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CITY OF FORT COLLINS
NATURAL AREAS DEPARTMENT
FINAL DRAFT
NATURAL AREAS
MASTER PLAN
September 24, 2014
EXHIBIT A
Photo Credits: Valley Loop Trail, Bobcat Ridge Natural Area (Photo by D. Daniels);
inserts (top to bottom): Cattail Chorus Natural Area (City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department Photo),
Master Naturalist at McMurry Natural Area (City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department Photo), Great
horned owl at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area (Photo by Norm Keally).
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 iii
P REFACE
Conservation and Wellbeing
In many regards, Fort Collins is the envy of other mid-size communities around the nation. Again and
again, publications and surveys tout its high quality of life. Many factors contribute to the success of Fort
Collins. The physical environment of Fort Collins, with its beautiful location on the Rocky Mountain Front
Range and, in particular, the matrix of conserved natural areas in and around the City, is a fundamental
part of the City’s renowned character. Additional factors include a culture of entrepreneurship, an
accomplished local school system, Colorado State University, an engaged community, and in particular
a devotion to the outdoors and environmental protection. The City’s network of natural areas, made
possible by a series of citizen-initiated sales taxes, constitutes a strong testament to this devotion and
plays a key role in making Fort Collins one of the best places to live in the country.
Fort Collins’ natural areas are a leading expression of our community’s values, hopes, and aspirations.
Moreover, in Fort Collins and other communities around the world, there is growing understanding
and appreciation for the symbiotic relationship between local land conservation and human wellbeing.
This emerging understanding will be a major driver as the Natural Areas Department pursues its core
conservation mission over the next ten years.
The Fort Collins model of conserving land lies squarely within a great American tradition that many
historians trace to the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. During his tenure Roosevelt established
numerous National Forests and Parks and protected nearly 230 million acres in the public domain. Since
the turn of the last century, land conservation has become fi rmly entrenched in the culture and history
of America, and the tradition of conservation continues to be one of our nation’s greatest achievements.
Milky Way above Bobcat Ridge Natural Area
(Photo by Jeremy White; Courtesy of National Park Service)
iv Preface FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
Two interesting phenomena in the land conservation movement occurred in the latter part of the 20th
century. The conservation land trust movement exploded and there are now over 1,700 land trusts that
have helped conserve nearly 50 million acres nationally. In addition to the private, non-profi t sector,
local governments launched their own conservation efforts. This has been especially true in Colorado,
and Fort Collins has been a leader in the local government conservation movement.
An important factor that drove the desire for land conservation in Fort Collins was the booming economy in
the 1990s and early 2000s. Community members in Fort Collins recognized that unless something was done
to set aside key lands, they would be lost to development. Citizen activists orchestrated a series of citizen-
initiated sales tax measures that provided additional resources to acquire important lands and to restore their
ecological value, as well as to provide recreation amenities, public safety, education, and outreach programs.
Fort Collins can be deservedly proud of its role in the local government conservation movement. To
date, the efforts of the City have resulted in the conservation of approximately 41,000 acres. The Natural
Areas Department manages 35,000 acres with a full-time permanent staff of 30 and another 20 seasonal
employees. In addition to the professional staff, volunteers donate thousands of hours of their time
each year. On-the-ground management of the 6,000 acres that have been protected with conservation
easements is conducted by the City’s community partners and private landowners. On an annual basis
the City monitors the eased lands to ensure compliance with the protective terms of the easements.
Of course, the numbers only scratch the surface of the underlying story. They are unable to capture the joy
of a child playing at the water’s edge; the deep contentment of an afternoon spent fl y casting in the middle
of town; the music of birdsong on a warm spring day; a quiet walk, or a hard run on the Foothills Trail as
the sun rises. These descriptions hint at the deeper meaning and values of the City’s natural areas system-
-a system that supports two fundamentally intertwined benefi ts associated with conservation at the local
scale: the preservation and support of the diversity of life, and support for human wellness and health.
Fort Collins is on the leading edge of a movement that is just beginning to appreciate and understand how
supporting the diversity of life at the local scale can also help support the wellbeing of local residents.
Human health experts are beginning to realize, through peer reviewed research, that outdoor activity can
have highly benefi cial impacts on both physical and mental health.
In Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv (2005) argues forcefully that children have become too
disconnected from nature in our highly regimented approach to education, sports, and the pervasive use
of electronic media. When the broken connection
to nature is re-established, children are happier,
calmer, and better at solving problems. Similar
results have been shown for adults; for example,
numerous outdoor programs have been established
for war veterans to help them cope with trauma and
re-integrate into civilian society. With over 100 miles
of trails and nearly 35,000 acres of land open to the
public, the City provides numerous opportunities
for connecting and re-connecting with nature.
"This principle holds that a reconnection to
the natural world is fundamental to human
health, well-being, spirit, and survival."
Richard Louv (2011)
The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the
End of Nature-Deficit Disorder
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 v
In addition to human wellness, biologists and city planners now understand that supporting a matrix
of conserved lands at the local level can be fundamentally important to sustaining the diversity of life.
For example, conservation at the local level can play a vital role in connecting biological corridors that
would otherwise be disconnected by urban development.
Two examples from the Fort Collins’ experience are the Cache la Poudre River corridor and Soapstone
Prairie Natural Area. In the case of the Poudre, biologists note that riparian corridors in Colorado are
the primary reservoirs of biological diversity in the state. The City’s history of conserving land along
the Poudre, and more recent efforts to reconnect the river to its fl oodplain and to modify or remove
dams to facilitate fi sh passage, are intended to restore and sustain important elements of the river’s
biological richness. Public ownership of over 60% of the Poudre River fl oodplain within Fort Collins
has contributed to multiple community goals, strongly evidenced by the resilience of the river system
to the September 2013 fl ood event. In the case of Soapstone Prairie, this 22,000-acre property provides a
vital link in a series of protected lands in the 150,000-acre Mountains-to-Plains Laramie Foothills Project
that connects higher elevation habitat to the prairie, a regional connection that is vanishing along the
developing Front Range of Colorado.
Perhaps in a way that our community was not able to anticipate 20 years ago, efforts to enhance wellbeing
and social sustainability as well as efforts to conserve and restore the quality of our natural areas are
symbiotically reinforcing each other. This symbiosis is likely to be one of the most important movements
of the 21st century, especially as population trends place increasing pressure on the resilience of our
economic, social, and environmental fabric.
The City will continue to implement programs and initiatives that strongly support the movement towards
local resilience, biological conservation, and human health and wellbeing. Looking forward to the next
ten years, the Natural Areas Department will execute its core conservation mission by protecting land
and water, providing a safe and appropriate user experience, sharing through learning opportunities, and
restoring and rehabilitating land and natural systems to build ecological diversity and staying power.
John Stokes
Natural Areas Department Director (2003–Present)
John Stokes at Two Creeks Natural Area
(City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department Photo)
vi Preface FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department thanks all the citizens who have contributed to the
conservation and stewardship of our community’s natural areas. Your citizen-initiated sales tax dollars
have conserved natural areas, provided visitor services, and restored habitat for generations to come. We
especially thank citizen open space leaders, public offi cials, conservation partners, volunteers, and City
staff who have supported the natural areas vision over the last 22 years.
Staff, volunteers, and visitors at Gateway Natural Area
(City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department Photo)
City Council
Karen Weitkunat, Mayor
Gerry Horak, Mayor Pro Tem, District 6
Bob Overbeck, District 1
Lisa Poppaw, District 2
Gino Campana, District 3
Wade Troxell, District 4
Ross Cunniff, District 5
City Management
Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager
Wendy Williams, Assistant City Manager
Marty Heffernan, Director of Community Services
John Stokes, Natural Areas Department Director
Mark Sears, Natural Areas Manager
Land Conservation and Stewardship Board
Trudy Haines, Chairperson
Gail Dethloff
Kathryn Grimes
Kent Leier
Kelly Ohlson
Ed Reifsnyder
Raymond Watts
Master Plan Writing Team
City of Fort Collins
Karen Manci, Project Manager
Rick Bachand
Barb Brock
Tawnya Ernst
Lindsay Ex
Daylan Figgs
Sue Kenney
Ryan Kogut
Aran Meyer
Matt Parker
Rhonda Peckham
Brandon Poole
Kristin Powell
Justin Scharton
Mark Sears
Jen Shanahan
Rachel Steeves
John Stokes
Crystal Strouse
Michelle Vattano
Ryan Vincent
Zoë Whyman
Logan Simpson Design Inc.
