Current Projects
The following are a few projects we are currently working on.
Harney Lastoka Trail and Kerr Community Gardens: The 2004 Management Plan for Harney Lastoka Open Space identified the desire for a community gardens facility to serve the residents of Louisville, Lafayette, and Boulder County. This project provided a location for residents to lease small plots for growing produce. This supports local agriculture, provides affordable and nutritious produce, and provides educational opportunities for the community. In 2008 the community garden was built, with 43 plots, irrigation, fencing, a parking area and a trail connecting to the Coal Creek trail system. POS Foundation contributed $2000 to this project.
Superior to Marshall Trail: Boulder County, the City of Boulder and the Town of Superior for years have sought trails to link the City of Boulder's Marshall-Mesa trails, the County and SE county municipalities Rock Creek/Coal Creek trail system. Boulder County received a GOCO grant for $150,000; the Boulder Area Trails Coalition (BATCO) contributed $1,000 and the Parks and Open Space Foundation contributed $5,000. The City of Boulder and Town of Superior are each contributing $10,000. Boulder County has built 1.5 miles of new, 4-foot wide natural surface trail completing the "missing link" of the Marshall-Superior-Coalton Trail system. Bridges and ditch crossings are the final phase of this project, to be worked on in 2010.
Native Plant Propagation: POS is collecting local, native seed that is not available commercially. The native seed we generate will be available for BCPOS ecological restoration projects and fire rehabilitation projects in the future. We have contracted with two Natural Resource Conservation Service Plant Material Centers to increase the seed of three species: xeric big bluestem, Griffith’s wheatgrass, and poverty oatgrass. Eventually we want to increase native seed on our own BCPOS agricultural land. We received a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in 2007 for $49,670 and $1,000 from the Parks and Open Space Foundation. Boulder County collected over 38 pounds of cleaned seed in the first 2 years of this project. In 2009 this project was expanded to include plant species near the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge. BCPOS received an additional $150,000 in grants. The Parks and Open Space Foundation support helped secure this grant funding.
Gage, South Branch PMJM Habitat Project: The South Branch Ditch flows through the Gage Property in what was historically a natural flood channel of the St. Vrain River, before its use as an irrigation ditch. Unfortunately, long-term overgrazing by previous landowners destroyed the riparian habitat. In 2007, Boulder County staff and volunteers installed six sections of the stream fencing to restrict grazing, removed 293 Russian olive trees, installed a culvert and improved one stream crossing. In the spring of 2008, POS planted approximately 2000 shrubs and trees in the riparian area. This project was funded with a grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service totaling $43,021 over four years (2007-2010) and the POS Foundation contributed $2000.
Heil Loop and Heil-Lyons Connector Trail: In 2007, POS completed construction of a new 2.9 mile Wild Turkey loop trail on Heil Valley Ranch using volunteers and $10,000 in POS Foundation funds. Boulder County purchased the Olson property in 2006, which allowed POS to make a trail connection into Lyons. In 2008 the County completed the 5.5 mile trail connection to Lyons called the Picture Rock Trail with the help of over 2000 volunteer hours and $8,500 in funding from the POS Foundation.
