FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: SUMMITCOUNTYCO.GOV STATE OF THE OPEN SPACE REPORT

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1 FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: SUMMITCOUNTYCO.GOV 2018 STATE OF THE OPEN SPACE REPORT

2 Open Space And Trails Program At a Glance 16,102+ acres protected; 8,187 ac in fee simple ~ $1,250,000/year allocated to land acquisition Since 1995 The Open Space and Trails Program has made 303 property acquisitions and worked with over 200 landowners to preserve their properties as a legacy for future generations. ~ $31,444,608 spent to date on acquisitions most recent mill levy approved by Summit County voters. Expires Lands protect recreational access, backcountry character, scenery, historic and natural resources (including wildlife), agricultural heritage, buffers between communities, and extensions of public lands Mission Statement: To identify, protect and manage open spaces, trails and trailheads to preserve and maintain Summit County's rural mountain character, unique natural areas and high quality of life for residents and visitors.

3 Open Space Protection Program Lower Blue River Basin: More than half of the total acreage is protected by donated conservation easements. At 5,810 acres, Shadow Creek Ranch Conservation Easement Is the largest property protected by the Program. Strong partnership with Town of Silverthorne. Tenmile River Basin: A combination of purchases and conservation easements preserves the scenic qualities of the Tenmile Range. Snake River Basin: Mine reclamation improves water quality and preservation of community buffers, and historic sites sustain rural mountain character. Strong partnership with Town of Dillon at Dillon Nature Preserve. Upper Blue River Basin: 4,091 acres (~80% of all Upper Blue acquisitions) have been purchased in partnership with Town of Breckenridge. Open Space Fund Purchase Price ($) Estimated Value of Donation Outside Purchase Amount ($) Basin Acres Protected Lower Blue 8, ,543,402 39,283,902 Tenmile 1, ,836,571 1,516,265 Snake ,050,842 6,565,708 Upper Blue 4, ,013,794 28,735,664 Total 16, ,444,608 76,101,539 The open space protection program has been funded through property tax mill levies approved by Summit County voters in 1993, 1999, 2003 and The Annual Open Space Fund acquisitions budget is approximately $1.25 million. Program has leveraged its acquisition funds at a 3:1 ratio with contributions from Great Outdoors Colorado, partnerships with towns, and donations from private landowners. The Open Space and Trails Department acquires lands to protect the scenic beauty, natural habitat, backcountry character and recreational opportunities of Summit County. Properties acquired by Summit County as open space are managed to protect their natural resource values while allowing for sustainable access and use.

4 Protected Lands Overview ~ Summit County Protected Lands

5 Upper Blue Program Highlights Public access, trails, and recreation River Restoration: Blue River at Fourmile Bridge and Swan River Historic preservation: mines and associated structures in Golden Horseshoe Mine reclamation: B&B Mines in Golden Horseshoe Wetland protection View corridors and buffers between communities Partnerships: Town of Breckenridge and US Forest Service

6 Upper Blue Basin Protected Lands Protected Since 1995 Total Acres = 4, acres Acquisition Costs = $15,017,794 Cost Per Acre = $3,152 Nine property acquisitions in 2017 totaling acres Legend Summit Co Open Space Summit Co Partial interest claim Conservation Easement Trail/Access Easement Property Conveyed to USFS Open Space Dedication Town of Breckenridge Open Space Private Parcels White River National Forest

7 Upper Blue Trails & Recreation North Legend Access: over 35 trailheads and local trail portals Highlights: French Gulch trail system, Galena Ditch, Western Sky, and Barney Ford area Current planned trail extensions/reroutes: Galena Extension Mineral Hill Mountain Pride Great Flume Nightmare on Baldy ^ Summit Co Open Space Summit Co Partial interest claim Conservation Easement Trail/Access Easement Property Conveyed to USFS Open Space Dedication Town of Breckenridge Open Space Private Parcels White River National Forest Trailheads & Portals

8 Upper Blue Trails & Recreation South Access: ~15 trailheads and local trail portals Highlights: Quandary and McCullough Gulch trails & trailheads Baldy Mountain trails & trailheads Pennsylvania Gulch trailhead Upper Blue River wetland protection Baldy Mountain Legend Summit Co Open Space Summit Co Partial interest claim Conservation Easement Trail/Access Easement Property Conveyed to USFS Open Space Dedication Town of Breckenridge Open Space Private Parcels ^ White River National Forest Trailheads & Portals

9 River Restoration Swan River Restoration During 2017, the Open Space and Trails program continued to lead efforts to restore the Swan River valley. Work focused on the installation of over 2,300 willows, and several hundred upland shrubs and trees. Grasses germinated throughout the year and over time will establish a native ground cover. Gravel removal continued on the upstream of the restored section, with over 70,000 tons leaving the site. Additional information about the Swan River Restoration Project is available at SummitCountyCO.gov/1183/Swan-River-Restoration.

