Thoughtful planning is required to ensure protection of natural and cultural resources and community values on these diverse properties, to provide for long-term sustainable use and to balance the needs and interests of the public and other stakeholders.

The Boulder County Parks and Open Space Resource Planning division is responsible for developing management strategies for the appropriate use of Open Space resources and properties. The Resource Planning division includes staff with expertise in historic preservation, GIS and mapping, water resources, environmental and urban planning, land use codes, ecology, and recreation and public use. This range of specialties allows the division to promote resource planning that reflects the comprehensive values of County open space preservation.

Planning for Parks and Open Space properties involves several components:

Public involvement:  This critical element of resource planning includes communication of Parks and Open Space intentions to the public, and review and incorporation of public feedback into management plans.

This is accomplished through a variety of mechanisms including mailings, public meetings, direct contact with individual stakeholders, and issue-specific advisory groups.

Additionally, the Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee (POSAC), appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, convenes monthly in a public forum to review and provide advice on Parks and Open Space issues.

Regulatory compliance:  Management plans and activities must comply with and support the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan. In addition, they must adhere to County land use regulations, as well as other Federal, state, and municipal codes and planning documents. In addition to incorporating these directives into management plans and activities, Resource Planning staff works with the public and other stakeholders to promote understanding of and compliance with these complex statutes. Ongoing engagement in these issues allows staff to mitigate potential conflicts in areas such as water rights, land use code violations, and cultural resource preservation.

Interdepartmental collaboration:  The Resource Planning division incorporates recommendations from a wide variety of disciplines into planning efforts, whether they be development of a management plan for a new property, or involvement of stakeholders to resolve an ongoing issue.

Expertise from other staff including landscape architects, plant and wildlife biologists, education and outreach specialists and facility managers is key to successful planning efforts.

 
This interdisciplinary collaboration ensures development of management strategies that address property-specific objectives while meeting overall goals for Parks and Open Space preservation.

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