Jeremy Call, Lead
Kerri Flanagan
Ben Hammer
Libby Kaiser
Tom Keith
Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................1
Plan Fort Collins and the Natural Areas Master Plan 2
The Value of Natural Areas 2
Four Decades of Land Conservation and Stewardship 3
A Continuous Dialogue: Community Involvement in the 2014 Master Plan Update 7
Performance Metrics 12
Chapter 2 Funding and Expenditures .......................................................................................13
Historical Funding and Expenditures (1993–2013) 13
Future Funding and Expenditures over the Next Ten Years (2014–2023) with and without Larimer County’s
“Help Preserve Open Space” Sales Tax 14
Other Potential Funding Sources 16
Chapter 3 Land Conservation .................................................................................................21
Inventory of City Natural Areas and Other Protected Sites 21
Conservation Focus Areas 28
Land Conservation Strategies 33
Chapter 4 Stewardship ........................................................................................................39
Staffi ng 39
Land Conservation and Stewardship Board 40
Policies, Plans, and Procedures 40
Management Zoning System 42
Education 43
Volunteer Coordination 45
Research 46
Resource Management 48
Cache la Poudre River and Other Aquatic Systems 54
Ranger and Visitor Services 59
Recreation and Public Improvements 62
Cultural Resources 69
Agriculture 72
Energy Development and Minerals Extraction 73
Utility Easements and Rights-of-Way 75
Private Land Management Assistance 77
Facility Operations 77
Environmental Sustainability 80
Chapter 5 Looking Forward to the Next Decade and Beyond ............................................................83
Partnership Opportunities 83
Priorities 84
Challenges 88
viii Table of Contents FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
References .......................................................................................................................89
Appendix A 2014 City Council Resolution to Adopt the Natural Areas Master Plan (Pending) ...................A-1
Appendix B 2011 City Plan Principles and Policies ......................................................................B-1
Appendix C “Our Lands – Our Future” Results for Fort Collins .......................................................C-1
List of Figures
Figure 1. Percentage of “Very Good” or “Good” Quality Ratings of Natural Areas Department Programs and
Facilities (Fort Collins Citizen Surveys 2003–2013) ....................................................................8
Figure 2. Natural Areas Revenue, 1993–2013 (Total $184,006,420) .....................................................14
Figure 3. Change in Distribution of Natural Areas Expenditures over Time ...........................................15
Figure 4. Natural Areas Expenditures by Work Group, 1993–2013 (Total $170,444,314) ............................15
Figure 5. Natural Areas Estimated Expenditures by Work Group with “Help Preserve Open Space” Sales Tax
over the next Ten Years, 2014–2023 (Total $117,618,251) ............................................................17
Figure 6. Natural Areas Estimated Revenue with “Help Preserve Open Space” Sales Tax over the next Ten
Years, 2014–2023 (Total $117,618,251) .................................................................................17
Figure 7. Natural Areas Estimated Revenue without “Help Preserve Open Space” Sales Tax Extension over the
next Ten Years, 2014–2023 (Total $93,878,417) ........................................................................17
Figure 8. Total Spending and Acres Conserved by Focus Areas (2003–2013) .........................................28
Figure 9. Number of Volunteer Hours per Year, 2007–2013 ..............................................................45
Figure 10. Number of Natural Areas Open to Specifi c Recreation Types ..............................................63
Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 ix
List of Tables
Table 1. Current Natural Areas Department Metrics ......................................................................12
Table 2. Examples of Conservation and Stewardship Partnerships over the Past Ten Years .......................19
Table 3. Natural Areas Inventory of Conserved Lands ....................................................................24
Table 4. Natural Areas Policies, Plans, and Procedures (2004–2014) ...................................................41
Table 5. Examples of Special-Permit Research Projects on City Natural Areas over the Last Four Years. ........47
Table 6. Selected List of Research Topics to Help Stewardship of Natural Areas over the Next Ten Years .......48
List of Maps
Map 1. Local Natural Areas and Community Separators ................................................................22
Map 2. Regional Natural Areas ...............................................................................................23
Map 3. Land Conservation Focus Areas .....................................................................................29
x Table of Contents FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 1
I NTRODUCTION
Growing out of earlier open space
efforts in the 1970s, the City of Fort
Collins established a Natural Areas
Program in 1992. Over the last few decades,
the Program evolved into a multi-faceted
department responsible for the conservation
and stewardship of land and water with
natural resource, agricultural, recreation, and
scenic values. The Natural Areas Department
is not alone in this endeavor. Other City of
Fort Collins departments, neighboring cities,
Larimer County, state and federal agencies,
land trusts, and private landowners all partner
with the Department. Above all, the support
of the Fort Collins community itself has made
the original vision of the 1992 Natural Areas
Policy Plan a reality.
The Fort Collins community has conserved
over 40,000 acres and the Natural Areas
Department manages 35,000 of those acres
within 43 local and regional natural areas. More than 30,000 acres—roughly 75% have been conserved
in just the past ten years. With over 100 miles of trails on the 40 sites open to-date, natural areas have
become a beloved community asset, central to Fort Collins’ identity and quality of life. This remarkable
accomplishment has presented new resource management, natural areas education, and recreation
opportunities, as well as inherent challenges.
City of Fort Collins Mission StatementCity of Fort Collins Mission Statement
Exceptional service for an exceptional community.
Natural Areas Department MissionNatural Areas Department Mission
The mission of the Natural Areas Department is to
conserve and enhance lands with natural resource,
agricultural, and scenic values, while providing
meaningful education and appropriate recreation
opportunities.
2014 Natural Areas Master Plan Vision2014 Natural Areas Master Plan Vision
Through the work of the Natural Areas Department,
a diverse system of conserved and restored lands
will connect community members to nature. These
conserved lands will protect nature and contribute
to the health and wellbeing of our community.
Arapaho Bend Natural Area
(Photo by Norm Keally)
2 Introduction FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
This 2014 Natural Areas Master Plan summarizes
the accomplishments of the last ten years,
since adoption of the 2004 Land Conservation
and Stewardship Master Plan. The 2014 Plan
establishes the priorities for conservation and
stewardship of the City’s natural areas system
for the next ten years based on ballot measure
language, the values and functions of the natural
areas system as a whole, community input, and
emerging trends and needs. The Master Plan will
also serve as a foundation for future site-specifi c
management plans.
PLAN FORT COLLINS AND THE NATURAL
AREAS MASTER PLAN
In 2011, the City adopted its updated comprehensive
plan. City Plan Fort Collins (2011a) provides strong
direction for the Natural Areas Department, with
numerous policies and principles devoted to
environmental health, including a section entitled
“Open Lands” that largely refl ects the mission of
the Department. Moreover, a central tenet of Plan
Fort Collins is natural resource and natural area
conservation. Relevant principles and policies of
Plan Fort Collins for economic sustainability, land
conservation, and stewardship of natural areas are
included in Appendix B. While the Department’s
main focus is on natural areas, community
separators and agricultural lands are also conserved
when they meet the Department’s mission.
THE VALUE OF NATURAL AREAS
The Fort Collins landscape is endowed with prairie
grasslands, streams and forested river corridors,
and an iconic foothills backdrop of mountain
mahogany shrublands and ponderosa pine forests
that support a high diversity of natural systems
throughout the year. Human-made reservoirs,
gravel ponds, detention ponds, drainage
channels, and irrigation ditches contribute to
the diversity of habitats within our urban, built
environment. Pockets of naturalized vegetation
within stormwater drainage features, parks, and
agricultural lands also provide valuable wildlife
habitat.
Fort Collins natural areas offer ecosystem goods
and services, such as fi ltering the water and
air, providing pollination of crops, stormwater
detention, and fl ood protection. Our natural
areas support unique native plant populations,
including 36 species listed as rare or sensitive;
two of which are federally threatened species.
Our natural areas provide habitat for 18 species
of animals on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Species of Concern List, including seven in the
threatened or endangered category. More bird
species have been recorded from our natural areas
than from such iconic national parks as Rocky
Mountain, Yellowstone, or even the Everglades.
Unique archaeological, historical, paleontological,
and geological features can be found on many of
our natural areas. The Lindenmeier Archaeological
Site on Soapstone Prairie Natural Area is listed
on the National Register of Historic Places and
is recognized as a site of international cultural
signifi cance.
Natural areas provide a respite from the urban
environment—a place to hike, bike, walk your
dog, ride your horse, fi sh, picnic, create art, or
just enjoy some quiet time outdoors. Natural
areas give everyone the opportunity to connect to
nature’s spiritual qualities. Each person has their
own reason for caring about natural areas. Among
others, Fort Collins residents value them for their
ecological, recreational, educational, scientifi c,
economic, cultural, and spiritual signifi cance.
Conserved natural areas add economic value
to the community and contribute to make Fort
Collins a highly desirable place to live and work.
The high quality of life provided in part by natural
areas amenities helps support the City’s healthy
economic climate. Nature-based recreation areas
also play an important role in providing enjoyable
experiences for visitors and offer active living
options for residents.
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 3
What is a Natural Area? What is a Natural Area?
“Area of land or water that contains or supports the “Area of land or water that contains or supports the
continued existence of geological, paleontological, continued existence of geological, paleontological,
ecological, or other natural features that are: classifi ed ecological, or other natural features that are: classifi ed
as endangered or threatened, sensitive to the impact as endangered or threatened, sensitive to the impact
from human activity, or otherwise in need of protection; from human activity, or otherwise in need of protection;
important to the conservation of natural resources important to the conservation of natural resources
that provide environmental protection, recreational, that provide environmental protection, recreational,
educational, scientifi c, aesthetic, or economic benefi ts; educational, scientifi c, aesthetic, or economic benefi ts;
or unique or rare examples of our natural heritage.” or unique or rare examples of our natural heritage.”
(City Plan 2011)
What is a Community Separator? What is a Community Separator?
“Community separators defi ne the area between more “Community separators defi ne the area between more
intensely developed urban areas of one municipality and intensely developed urban areas of one municipality and
the same of another. They provide visual and physical the same of another. They provide visual and physical
separation between communities by providing transitions separation between communities by providing transitions
from urban level development using rural/open lands from urban level development using rural/open lands
(including agricultural uses and clustered residential (including agricultural uses and clustered residential
development) and lower densities.” (City Plan 2011)development) and lower densities.” (City Plan 2011)
What is Agricultural Land?
“Land in use for agricultural purposes such as pasturage, “Land in use for agricultural purposes such as pasturage,
farming, dairying, horticulture, animal husbandry, and farming, dairying, horticulture, animal husbandry, and
related activities.” (City Plan 2011)related activities.” (City Plan 2011)
Kingfi sher Point Natural Area (Photo by Norm Keally)
Sustainability is a core philosophy of the City of
Fort Collins, one that underpins every City effort,
from the smallest of daily tasks to the largest
multi-year initiatives. The central premise of any
sustainable operation is that it considers the three
legs of the sustainability stool: human (social)
capital, economic activity, and environmental
quality in decision-making and management. This
approach to decision making is commonly known
as a “triple bottom line” (TBL) analysis. The
Natural Areas Master Plan project team conducted
a TBL analysis in September 2013 to help
incorporate social, economic, and environmental
considerations into this planning process.
FOUR DECADES OF LAND
CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP
THE OPEN SPACE PLAN (1974)
Offi cial City recognition of the value of natural
areas fi rst occurred 40 years ago in 1974 when City
Council adopted The Open Space Plan. This plan
addressed a wide variety of community needs and
led to the establishment of an open space acquisition
and management program. The plan identifi ed
priority areas within and adjacent to Fort Collins to
be included in the City’s Open Space system. The
importance of the area for fi sh and wildlife habitat
was among the criteria used to identify priority
4 Introduction FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
Awards to the Natural Areas DepartmentAwards to the Natural Areas Department
The City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department has been recognized as an
outstanding organization over the last ten years, including these achievements:
• Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education Award for Best Governmental Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education Award for Best Governmental
Educational Program, 2014
• Friend of Preservation Award, for restoration of historic outbuildings on Bobcat Ridge Friend of Preservation Award, for restoration of historic outbuildings on Bobcat Ridge
Natural Area, 2013
• Colorado Division of Mining Reclamation and Safety and the Colorado Stone, Sand and Colorado Division of Mining Reclamation and Safety and the Colorado Stone, Sand and
Gravel Association - Jack Starner Reclamation Award, for restoration at Running Deer Gravel Association - Jack Starner Reclamation Award, for restoration at Running Deer
Natural Area, 2011
• Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals Gold Award, for Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals Gold Award, for
interpretive signage at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, 2010interpretive signage at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, 2010
• Blue Grama Award, Colorado Open Space Alliance, 2007
• Millions of dollars in grants from competitive grant processes such as Great Outdoors Millions of dollars in grants from competitive grant processes such as Great Outdoors
Colorado, History Colorado, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Poudre Colorado, History Colorado, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Poudre
Heritage Alliance
Natural areas are key to Fort Collins’ high quality of life, as recognized by these
prestigious awards:
• Most Satisfi ed (94.9%) with their City in Nation: Time Magazine, 2014Most Satisfi ed (94.9%) with their City in Nation: Time Magazine, 2014
• 3rd Highest Community (along with Loveland) in Well-being Index for Nation: Gallup 3rd Highest Community (along with Loveland) in Well-being Index for Nation: Gallup
and Healthways Survey, 2014
• Best Towns in America: Outside Magazine, 2013
• 4th Healthiest Mid-Size City in the U.S.: Gallup-Healthways Survey, 20124th Healthiest Mid-Size City in the U.S.: Gallup-Healthways Survey, 2012
• Top Ten Places to Retire: CBS Money Watch, 2012Top Ten Places to Retire: CBS Money Watch, 2012
• One of the Top 15 Best Places for triathletes to live and train: Triathlete Magazine, 2011 One of the Top 15 Best Places for triathletes to live and train: Triathlete Magazine, 2011
• One of the Top Ten Places to Retire in the Nation: Charles Schwab’s On Investing, 2011One of the Top Ten Places to Retire in the Nation: Charles Schwab’s On Investing, 2011
• One of the Top 25 Best Places to Retire: CNNMoney.com, 2010One of the Top 25 Best Places to Retire: CNNMoney.com, 2010
• One of the Top 10 Best College Towns: Small-Sized Cities Category, USA Today, 2010One of the Top 10 Best College Towns: Small-Sized Cities Category, USA Today, 2010
• 6th Best Place to Live in the Nation: Money Magazine, 2010
• One of the Greatest Places to Live in the West: American Cowboy Magazine, 2010One of the Greatest Places to Live in the West: American Cowboy Magazine, 2010
• One of Top 20 Places to Thrive: Best Boomer Towns, 2009
• One of the Best Places to Raise Your Kids: Business Week, 2008One of the Best Places to Raise Your Kids: Business Week, 2008
• 2nd Best Place to Live: Money Magazine, 2008
• Top 10 College Towns for Grown-Ups: Kiplinger’s Magazine, 2007Top 10 College Towns for Grown-Ups: Kiplinger’s Magazine, 2007
• #1 Best Place to Live in the Nation: Money Magazine, 2006
• Fort Collins is one of the 50 Best Places to Live (ranked 34th): Kiplinger’s Magazine, 2006Fort Collins is one of the 50 Best Places to Live (ranked 34th): Kiplinger’s Magazine, 2006
• American Dream Town. Fort Collins rated as one of the Best Towns in the U.S.: Outside American Dream Town. Fort Collins rated as one of the Best Towns in the U.S.: Outside
Magazine, 2005
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 5
sites. Specifi c areas identifi ed as priorities included
the Poudre River corridor, portions of Spring Creek,
and the foothills west of the City.
Initial funding for the new Open Space Program
was through a referendum passed in 1973 by
the citizens of Fort Collins for a seven-year
1-cent Capital Improvement sales tax; a portion
of which went for the purchase of open spaces.
Through other funding, the Parks and Recreation
Department was responsible for acquiring and
managing natural areas preserved as open space,
with the primary goal of providing recreational
areas. The Parks Department also acquired areas
that were left in a natural state in conjunction with
some of their developed parks. One of the largest
of these was a portion of Lee Martinez Community
Park along the Poudre River.
By the end of the 1980s, a little over 1,000 acres
of signifi cant foothills and riparian habitat had
been protected through the City’s Open Space
Program. These lands helped maintain corridors
for recreational trails, wildlife movement, and
visual serenity.
NATURAL AREAS POLICY PLAN (1992)
As development pressures on wildlife habitat in
and around Fort Collins continued to increase
due to expanding residential and commercial
development, the City recognized the need to step-
up land conservation efforts. In 1992, the Natural
Resources Division presented to City Council the
Natural Areas Policy Plan, which focused land
conservation on the protection and enhancement
of natural areas—a change in direction from the
previous efforts to acquire open spaces focused
on providing recreational opportunities. The
policy plan also set forth strategies to protect
habitat through land development regulations,
partnerships with other departments and
agencies, encouraging enhancement of habitat on
privately owned land, and providing education
and interpretive programs to help ensure future
conservation efforts.
Soon after adoption of the Natural Areas Policy
Plan, Fort Collins voters passed the fi rst citizens-
initiated ¼-cent sales tax entirely dedicated to
implementing the plan through 1997. The Natural
Areas Program within the Natural Resources
Division was established and the Parks’ “open
spaces” became known as “natural areas.”