10 Tenmile Basin Program Highlights Clinton Reservoir trails & trailheads Peak One Claims Copper Mountain Claims Historic Masontown Site Mayflower Gulch: Scenic viewshed one of most visited and photographed areas in the County Protection of access to recreation opportunities Preservation of historic mining structures Protected Since 1995 Total Acres = 1, acres Acquisition Expenditures = $1,827,077 Cost Per Acre = $1, Legend Summit Co Open Space Summit Co Partial interest claim Conservation Easement Trail/Access Easement Property Conveyed to USFS Open Space Dedication Town of Breckenridge Open Space Private Parcels ^ White River National Forest Trailheads & Portals

11 Snake River Basin Protected Lands Protected Since 1995 Total Acres = 1, ac Acquisition Costs = $5,050,842 Cost Per Acre = $2, Four property acquisitions in 2017 totaling acres Legend Summit Co Open Space Partial interest/restrictive Covenant Conservation Easement Trail/Access Easement Property Conveyed to USFS Open Space Easement/Dedication Private Parcels White River National Forest

12 Snake River Basin Highlights Protection of backcountry character and rural, mountain scenery o Dispersed mining claims would have led to additional roads and development resulting in a highly fragmented landscape with limited recreation opportunities Water quality improvement Mine reclamation Wildlife habitat protection (lynx corridor) Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDNST) Historic preservation Access: many trails & trailheads

13 Snake River Trails & Recreation Access: ~25 trailheads and local trail portals Snake River Bluff Trails Completed 2017 Highlights: Oro Grande, Tenderfoot, Summit Cove, Rossetter/Keystone Golf Course and Soda Creek Greenbelt trails, Tenderfoot/Snake River Bluff Trails, Dillon Nature Preserve Access Current trail planning: Soda Creek Greenbelt Legend Summit Co Open Space Summit Co Partial interest claim Conservation Easement Trail/Access Easement Property Conveyed to USFS Open Space Dedication Town of Breckenridge Open Space Private Parcels ^ White River National Forest Trailheads & Portals

14 Snake River Highlights Montezuma Protection of backcountry character & dispersed mining claims Recreation & Access to the National Forest Preservation of Historic Resources like the Saints John Townsite Legend ^ Trailheads & Portals Summit Co Protected Land Partial Interest/Restrictive Cov Property Conveyed to USFS Private Parcels White River National Forest

15 Lower Blue Basin North Protection of Summit County s agricultural heritage ~10 miles of scenic viewshed along the Gore and Williams Fork Ranges Protected Since 1995 Total Acres = 8, ac Acquisition Costs = $9,543,402 Cost Per Acre = $1,122 Two property acquisitions in 2017 totaling 7.15 acres *Values represent entire Lower Blue Basin Reducing private inholdings into public lands Access to the Lower Blue River Legend ^ Trailheads & Portals Summit Co Open Space Conservation Easement Rural Subdivision Res Cov Private Parcels White River National Forest BLM Lands

16 Lower Blue Ú! )É C 9 Basin South Access to recreation and the National Forest: ~13 trailheads and local trail portals Buffers between developed areas Wetland and sensitive resource area protection Partnership with the Town of Silverthorne Mesa Cortina Trailhead Town of Silverthorne Legend ^ Trailheads & Portals Summit Co Open Space Conservation Easement Rural Subdivision Res Cov Private Parcels White River National Forest BLM Lands

