Open Space Advisory Board Agenda and Packet 2017 12 13

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Acquisition & Rationale Elk Meadow Park as a whole encompasses approximately 1,658 acres. Acquisition of lands for the park began in 1977 with a purchase of 1,170 acres. Three additional fee acquisitions, two land donations and one acquisition of a conservation easement have occurred over the past 32 years, with the latest park acquisition occurring in 2009. Table 1 and Figure 2 summarize the history of acquisition by parcel. Table 1: Summary of Acquisition History Year Type Size (Acres) Original Owner 1977-1986 Fee 1,170 Means Family 1994 Fee 113 Mountain Area Land Trust 1994 Conservation Easement 184 Mountain Area Land Trust 1995-1996 Donation 86 Eberl 1998 Fee 18 Schroeder 2008 Fee 7 Warren & Virginia Lewis 2009 Donation 80 Owen Figure 2: Acquisition Map at Elk Meadow Park Elk Meadow Park Acquisition History 1995-96 86 acres December, 1994 184 acres (easmt.) 113 acres (fee) Acquisition of open space in Jefferson County takes into account several factors. Properties are purchased because they represent distinct examples of Colorado's natural heritage. Other properties provide important linkages, are adjacent to other existing open space areas, or provide a natural buffer from nearby development. Some acquisitions may encompass some of these values, but primarily provide an opportunity to add natural, .mew _d-lyOpeSpam undeveloped lands to the system. These areas provide future opportunities for restoration, protection of view sheds, recreational June, 1998 18 acres 1977-56 1170 acres . (December, 2008 7 acres November 2009 80 acres uses, or protection from development, among other values. The acquisitions that constitute Elk Meadow Park represented a variety of these criteria. Park Values, Early Development & Management Elk Meadow Park has served as a welcoming gateway to Evergreen since it was homesteaded. EIk Meadow Park is unique in the Open Space system because it includes five different ecosystems that can be explored through the trails within the Park, as well as the adjoining Denver Mountain Park property and Bergen Peak Wildlife Area. These ecosystems include open, rolling meadows visible from Highway 74; the Ponderosa pine forest that dominates the transition zone; the Douglas -fir and aspen found in the foothills zone; the thick stands of lodgepole pine in the montane zone; and finally, the subalpine zone of lichens and rock on Bergen Peak. The Park's rich biological communities, including abundant wildlife and diverse vegetation are protected as examples of successful forest management and habitat conservation. The Park also functions as an ecological buffer between developments in Evergreen. The 1,658 acres of EIk Meadow park is actively managed to maintain these values. 15