As more land was acquired, site maintenance
duties were transferred from Parks to Natural
Areas and a Ranger Program was established in
1997. The need for a maintenance facility became
critical to the Natural Areas Program’s success. In
Red fox kits at Gustav Swanson Natural Area (Photo by Norm Keally)
6 Introduction FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
ACREAGE CONSERVED5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
0
FUNDING AND PLANNING
LAND ACQUISITION AND CONSERVATION
STEWARDSHIP AND EDUCATION
Prospect Ponds (1974)Reservoir Ridge, Salyer (1985)Red Fox Meadows (1992)Gustav Swanson (1988)Ross (1978)Riverbend Ponds, Fischer (1977)Maxwell, Pineridge (1976)Springer, Williams (1990)Redwing Marsh, Cathy Fromme Prairie (1993)Coyote Ridge, River’s Edge, Prairie Dog Meadow, Udall (1994)Fossil Creek Wetlands, Magpie Meander, Arapaho Bend (1995)The Coterie (2000)Soapstone Prairie Additions (2009)Wellington and Timnath Community Separators (2005)Roberts Ranch CE, Soapstone Prairie (2004)Gateway, Picnic Rock (2007)North Shields Ponds (1962)Open Space Plan adopted (1974)1-cent Capital Improvement Sales Tax referendum passed (1973)Additional 1/2-cent Capital Funds tax approved (1984)Natural Areas Policy Plan adopted (1992)First citizen-initiated 1/4-cent sales tax entirely dedicated to NAPP implementation (1992)Larimer County Open Lands established, citizens initiate 1/4-cent sales tax for acquisition, maintenance (1995)Voters extend a portion of the 1/4-cent sales tax for natural areas for eight years (1997)Citizen-initiated Help Preserve Open Space funded (1999)Open Space Yes! Citizen initiative extends fully-restored City’s 1/4-cent sales tax to 2030 (2002)Natural Areas Program becomes a Department (2011)Land Conservation & Stewardship Plan adopted (2004)Nix Farm Facility completed, 1stControlled Burn (2002)Natural Areas and Trail Rangers Policies and Procedures Manual (2008)Natural Resources Division established (1986)Land Conservation & Stewardship Board established (2005)Wildlife and Vegetation Management Guidelines, Soapstone Prairie and Foothills Management Plans adopted (2007)Energy by Design and Our Lands - Our Future planning processes (2013) Poudre River Forum participation (2014)1st Restoration Project completed (Gustav Swanson) (1986)1st Interpretive Signs installed (Gustav Swanson) (1990)Adopt-a-Natural Area Program established (1993)Master Naturalist Program established (1994)Ranger Program established (1997)1st Art-in-Public Places Project installed (1998)1st Annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic held (1999)1st Onsite Ranger (Bobcat Ridge) (2006)Ranger Program established; Gateway transferred from Parks; Primrose Studio opens (2007)Soapstone Prairie opens to public (2009)Tracks and Trails debuts (2010)Museum of Discovery opens; Adopt-a-Trail Program established (2012)100th mile of Natural Surface Trails opened; North Shields Ponds Floodlpain Restoration (2013)6WDWH&HUWLÀFDWLRQIRU&RQVHUYDWLRQ(DVHPHQWV Pineridge Open Space opens (1976)Riverbend Ponds Open Space opens (1978)Reservoir Ridge Open Space opens (1985)%XWWHUÁ\:RRGV.LQJÀVKHU3RLQW5HGWDLO*URYH Cottonwood Hollow, Cattail Chorus (1997)Colina Mariposa, McMurry, Running Deer (1998)Hazaleus, Two Creeks (1999)Eagle View, Mallard’s Nest, Pelican Marsh (2002)Bobcat Ridge, 1st Conservation Easement (CE)(Swift Farm) (2003)1st GOCO Grant for land conservation (1994)Poudre River ERM Study initiatied (2012) McMurry Floodplain Restoration Project (2014)Fossil Creek Reservoir (2001)Windsor Community Separator (2010)Wire Draw Ranch CE (2008).LQJÀVKHU3RLQW$GGLWLRQV
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 7
2002, the Nix Farm Facility on Hoffman Mill Road
was completed to house most offi ce staff and all
fi eld crews and rangers. At the end of 2003, the
City had conserved about 11,500 acres of natural
areas and had begun to acquire regional natural
areas, including Bobcat Ridge, and to purchase
conservation easements to conserve agricultural
and viewshed values within community
separators.
LAND CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP
MASTER PLAN (2004)
In response to requests by City Council and
the public to look at more land conservation
opportunities beyond the borders of Fort Collins,
Natural Areas Program staff developed the Land
Conservation and Stewardship Master Plan,
which was adopted in 2004. This plan focused
on identifying and protecting natural areas within
three major focus areas: (1) Local (Fort Collins
Growth Management Area west to Horsetooth
Reservoir and Bellvue); (2) Community Separators
(Wellington, Timnath, Lower Poudre and Windsor,
Fort Collins-Loveland); and (3) Regional focus
area (high value Larimer County foothills west
of Horsetooth, Rist Canyon, Upper Poudre to
County Road 27, Owl Canyon, Dry Creek, Laramie
Foothills to Plains area).
In 2011, the Natural Areas Program became
a department within the City of Fort Collins
government. The last ten years have been a period
of signifi cant growth as the Department has tripled
the amount of acreage under its management. The
largest site, Soapstone Prairie, is over 22,000 acres
alone.
Today, with annual expenditures over $10
million, the Department has expanded its
efforts to restore degraded natural areas, provide
educational opportunities, and develop public
recreational amenities, including over 100 miles
of natural surface trails. Volunteers provide over
10,000 hours of labor to the Department each year
to support various programs.
A CONTINUOUS DIALOGUE:
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE
2014 MASTER PLAN UPDATE
The 2002 City of Fort Collins “Open Space Yes!”
ballot language describes and directs the City’s
efforts in fulfi lling the community’s conservation
vision. It emphasizes ongoing community dialog
and input on natural areas plans and policies as
well as implementation. Over the past decade, the
City has used a variety of means to listen to and
incorporate ideas from the community. The 2014
Full moon setting over Bobcat Ridge Natural Area (Photo by Norm Keally)
8 Introduction FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
Natural Areas Master Plan builds upon a number
of previous and ongoing outreach efforts and
partnerships in order to continuously understand
stakeholders and act in a responsive manner to
public preferences regarding land conservation,
stewardship, and recreation efforts. Three specifi c
efforts that directly infl uenced the Master Plan
are highlighted below: the Fort Collins Citizen
Surveys, Our Lands – Our Future surveys, and
2014 Master Plan outreach.
CITIZEN SURVEYS
Numerous quality of life surveys, along with
specifi c land conservation and recreation surveys,
have demonstrated that Fort Collins citizens
remain enthusiastic about land conservation
and outdoor recreation—a fi nding that mirrors
statewide trends. In 2013, 2,000 randomly selected
Fort Collins households were asked to rate the
quality of life in the City and their satisfaction
with community amenities and local government,
including satisfaction with City natural areas. Key
fi ndings included the following:
• When asked to rate the quality of 19
recreational and cultural programs and
facilities offered by the City of Fort Collins,
respondents rated natural areas and open
space (95% “very good” or “good”),
recreational trails (96%), and parks (96%) as
the most favorable.
• About 98% of residents indicated that the
same effort (65%) or more effort (33%)
should be devoted to environmental
protection and land conservation.
• Respondents also indicated satisfaction with
Natural Areas Rangers (81% very good or
good) and perceptions of safety in natural
areas (88% always or usually safe).
OUR LANDS – OUR FUTURE SURVEY
RESULTS
From 2012 through 2013, the City of Fort
Collins joined with Larimer County and all of
its municipalities to analyze the challenges,
opportunities, and possible gaps in their collective
land conservation, stewardship, and outdoor
Figure 1. Percentage of “Very Good” or “Good” Quality Ratings of
Natural Areas Department Programs and Facilities (Fort Collins
Citizen Surveys 2003–2013)
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2003 2006 2008 2010 2012 2013
CITIZENS' RATINGS OF NATURAL AREAS DEPARTMENT
PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES, 2003-2013
"Very Good" or
"Good" Quality
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 9
recreation programs and portfolios. From this
precedent-setting countywide study, called Our
Lands – Our Future: Recreation and Conservation
Choices for Northern Colorado (Larimer County
2013), came a statistical analysis of the conservation
values and outdoor recreational preferences
of Larimer County and Fort Collins residents.
Between June 2012 and June 2013, over 4,200
citizens offered their feedback through statistically
valid surveys, regional events, interactive online
geographic information system (GIS) scenarios,
participation of all open space advisory boards
across the county, and over 45 local presentations.
Many of the events occurred in Fort Collins, and
over 50% of survey respondents were Fort Collins
residents. Key fi ndings included the following:
• The top activities for Fort Collins residents,
children in their household, and the
household overall are walking/hiking/
running on natural surfaces (53%) and paved
surfaces (46%), as well as biking on paved
trails (52%). These activities are closely
followed by camping (44%), biking on roads
(37%), and fi shing (34%). Overall, Fort
Collins residents reported greater satisfaction
with nearly all activities offered than other
county residents.
• Respondents identifi ed that more land or
facilities are needed for walking/hiking/
running on natural and paved surfaces, biking
on paved trails, camping, fi shing, recreating
with dogs, and watching wildlife/birding.
• All types of land conservation are important,
with “Lands that provide regional trail
corridors to connect to cities and towns”
and “Ecologically sensitive lands” rated
as the most important, while “Working
farms and ranches” were rated as relatively
less important. In order to understand
community attitudes toward land
conservation in greater detail, respondents
identifi ed their single most important
priority. “Ecologically sensitive lands” are
considered the highest priority by Fort
Collins residents (26%), followed by “lands
within our communities near neighborhoods
and schools” (20%), and “lands that provide
regional trail corridors” (16%). On the whole,
Fort Collins residents favor an equal balance
between natural resource preservation and
outdoor recreation.
• There is signifi cant support from respondents
for allocating revenues toward a broad set of
purposes, from land acquisition to ecological
restoration to investing in current facilities.
The regional visioning process also helped
further defi ne the Department’s unique role in
implementing the Our Lands – Our Future vision.
See Appendix C for more information on the City
of Fort Collins survey results.