17 Abandoned Mine Cleanup Open Space Protection Tools: Partnerships with U.S. EPA, State of Colorado, private landowners, and others to complete restoration Acquisition of over several hundred clean mining claims throughout the county Restrictive Covenants and Transferrable Development Rights prevent development and facilitate water cleanup without incurring environmental liability Snake River Watershed Task Force Peru Creek Brownfields Assessment Reviewed mining claims for environmental liabilities and cleanup potential ($200,000 EPA Grant) B&B Mines Reclamation Completed & Ongoing Mine Cleanup Efforts Wellington Oro, Jessie, French Gulch, and Royal Tiger Pennsylvania Mine, Shoe Basin Mine, Saints John Mill, Brittle Silver Mill, Silver Spoon, Cinnamon Gulch, Delaware Mine, Jumbo Mine Illinois Gulch and four others under review

18 Summit County Recreational Pathway Ongoing Goals and Challenges: Fremont Pass Hoosier Pass Vail Pass maintenance 37 Miles of Summit County Recpath outside of towns One of the Open Space and Trails Program s most visible and cherished resources ~$9.2 Million Historic Construction Cost (primarily grant-funded) Over 200,000 user visits per year ~$200,000 per year allocated to maintenance Volunteer Recpath adopters maintain 22 unique sections throughout the system Special events Providing excellent user experience with increasing numbers and diversity of uses New in 2017 Vail Pass Recpath added to Summit County s Recpath system Ride along with the Governor Site visit to the future Fremont Recpath

19 Natural Surface Trails & Trailheads Ongoing Goals and Challenges Maintaining access to public lands Securing easements Public information and signage Consistency with US Forest Service and town management goals Balancing enhanced recreational amenities and diverse uses with preserving ecological values Together with its partners, Summit County manages over 85 trailheads and local trail portals The County also manages approximately 40 miles of singletrack and 40 miles of dirt roads with its partners

20 2017 Open Space Program Highlights 2017 by the numbers 15 property acquisitions totaling acres plus 2 trail easements at a cost of $594,696 $4,415,000 in new grant awards 1,090 volunteer hours, Estimated Value $25,070 Over 42,240 linear feet of new natural surface trail Issued 25 Summit County Special Event Permits, 11 Dillon Reservoir Special Event Permits, and 21 Dillon Reservoir Special Use Permits 43 Planning Department Development Reviews Online Interactive Web Map Published interactive digital map allowing users to explore local recreational amenities and open space resources. Snake River Bluffs Trails Completed construction of nearly eight miles of new singletrack on Summit County Resource Allocation Park (SCRAP) property. The new trail network creates loops and additional connections to adjacent trail networks and open space properties. Swan River Restoration Completed revegetation work on 26 acres of restored riparian/upland area and continued gravel removal upstream in order to facilitate future restoration. Fremont Pass Recreation Pathway Awarded Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) grant, which includes $4.375 million in funding, as well as design, permitting, and construction support for the northern three miles of pathway through Tenmile Canyon on National Forest.

21 2017 Open Space and Trails Budget Total expenditures from the Open Space Fund were $1,784,819 in Open Space Fund Operating $973,673 Capital Outlay $111,450 Open Space Purchases: $594,696 Special Projects $105,000 Total Budget $1,784,819 Grants and Matching Funds Swan River Restoration $40,000 Fremont Pass Recreation Pathway Planning $4,375,000 * Total Grants & Matching Funds 4,415,000 *Multi-year grant Open Space funds were used to leverage more than $4,415,000 in grants and matching funds; over 247% of the 2017 Open Space and Trails program budget! Special Projects 6% Operating 55% Open Space Purchases Capital Outlay 3%

22 Our People Open Space and Trails Staff Brian Lorch Director Katherine King Senior Resource Specialist Jason Lederer Senior Resource Specialist Michael Wurzel Resource Specialist Brad Kremske Seasonal Resource Specialist Karen Russell Principal Administrator Paul Molnar Seasonal Technician Nathan Guild Seasonal Technician Open Space Advisory Council Turk Montepare, Chair Upper Blue Basin Terry Craig Snake River Basin Bruce Fitch Tenmile Basin Robert Gregory At Large Arthur Hardin At Large Diane Hunt At Large Jeff Leigh Lower Blue Blaze Panariso Upper Blue Todd Rankin At large Laura Rossetter Tenmile Basin John Taylor Lower Blue Basin John Uban Snake River Basin

23 Partnerships The Open Space and Trails Program maintains ongoing partnerships with numerous key stakeholders and landowners. Our work would not be possible without their collaboration and support, as well as the strong support of the citizens of Summit County. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT