools and the community and work
projects.
We are proud of what we have accomplished and invite you to enjoy and
support our county parks and open space.
Ron
Stewart, Director
Boulder County
Parks and Open Space
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