2014 NATURAL AREAS MASTER PLAN
OUTREACH
In addition to Citizen Surveys and the 2013
Our Lands – Our Future survey results, the Fort
Collins community provided specifi c feedback
on the 2014 Natural Areas Master Plan through
two open houses, online comment opportunities,
and relevant City citizen boards. A Coloradoan
newspaper article invited the public to the
open houses, and comment opportunities were
promoted through press releases, email invitations
to approximately 350 people and organizations,
announcements in Natural Areas E-news (2,500
subscribers), communication with volunteers,
and social media postings. The website devoted
to the Master Plan featured open-house materials,
an online comment opportunity, and related
materials. The website had 1,099 page views as of
July 21, 2014.
Bobcat Ridge Natural Area (City of Fort Collins Natural
Areas Department Photo)
10 Introduction FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
OPEN HOUSE #1
The fi rst open house was held on January 30,
2014. The Natural Areas Department presented
a review of Our Lands – Our Future, described
current work, and highlighted changes being
considered in the Master Plan. Participants were
asked to comment on the current level of service
and priorities in recreation, resource management,
education, and land conservation. Specifi c input
was sought on the Department’s role in local food
production, hunting at Soapstone Prairie Natural
Area, camping at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area,
interpreting and conserving cultural resources,
and conserving and restoring the Cache la Poudre
River. In addition, reactions to an updated mission
statement were also sought.
An opportunity for open-ended input was
provided. Eighty-fi ve people attended the open
house, and 59 written comments were received.
During the online comment period (January 30–
March 3, 2014), 67 online feedback forms were
completed for a total of 126 written comments.
The comments received represented the diversity
of the community that the City serves; a variety of
viewpoints on each topic were expressed. But in
general, the current level of service was positively
viewed in most areas including recreation, public
amenities, visitor and ranger services, restoration,
education, and cultural and historic preservation.
The feedback was more mixed on land
conservation, with a positive reaction to proposed
priorities and some requests for additional
recreational opportunities or more of an emphasis
on a different focus area. Most citizens suggested
that the Natural Areas Department be a leader in
Poudre River conservation, with many supporting
the current role.
The question about hunting pronghorn at
Soapstone Prairie Natural Area generated lively
discussion; hunting was generally supported, but
some participants expressed concern. Limited
backcountry camping at Bobcat Ridge Natural
Area received strong support. A slight majority
of the participants supported the Natural Areas
Department’s role in local food production. A
simplifi ed mission statement was supported by
most. The open-ended comment section had a
variety of responses—several gave the Natural
Areas Department kudos, some reiterated support
for hunting, and some expressed a desire to have
Reservoir Ridge Natural Area stay open later in the
evening.
OPEN HOUSE #2
The second open house was on June 19, 2014.
The Natural Areas Department presented the
priorities for the Master Plan at its offi ces at Nix
Farm. Participants were asked to comment on
the priorities; 80 people attended. Twenty-one
comment forms were submitted either on paper at
the Open House or online in the 30 days afterwards.
The vision and mission were positively viewed
with a few requests for more focus on recreation
and providing public access. Land conservation
priorities were positively received with some
January 2014 Open House for Natural Areas Master Plan (City of
Fort Collins Natural Areas Department Photo)
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 11
concern about lack of regional focus, too much
agricultural land conservation, or not enough
conservation easements. Work on the Cache la
Poudre River was supported with some concerns
about lack of family-friendly access, potential
reservoir projects, and proposed water park.
Education and Outreach was supported with
some concern about the concept of reaching 1 in
10 people annually.
Resource Management comments were positive
with interest in reintroductions of species and
some concern about hunting. Views on local
food and agriculture were mixed. Support was
expressed by some while others were concerned
about grazing as a restoration activity, government
involvement in a private sector activity, and
overly ambitious plans. Comments on Ranger/
Visitor Services included concerns about limited
horse trail availability, dogs-off-leash problems, or
not enough dog-off-leash areas. Recreation, Public
Improvements, and Facility Operations generated
several longer comments about hunting (both pro
and con), a request for more emphasis on trails, and
concerns about camping and about remodeling the
little house at Nix.
Cultural resources were important to several
participants with others concerned that this is
not the Natural Areas Department’s role or budget
priority. Mineral development was a concern
for several participants as well as more trails at
Maxwell Natural Area. The “follow-up from Open
House #1” and open-ended comments were quite
varied with mixed support for hunting, dogs-
off-leash, and concerns with trail maintenance,
lack of twitter for trail conditions, and mineral
development. Several ended their input with
positive or encouraging comments.
Outreach to Citizen Boards, City
Departments, and Other Agencies
City and County citizen advisory boards provided
feedback to staff during the Master Plan process:
• Land Conservation and Stewardship
Board—2013-14: monthly updates and
feedback opportunities; draft plan discussion
in July; recommendation to City Council in
September
• Natural Resources Advisory Board, April
2014
• Parks and Recreation Board, April 2014
• Planning and Zoning Board, June 2014
• Water Board, June 2014
• Larimer County Open Lands Advisory Board,
May 2014
On June 12th, a draft plan was sent to various City
departments and external agencies for review and
comment:
• Park Planning & Development
• Parks and Recreation
• Offi ce of Sustainability
• Planning Department
• City of Loveland Natural Areas Program
• Larimer County Department of Natural
Resources
• Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife
• The Nature Conservancy
• Legacy Land Trust
Taken as a whole, public Taken as a whole, public
feedback made it clear
that protection and proper
management of natural
areas is strongly supported
and is vital to ensuring
Fort Collins’ future as a
world-class community.world-class community.
12 Introduction FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
PERFORMANCE METRICS
The ongoing dialogues with the community and recent City-wide efforts to systematically measure and
communicate how effectively citizens’ tax dollars are being spent have led to a series of performance
metrics. Each work group within the Natural Areas Department typically keeps track of various
measures for its own management objectives. Now a set of measures is reported to City managers and
the public through an interactive website and through the budgeting process and report. Table 1 lists
the current measures being used and proposed by the Natural Areas Department. Some of the data are
collected and managed directly by Department staff. Other data are collected via the City-wide Citizen
Survey conducted every two years. Some of the Citizen Survey data is directly related to natural areas
and included in the measures listed in Table 1. Over the next ten years these metrics could change as
the Department and the City improve efforts to measure progress.
Table 1. Current Natural Areas Department Metrics
Budgeting for Outcomes Offer Target/Goal
Land and Resource Management
Metric ENV8 Percent of urban natural area acres in greater than 75% native condition 50% by 2030
New Metric Poudre River restoration—linear extent of river channel or riverbank
restored per year
Yet to be determined
New Metric Poudre River restoration—acres of river fl oodplain restored per year Yet to be determined
Public Improvements, Education and Outreach, Rangers and Visitor
Services, Facility Operations
Metric ENV98 Percent citizens responding very good/good quality of natural areas and
open space, determined by Citizen Survey
Above 80%
Metric CR66 Trail condition 85% of trails in good
condition
Metric CR6 Cumulative program participation per capita Reach 8%–10% of Fort
Collins population each
year
Metric SAFE36 Percent of citizens responding always safe/usually safe in natural areas/
open space, determined by Citizen Survey
85% or higher
Metric SAFE51 Percent of citizens responding very good/good quality Natural Area
Ranger service, determined by Citizen Survey
80% or higher
Land and Water Conservation, Program Management
Metric ENV15 Cumulative land conservation Upward trend annually
New Metric Poudre River in-stream fl ow—number of days where City has positively
impacted river fl ows through any given reach
To increase duration and
magnitude of fl ows
New Metric Poudre River in-stream fl ow—additional acre-feet added to river as a
direct result of City management action
To increase duration and
magnitude of fl ows
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 13
F UNDING AND
EXPENDITURES
The Natural Areas Department is fortunate to have funding from both the County - Help Preserve Open
Space ¼-cent Sales Tax and the City - Open Space Yes! ¼-cent Sales tax; both were citizen-initiated.
The anticipated revenue for 2014 from each of these taxes is $3.8 million and $6.6 million, respectively,
for a total $10.4 million. This level of funding allows the City the ability to manage 35,000 acres of land on
43 natural areas and maintain over 100 miles of trails, while still conserving land. Over the next ten years,
the Natural Areas Department anticipates spending 60% of its revenues on stewardship (the operation and
maintenance of already conserved land and developed public improvements) and 40% on land conservation.
HISTORICAL FUNDING AND EXPENDITURES (1993–2013)
The primary funding for the Natural Areas Department has come from the following ballot measures:
Fossil Creek Reservoir Natural
Area (Photo by Matt Allen)
1992—City ¼-Cent Sales Tax for Natural Areas
The initial funding for the Natural Areas Program
began with 53% voter approval of this citizen-initiated
5-year ¼-cent sales tax, which expired in 1997.
1995—Larimer County Help Preserve Open
Space (HPOS) Sales Tax
A citizen-initiative approved by 65% of voters
in 1995. This sales tax was collected from 1996
through 2003.
