Working to Preserve Open Space and Rural Land; and Create a Network of Trails, Bikeways and Greenways in the Pikes Peak Region
Subscribe to our e-mail alert system and receive updates on events, issues, critical meetings where you can make a difference. Our alert system is handled by Yahoo Groups. To unsubscribe, click on unsubscribe.
Open Space Conservation ProgramsReturn to the Open Space index of topics There are many reasons for open space: wildlife habitat, significant vegetation, water resources, recreation, environmental education, protection of visual resources, cultural resources, urban shaping and buffering, agriculture 1. Government plays a major role in the region. Most regional communities and agencies have master plans with provisions for land conservation. Funding for the most part comes from Colorado Lottery Conservation Trust Funds and a variety of grants from sources such as Great Outdoors Colorado and public/private partnerships. The City of Colorado Springs has dedicated funding available for land conservation through the Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS) tax initiative that provides $5.5 to $6 million annually with approximately 60% going to open space preservation. The tax has funded such open space projects as the Stratton Open Space (308 acres), Big Johnson Reservoir (650 acres), Cheyenne Mountain State Park (1600 acres), Houck Estate (73 acres): High Chaparral (54 acres), Blodgett Peak (167 acres) and consideration of Red Rock Canyon. In addition, the TOPS program has funded dozens of trails and parks projects. Manitou Springs has both a sales tax and a property tax that has generated $359,000 for open space, parks and trails since its passage in 1995. This has enabled the city to purchase its number one priority open space project, Red Mountain in 1997. Both Teller and El Paso County and many of the municipalities have open space master plans. These master plans define open space and identify many of the areas that meet the criteria. An open space area's inclusion in a masterplan is only an indication of possible preservation value. The plans do not place special protected status on the areas nor do they indicate that the property is even available for sale. Teller County Parks administers the open space program for the county. It has recently acquired the 1600-acre Catamount Ranch through a variety of funding sources, mostly foundation grants. It has no dedicated funding for land preservation but depends on Colorado Lottery Conservation Trust funds and Great Outdoors Colorado grants. Teller County also the Community-Oriented Resource Enhancement Fund to provide a source of funds to help leverage projects administered by other government agencies and public or private organizations with about $20000 available for open space over the last five years. No funds are available for 2001. El Paso County Parks owns or manages a number of open space areas in the county. Most of these are in the form of large regional parks that contain both natural and developed areas. One of these, Manitou Springs Section 16, is under lease from the State Land Board. El Paso County has no dedicated land preservation funding but must depend on Colorado Lottery Conservation Trust income and Great Outdoors Colorado grants for open space acquisition. In addition, a number of other government agencies have land conservation programs in the Pikes Peak region. Fort Carson has about 8,000 undeveloped or recreation acres administered through the Natural Resources Division. The Air Force Academy has 11,000 undeveloped acres open to the public. The program is administered by the Environmental Flight. The Pikes Peak Ranger District manages 240,000 acres in the Pikes Peak region, most of which is in El Paso and Teller counties. The State Land Board administers a number of holdings in the Pikes Peak region. Funding for open space purchase comes from several sources. Colorado Springs (Trails Open Space and Parks Program - TOPS) and Manitou Springs have a small sales tax which goes to open space. Individuals and organizations may apply for funding for specific projects. Funding for the counties and other municipalities comes from small appropriations from their general funds (usually Conservation Trust Funds-Lottery Funds) and from government grant programs like the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund (also Lottery funds). 2. Land Preservation Nonprofits also play a major role in the preservation of open space in the area. The Trust for Public Land, founded in 1972, helps conserve land for recreation and spiritual nourishment and to improve the health and quality of life of American communities. The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to preserve plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. The Palmer Foundation Land Trust is a public, non-profit land trust composed of individuals, families, and businesses dedicated to the permanent protection of open space, agricultural, scenic, and natural lands in the Pikes Peak region. Colorado Open Lands uses conservation real estate expertise, partnerships with the private and public sector, and fundraising capabilities to preserve land in 18 counties in Colorado. The mission of the Trails and Open Space Coalition is to preserve open space and create an interconnected network of trails and greenways in the Pikes Peak region. It does this through advocacy, education, fundraising and volunteer programs. 3. Private Fundraising/Citizen's Advocacy Landowners can preserve land without government participation through a variety of techniques. These include conservation easements, donations and bequests, sale of development rights, bargain sale of property, and limited development. Another part of the partnership equation is the availability of private fundraising for land purchase. Citizen's advocacy groups have in the past been successful in raising money to purchase outright or combine with other partners. While adding to the total funds available in a land purchase, private fundraising is also a strong indication of the advocacy group's commitment to the project. 4. Land Preservation Through the Development Process In the Pikes Peak Region, developers have the opportunity to support land preservation through the development process. Based on the size of their project, developers are required to provide either fees or land. In the case of land donation, properties usually end up as community parks or open space areas. Occasionally, flood plain, hillside and wildlife regulations make land unbuildable. When this happens, developers can sometimes include these areas in their donations. Limited Development Options There are many ways limited development may occur. Generally, in an effort to match community and financial resources with land prices, part of a piece of property is developed while part is purchased or donated for open space Sometimes there are situations where not all of a piece of land can be preserved or even should be saved. Often there is not enough money or community support to preserve all of a piece of property. In other cases, disturbance of the ground or environmental contamination may make only part of a piece of property appropriate for open space preservation. 5. Tax Advantaged Techniques Conservation Easements Most landowners on the edge of growing metropolitan areas, especially ranchers and farmers, are aware of the financial planning issues posed by federal estate taxes. Land valued at one price for agriculture is often valued much higher for development. This can become an estate tax burden that can make further agricultural operations infeasible. Conservation easements are a voluntary agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government entity. The agreement allows the landowner to donate the future development rights to one of these organizations. The landowner benefits by receiving a charitable income tax deduction and a reduction in the value of the property for estate taxes. The landowner retains ownership of the land and does not have to provide public access to the land. In the Pikes Peak Region, the major land trust organization providing assistance with conservation easements is the Palmer Foundation Land Trust. Donation Property can be donated to a county or municipal park department to become public open space. Donors would receive a charitable deduction on their income taxes. Bargain Sale of Property Landowners can get a charitable deduction for selling their land for preservation at a reduced price. Landowners would get a tax deduction for the difference between the agricultural and development value. Landowners should consult their legal and tax professionals for advice on estate and taxes planning and land transactions. Return to the Open Space index of topics
|