.
The current economic reality faced by the City of Colorado Springs and El Paso County poses significant challenges and threatens the ecological health and community benefits afforded by regional open space, trails and parklands. In response to this need, the Trails and Open Space Coalition is mobilizing local government leaders, conservation partners, businesses, and other stakeholders to seek sustainable funding solutions and practices for parklands management in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado.
The Trails and Open Space Coalition was formed in 1987 by a group of concerned citizens to help the City of Colorado Springs implement its trails master plan. The Trails and Open Space Coalition (TOSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working in the Pikes Peak region in Colorado to preserve open space and rural land and to create a network of trails, bikeways and greenways. Since its inception, TOSC has been a regional leader preserving and acquiring open space, and generating revenue for acquisition, stewardship, and management of parklands.
The City of Colorado Springs has faced a series of severe budget shortfalls that have affected nearly every city service, especially parks. The shortfall has significantly reducted parks administrative services, closed some pools, community centers and trheated many cultural services and reduced maintenance at nearly 125 parks. The future health of parks and park services is dependent on finding lasting solutions that will provide the resources needed to assure quality parks for future generations. The Sustainable Parks Initiative is a community-led effort aimed at achieving that goal.
The overall goal of the Sustainable Parks Initiative (SPI) is to identify and help implement long term sustainable funding and management solutions for parks, trails and open spaces in the Pikes Peak region. The SPI consists of a diverse group of private citizens, friends’ groups, community volunteers, non-profits, and local government staff and officials working together to find solutions that will assure sustainable parks for future generations. Additional assistance is being provided by local environmental and recreation specialists, law firms, bond consuls and election and polling experts.
The SPI committee is serving as the core planning group charged with developing strategies, conducting research, and procuring necessary resources for the development of a strategic sustainable parks plan. The meetings are being facilitated by the Trails and Open Space staff with support from legal consultants and specialists as needed.
The ultimate sustainability solution will require significant resources and community support. We feel that solution will result in the development of one of the following three parks management and funding models: (1.) Development of a Regional Service Authority, (2.) Development of a Regional Legislative Parks District - similar to the PPRTA model, (3.) County-wide funding solution that would leave both parks departments intact and require no new governing board.
The primary SPI effort will focus on the adoption, development and implementation of one of the permanent solutions listed above.
Community Impact
Successful implementation of the SPI will have immediate and long term beneficial impacts to parks and the local community by keeping the parks and other community resources open and functioning. Improved resources, in the form of both human resources and increased funding, will counter the serious maintenance shortfalls now faced by existing parks managers. Increased resources will directly improve the ecological conditions of parks by restoring natural conditions, enable resource managers to develop additional park lands, provide expanded recreational opportunities and maintain popular community services and facilities. Improved park facilities will also have a positive economic and social impact by promoting recreational use and drawing diverse users and visitors from outside the community.
We are particularly grateful to the Pikes Peak Conservation Fund for giving TOSC the capacity to lead this effort.