1997—Building Community Choices (BBC) –
City ¼-Cent Sales Tax with a portion going
to Natural Areas
69% of Fort Collins voters approved this seven-
year sales tax, which expired in 2005. This tax also
funded the following capital projects: Community
Horticulture Center (Gardens on Spring Creek),
Fossil Creek Community Park, Community Park
Improvements, and Regional Paved Trails.
1999—Larimer County Help Preserve Open
Space (HPOS) Sales Tax
60% of the voters approved this citizen initiative
for a 15-year extension of this sales tax. This sales
tax will provide funding for the City’s Natural
Areas Department from 2004 through 2018.
2002—Open Space Yes! – City ¼-Cent Sales
Tax for Natural Areas
65% of Fort Collins voters approved this citizen-
initiated 25-year sales tax extension at the fully
restored 1992 ¼-cent level. This sales tax will
be collected through 2030. Eighty percent or
more of these revenues must be spent on land
conservation or land restoration, while 20% or
less of these revenues can be spent on operations
and maintenance.
14 Funding and Expenditures FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
About 18% of the Natural Areas Department revenue from 1993-2013 came from sources other than the
ballot measures (Figure 2). In 2004, at the time of the Bobcat Ridge and Soapstone Prairie natural areas
purchases, funds for land conservation were depleted. Yet, there were still incredible opportunities
for land conservation, and land values were on the rise. City Council decided to use Certifi cates of
Participation (COPS), a funding mechanism available to local governments, to create a $15,000,000
reservoir for additional land conservation (Figure 2). The Department will complete its payments for the
certifi cates in 2019.
In 1993, when the Natural
Areas Program assumed the
costs of managing the already
conserved open space lands
from the Parks Department,
the focus was primarily on
land conservation with only
minimal focus on stewardship
(operations and maintenance)
and capital site improvements
of the existing 1,203 acres
of natural areas and the few
miles of natural surface trails.
As the amount of conserved
land and interest in recreation increased, so did the need for capital site improvements to open sites
to the public. Over time, costs associated with site improvements and stewardship (which includes
restoration, long-term operations, and maintenance) have required a greater proportion of the Natural
Areas Department funding (Figure 3). In 2003 the Department spent about 77% of its revenues on land
conservation, while in 2013 it spent about 41% (Figure 3).
Over the entire 21 years, 60% of the revenues were spent on land conservation (Figure 4). As more land
is conserved and more sites are developed for public use, the costs to operate and maintain those lands
and public improvements will continue to grow; thus, amount of funding available for land conservation
will continue to decrease, unless additional funding is provided. The Natural Areas Department will
continue to leverage existing land conservation funding through partnerships and grants to maximize
the City’s land conservation efforts.
FUTURE FUNDING AND EXPENDITURES OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS
(2014–2023) WITH AND WITHOUT LARIMER COUNTY’S “HELP PRESERVE
OPEN SPACE” SALES TAX
The two primary funding sources for the Natural Areas Department over the next ten years (2014-2023;
the life of this Master Plan) are the “Fort Collins Open Space Yes!” ¼-cent sales tax, which expires in
2030, and Larimer County’s “Help Preserve Open Space” ¼-cent sales tax, which expires in 2018 (unless
renewed by the voters). The potential expiration of the County tax represents a signifi cant challenge to
the Department because the tax supports a majority of its operating and stewardship expenses.
Figure 2. Natural Areas Revenue, 1993–2013 (Total $184,006,420)
$55,582,659
30%
$45,522,156
25%
$30,113,441
17%
$18,869,473
10%
$15,391,407
8%
$15,034,874
8%
$2,288,382
1%
$1,204,028
1%
1996-2013 HPOS County 1/4 Cent
2006-2013 Open Space Yes! City 1/4 Cent
1998-2005 BCC City 1/4 Cent
1993-1997 Choices 95 City 1/4 Cent
2004 COPS
Grants and Donations
Miscellaneous
1993-2003 General Fund
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 15
Figure 4. Natural Areas Expenditures by Work Group, 1993–2013 (Total $170,444,314) (see page 39
for description of Work Group responsibilities; prior to 2004, “Maintenance” Work Group handled
both Public Improvements and Resource Management Activities)
Figure 3. Change in Distribution of Natural Areas Expenditures over Time
$102,324,293
60% $26,475,560
16%
$14,069,728
8%
$8,194,450
5%
$5,987,769
3%
$5,329,896
3%
$4,722,457
3% $3,340,161
2%
Land Conservation
Public Improvements and Maintenance
2004-2013 Resource Management
Department Management
1998-2013 Rangers
Education
2002-2013 Facility Operations
2005-2013 Land Management
16 Funding and Expenditures FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
Larimer County Commissioners have placed an
extension of HPOS on the November 2014 ballot.
With the assumed revenues from extending the
“Help Preserve Open Space” sales tax, potential
expenditures by the Natural Areas Department
over the next 10 years are shown in Figure 5.
Please note that these are projected expenditures
and it is likely that spending would vary at least
slightly from these projections.
Assuming that the Larimer County “Help Preserve
Open Space” sales tax is extended, estimated
revenues over the next 10 years (the life of this
Master Plan) would be as shown in Figure 6.
If the Larimer County “Help Preserve Open Space”
sales tax is not extended, it would be diffi cult
for the Department to provide stewardship
of conserved lands and recreation amenities.
Activities such as maintenance of natural surface
trails, restrooms, parking lots, weed control,
and programmatic efforts such as educational
programs, ranger services, and planning would
need to be signifi cantly reduced or eliminated.
Addition of new or improved trails or other
recreation amenities would be severely limited.
Revenues from 2014 to 2023 would be greatly
reduced, as shown in Figure 7.
The potential reduction in revenues is made more
diffi cult because the City ¼-cent sales tax ballot
language requires that 80% or more of the funds be
spent on land conservation and restoration and that
20% or less be spent on operations and maintenance.
In order to meet these requirements without the
County ¼-cent sales tax, public maintenance
and recreation improvements would need to be
signifi cantly reduced or the requirement for the
80/20 split would need to be changed by voters.
Even if the City sales tax 80/20 split were removed
by voters, there would still be no County sales
tax; the City would only have the resources to
maintain existing natural areas at current service
levels—funds for land conservation, restoration,
and capital projects such as new trails would be
very limited.
As directed by City Council in 2003, the
Department has a contingency plan to continue
operating at current service levels from 2018 to
2021 if the County tax is not renewed. However,
land conservation, restoration, and capital projects
would be greatly reduced during this period.
OTHER POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES
While it would be diffi cult to predict with any
certainty, the Department anticipates fi nding
other sources of revenues to enhance its ability to
conserve and steward land, although backfi lling
for a potential loss of $3.5 million/year if the “Help
Preserve Open Space” sales tax fails to be renewed
is unlikely. With that said, the Department will
continue to apply for grants and engage in
partnerships to leverage and extend funding.
In addition, the Department will participate in
the City’s budget process to compete for “Keep
Fort Collins Great” discretionary sales tax funds
or general funds that are administered by City
Council. The Department may also benefi t from
renewal of the existing ¼-cent capital projects
sales tax.
Canada geese in fl ight (Photo by Norm Keally)
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 17
Figure 6. Natural Areas Estimated Revenue with
“Help Preserve Open Space” Sales Tax over the
next Ten Years, 2014–2023 (Total $117,618,251)
Figure 5. Natural Areas Estimated Expenditures
by Work Group with “Help Preserve Open Space”
Sales Tax over the next Ten Years, 2014–2023
(Total $117,618,251) (see page 39 for description
of Work Group responsibilities)
Figure 7. Natural Areas Estimated Revenue
without “Help Preserve Open Space” Sales Tax
Extension over the next Ten Years, 2014–2023
(Total $93,878,417)
$76,633,944
65%
$39,402,784
34%
$1,581,523
1%
$72,310,597
77%
$19,986,297
21%
$1,581,523
2%
2014-2023 Open Space Yes! City 1/4 Cent
2014-2018 HPOS County 1/4 Cent (Not Extended)
Miscellaneous
$47,344,926
40%
$19,736,937
17%
$15,504,463
13%
$9,910,483
9%
$8,459,966
7%
$7,353,634
6%
$5,709,098
5%
$3,598,744
3%
Land Conservation
Resource Management
Public Improvements
Department Management
Rangers
Land Management
Education
Facility Operations
2014-2023 Open Space Yes! City 1/4 Cent
2014-2023 HPOS County 1/4 Cent (Extended)
Miscellaneous
18 Funding and Expenditures FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
PARTNERSHIPS
The Natural Areas Department has had the benefi t of many partners throughout the program’s history.
Partnerships offer each partner the ability to leverage resources, share expertise, build synergy, and
collaborate to implement innovative community projects. The Department’s most signifi cant fi nancial
partners have been, and will likely continue to be, City Departments (particularly Parks, Stormwater, and
Water), Larimer County Department of Natural Resources, and Great Outdoors Colorado. Both the County
Open Space and GOCO programs go before the voters for renewed funding during the time horizon of
this plan. In the last ten years alone, more than 25 partnerships have provided multiple benefi ts to the
conservation and stewardship of City of Fort Collins natural areas (Table 2).
USER FEES
The Natural Areas Department
operates under the informal
philosophy that citizens are
paying taxes for public natural
areas and should not be charged
again for the privilege of visiting
the sites. The exception to this
guideline is Gateway Natural
Area, which was supported by
an entrance fee and a shelter
reservation fee when it was
previously managed by the City
Parks Department. The Natural
Areas Department has kept
these fees due to the higher
costs of maintaining the “park-
like” portion of the natural area. The only other fee-based operation is the Primrose Studio meeting room
at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area. These rental fees cover the upkeep of the meeting room and the salary
of the part-time attendant for the building. In the future, there may be situations that would call for
utilizing fees to support the Natural Areas Department; however, at this time the intention is to continue
the philosophy of leaving the vast majority of natural areas free to users.
Gateway Natural Area (City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department Photo)
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 19
Table 2. Examples of Conservation and Stewardship Partnerships over the Past Ten Years
Project (Years)Natural Areas Benefi ts Partners
Multiple Agency Partnerships
Fort Collins – Loveland Community Separator
(2004-present)
Land Conservation Larimer County; Loveland; Great
Outdoors Colorado (GOCO)
Fossil Creek Reservoir Natural Area (2004–present) Land Conservation; Resource
Management; Recreation;
Ranger and Visitor Services;
Education
Larimer County; North Poudre
Irrigation Company; GOCO
Laramie Foothills Mountains to Plains
(2004-present)
Land Conservation Larimer County; The Nature
Conservancy; GOCO; Legacy Land
Trust; Private Landowners
Poudre River Regional Trail (2012-present) Trail Connections Larimer County; Timnath; Windsor,
Greeley; GOCO
Our Lands – Our Future: Regional Land Study
(2012-2013)
Planning; Research Larimer County; All County
Municipalities; GOCO
Multiple City Departments
Riverbend Ponds Flood Control Project
(2006–2007)
Restoration Stormwater; Transportation
Prospect Road Widening (2006-2007) Trail Connections; Restoration Transportation; Stormwater
Red Fox Meadows Stormwater Improvements
(2007–2012)
Restoration; Resource
Management; Recreation
Stormwater
Udall Water Quality and Stormwater Improvements
(2004-2005)
Land Conservation; Resource
Management; Recreation
Stormwater
Multipurpose Land Use Study – Trail, Wildlife, and
Drainage Corridors (2012-2013)
Wildlife Corridors;
Neighborhood Natural Areas;
Trail Connections
Utilities; Parks
North Shields Bridge Improvements (2013–Present) Recreation; Resource
Management
Larimer County; Parks; Stormwater
West Vine Outfall (2013–Present) Land Conservation; Wildlife
Corridor; Trail Connection
Stormwater; Parks
Non-Profi t Partners
Neotropical Bird Surveys (2007–present) and
Screech Owl Survey (2013)
Resource Management;
Research
Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory
Corporate Partners
West Main Natural Gas Pipeline Replacement
Project (2012–Present)
Land Conservation;
Restoration; Recreation
Xcel Energy
Woodward Development Project (2013–Present) Land Conservation; Resource
Management; Recreation
Woodward, Inc.
Rigden Water Storage Reservoir (2013–Present) Land Conservation; Wetland
and Pond Conservation
Flatiron Company; Fort Collins
Water Utility
Nature Tracker Software (2012-2013) Enhanced Customer Service;
Volunteer Coordination
Squarei, Technologies, Inc.
State and Federal Partners
Nix Farm Historic Barn Restoration (2005) Cultural Resources History Colorado
Bobcat Ridge Historic Outbuilding Restorations
(2011–Present)
Cultural Resources; Education History Colorado; Pulliam
Charitable Trust
Shields Pit Restoration (2013-present) Wetland Restoration Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Museum of Discovery Displays (2011-2012) Education U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Soapstone Prairie Black-Footed Ferret
Reintroduction (2013-present)
Resource Management;
Education
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Bobcat Ridge Trail Easement (2007) Recreation U.S. Forest Service
20 Funding and Expenditures FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 21
L ANDCONSERVATION
The Fort Collins community is fortunate to have a wealth of wildlife habitat and native plant
communities at its doorstep. Over the past few decades, the City has worked to protect special
lands both within and outside city limits. From shortgrass prairies to cottonwood forests and
farm fi elds, the portfolio has grown from a handful of properties to encompass more than 40,000 acres
conserved through fee-simple acquisitions, conservation easements, and donations. Working closely
with willing property owners, a number of key acquisitions have involved partnerships with the Larimer
County Department of Natural Resources, Great Outdoors Colorado, the City of Loveland, Legacy Land
Trust, and other conservation organizations. To date, the City of Fort Collins has acquired nearly 34,800
acres of natural areas for public use and protected another 5,800 acres in conservation easements. The
recreational rights are leased on 900 acres of reservoirs to help protect key wildlife habitat.
INVENTORY OF CITY NATURAL AREAS AND
OTHER PROTECTED SITES
As a result of following the 2002 Open Space Yes! ballot
language, City Council direction, and the 2004 Land
Conservation and Stewardship Master Plan, the Natural
Areas Department has conserved over 30,000 acres with
willing landowners in the last ten years alone (Table 3).
The Department now manages 43 natural areas ranging in
size from one acre to 22,258 acres (Table 3; Maps 1 and
2). A wide diversity of native plant communities have
been protected, including mature cottonwood forests,
foothills shrublands, wet meadows, emergent marshes,
and shortgrass prairies. These areas provide critical habitat
for a suite of native wildlife species.
Soapstone Prairie Natural Area
(Photo by Mario Miguel Echevarria)
Mallard on the Poudre at Riverbend Ponds Natural
Area (Photo by Norm Keally)
22 Land Conservation FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
Map 1. Local Natural Areas and Community Separators
!"`$
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Wellington
Fort Collins
Loveland
Local Natural Areas and Community Separators
Public Conserved Lands
City of Fort Collins Natural Area
Other Public Open Space
State Parks and Wildlife
Conservation Easements
City of Fort Collins
City of Fort Collins shared with others
Others
0LOHV
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 23
Map 2. Regional Natural Areas
Bobcat Ridge
Natural Area
Regional Natural Areas
Public Conserved Lands
City of Fort Collins Natural Area
Other Public Open Space
State Parks and Wildlife
Federal Land
Conservation Easements
City of Fort Collins
City of Fort Collins shared with others
Others
01234Miles
WXYZÕ
Gateway
Natural Area
Picnic Rock
Natural Area
Meadow Springs Ranch
(City of Fort Collins Utilities)
Soapstone Prairie
Natural Area
Red Mountain
Open Space
WYOMING
COLORADO
LARIMER
Fort
Collins
Loveland
WYOMING
COLORADO
24 Land Conservation FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
Table 3. Natural Areas Inventory of Conserved Lands (Continued)
Site Purchase History
Acres
Conserved
by City1
Acres
Conserved
by Natural
Areas since
2004
Local Focus Areas
Core Natural Areas
Fischer Natural Area2 Donated 1977 to Parks; transferred to Natural Areas.12
Mallard’s Nest Natural Area2 Acquired3 1985-2002 by Parks, Utilities, and Natural Areas;
Natural Areas and Utilities manage.
7
Red Fox Meadows Natural
Area2
Acquired3 1986-2000 by Utilities, Parks, and Natural Areas;
Natural Areas and Utilities manage.
9
Redwing Marsh Natural Area2 Acquired 1993-1995 by Natural Areas and Utilities; Natural
Areas and Utilities manage.
16
Ross Natural Area2 Acquired 1978 by Parks and Utilities; transferred to Natural
Areas; Natural Areas and Utilities manage.
27
The Coterie Natural Area2 Acquired 2000 by Natural Areas.5
#13IS1 (Forney Property) Acquired 2013 by Stormwater Utility and Natural Areas
(41%); currently managed by Stormwater; no public access
yet.
37 15
Dry Creek Stormwater Wetland Acquired 1999 by Natural Areas and Utilities; managed by
Stormwater Utility; no public access.
7
Horticulture Center (buffer
portion)
Acquired 2001 by Natural Areas for Spring Creek buffer and
native plant demonstration area; managed by Parks.
5
Focus Area Subtotal: 157 15
Poudre River Corridor
Arapaho Bend Natural Area2 Acquired3 1995-2011 by Natural Areas.302 24
Butterfl y Woods Natural Area2 Acquired 1996 by Natural Areas and Parks.24
Cattail Chorus Natural Area2 Acquired 1997 by Natural Areas; received GOCO Grant.102
Cottonwood Hollow Natural
Area2
Acquired 1995-1998 by Natural Areas.93
Gustav Swanson Natural Area2 Acquired3 1955-2002 by City of Fort Collins and Natural
Areas.
12
Kingfi sher Point Natural Area2 Acquired3 1979-2013 by Parks and Natural Areas; received
GOCO Grant.
157 17
Magpie Meander Natural Area2 Acquired 1995-2013 by Natural Areas.21 10
McMurry Natural Area2 Acquired3 1998-2003 by Natural Areas; received GOCO
Grant.
45
North Shields Ponds Natural
Area2
Acquired3 1962-2014 by City of Fort Collins and Natural
Areas.
54 44
Prospect Ponds Natural Area2 Acquired 1974 by Utilities; Natural Areas manages.25
River’s Edge Natural Area2 Acquired 1994-2001 by Natural Areas.8
Riverbend Ponds Natural Area2 Acquired3 1977-1999 by Parks and Natural Areas.220
Running Deer Natural Area2 Acquired 1998-2011 by Natural Areas; received GOCO Grant. 294 19
Salyer Natural Area2 Donated 1985 to Parks; transferred to Natural Areas.24
Springer Natural Area2 Donated 1990 to Parks; transferred to Natural Areas.21
Udall Natural Area2 Acquired3 1994 by Natural Areas and Utilities; Natural Areas
and Utilities manage.
25
Williams Natural Area2 Donated 1990 to Parks; transferred to Natural Areas.1
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 25
Table 3. Natural Areas Inventory of Conserved Lands (Continued)
Site Purchase History
Acres
Conserved
by City1
Acres
Conserved
by Natural
Areas since
2004
#14PR1 (Woodward Property)
Natural Area2
Donated 1990-2014 to Parks and Natural Areas.37 34
#14PR2 [Shields Pit Property]
Natural Area
Acquired 2014 by Natural Areas; not yet open to the public. 50 50
Arnett Conservation Easement Conservation Easement acquired 2013 by Natural Areas;
landowner manages; will have trail easement in future.
25 25
Focus Area Subtotal: 1,540 223
Fossil Creek Corridor
Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural
Area2
Acquired3 1993-2002 by Natural Areas and Larimer County
Open Lands (7%); received GOCO Grants. Total site
acreage=1,083.
954
Colina Mariposa Natural Area2 Acquired3 1998 by Natural Areas.192
Eagle View Natural Area Acquired 2002 by Natural Areas; not yet open to the public. 90
Fossil Creek Reservoir Natural
Area2
Acquired3 1998-2010 by Natural Areas and Larimer County (17%);
810 acres leased from North Poudre Irrigation Company; Natural
Areas started managing in 2010. Total site acreage = 1,399.
1,164 95
Fossil Creek Wetlands Natural
Area2
Acquired 1995 by Natural Areas.229
Hazaleus Natural Area Acquired3 1999 by Natural Areas; not yet open to the public. 168
Pelican Marsh Natural Area2 Acquired 2002 by Natural Areas.156
Prairie Dog Meadow2 Acquired3 1994–2003 by Natural Areas.84
Redtail Grove Natural Area2 Acquired3 1996-2010 by Natural Areas. 51 8
Two Creeks Natural Area2 Acquired3 1999 by Natural Areas.30
Coventry Hidden Cattails
Conservation Easement
Dedicated 1994 to Natural Areas; sold to Coventry with
Conservation Easement 2005.
3
Swift Farm Conservation
Easement
Conservation Easement acquired 2003 by Natural Areas;
landowner manages; not open to the public.
82
Focus Area Subtotal: 3,203 103
Foothills Corridor
Coyote Ridge Natural Area2 Acquired3 1994–2007 by Natural Areas and Larimer County
Open Lands (11%); a portion of site is also in Fort Collins–
Loveland Separator. Total site acreage = 2,242.
2,005 151
Maxwell Natural Area2 Acquired3 1976–1996 by Parks and Natural Areas.290
Pineridge Natural Area2 Acquired3 1976–2007 by Parks and Natural Areas; 83-acre
Dixon Reservoir leased.
744 83
Reservoir Ridge Natural Area2 Acquired3 1985–2008 by Parks and Natural Areas.764 297
Hazelhurst Conservation
Easement
Conservation Easement acquired4 2005; landowner manages;
not open to the public.
35 35
MacEwen Conservation
Easement
Conservation Easement acquired4 2005; landowner manages;
not open to the public.
45 45
Million Conservation Easement Conservation Easement acquired 2011; landowner manages;
not open to the public.
100 100
Focus Area Subtotal: 3,983 711
26 Land Conservation FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
Table 3. Natural Areas Inventory of Conserved Lands (Continued)
Site Purchase History
Acres
Conserved
by City1
Acres
Conserved
by Natural
Areas since
2004
Community Separator Focus Areas
Wellington Separator
Bee Conservation Easement Conservation Easement acquired 2004 by Larimer County
and Natural Areas (50%); landowner manages; not open to
the public. Total site acreage = 139.
70 70
Kerbel Conservation Easement Conservation Easement acquired 2002 by Larimer County
and Natural Areas (50%); landowner manages; not open to
the public. Total site acreage = 84.
42
Kraft Farm II Conservation
Easement
Conservation Easement acquired 2011 by Natural Areas;
received Farm and Ranch Protection Program (FRPP);
landowner manages; not open to the public.
156 156
Lockman Conservation
Easement
Conservation Easement acquired 2011 by Natural Areas;
received FRPP Grant; landowner manages; not open to the
public.
121 121
Maxwell Farm Conservation
Easement
Conservation Easement acquired 2013 by Natural Areas;
landowner manages; not open to the public.
136 136
Phytogen Conservation
Easement
Conservation Easement acquired 2011 by Natural Areas;
received FRPP Grant; landowner manages; not open to the
public.
66 66
Sod Farm Conservation
Easement
Conservation Easement acquired 2005 by Natural Areas;
landowner manages; not open to the public.
453 453
Weber Conservation Easement Conservation Easement acquired 2004 by Larimer County
and Natural Areas (50%); landowner manages; not open to
the public. Total site acreage = 70.
35 35
Focus Area Subtotal: 1,079 1,037
Fort Collins–Loveland
Separator
Prairie Ridge Natural Area Acquired 2000 by City of Loveland Larimer County, and
Natural Areas (25%); received GOCO Grant; City of Loveland
manages; not open to the public yet. Total site acreage = 785.
196
Long View Farm Open Space Acquired 1997 by Larimer County Open Lands and Natural
Areas (33%); received GOCO Grant; Larimer County
manages; not open to the public. Total site acreage = 479.
159
Focus Area Subtotal: 355
Lower Poudre and Windsor
Separator
Three Bell I & II Conservation
Easements
Conservation Easements acquired 2010 by Larimer County
and Natural Areas (28%); landowner manages; not open to
the public yet. Total site acreage = 338.
169 169
Focus Area Subtotal: 169 169
Timnath Separator
Cribari I & II Conservation
Easements
Conservation Easements acquired 2005 by Natural Areas;
landowners manage; not open to the public.
73 73
Hansen I & II Conservation
Easements
Conservation Easements acquired 2004-2012 by Natural
Areas; landowner manages; not open to the public
82 82
Person I & II Conservation
Easements
Conservation Easements acquired 2005-2013 by Natural
Areas; landowner manages; not open to the public.
141 141
Focus Area Subtotal: 296 296
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 27
Table 3. Natural Areas Inventory of Conserved Lands (Continued)
Site Purchase History
Acres
Conserved
by City1
Acres
Conserved
by Natural
Areas since
2004
Regional Focus Areas
Foothills/Buckhorn/Redstone
Bobcat Ridge Natural Area2 Acquired3 2003 by Natural Areas. 2,604
Culver Open Space Acquired 2004 by Larimer County and Natural Areas (13%);
County manages; site not open to the public; City holds
Conservation Easement. Total site acreage = 288.
38 38
Devil’s Backbone Open Space
(Indian Creek Property)
Acquired 2003–2004 by Natural Areas (75%) and Larimer
County; received GOCO Grant; Larimer County manages;
open to the public. Total site acreage = 1,545
(Indian Creek only).
1,159 1,159
Rimrock Open Space Acquired 2002 by Larimer County Open Lands and Natural
Areas (10%); Larimer County manages; open to the public.
Total site acreage = 437 acres.
43
Focus Area Subtotal: 3,844 1,197
Upper Poudre
Gateway Natural Area2 Acquired 1930 by City of Fort Collins; management transferred
to Parks in 2002 and then to Natural Areas in 2007.
170 170
Picnic Rock Natural Area2 Acquired 1986–2008 by City of Fort Collins and Natural
Areas; management of 1986 acreage transferred to Natural
Areas in 2007.
323 323
Focus Area Subtotal: 493 493
Meadow Springs
Soapstone Prairie Natural Area2 Acquired 2004–2011 by Natural Areas; received GOCO
Grant; Larimer County holds conservation easement on a
portion of the property.
22,258 22,258
Red Mountain Open Space
(Gallegos Property)
Acquired 2007 by Larimer County and Natural Areas (24%);
received GOCO Grant; Natural Areas holds conservation
easement on the property; open to the public. Total site
acreage = 1,480 (Gallegos Property only).
361 361
Wire Draw Ranch Conservation
Easement
Conservation Easement acquired 2007; by Natural Areas;
landowner manages; not open to the public.
1,150 1,150
Focus Area Subtotal: 23,769 23,769
Laramie Foothills
Roberts Ranch Conservation
Easement
Conservation Easement acquired 2004; by Nature
Conservancy, Larimer County, and Natural Areas (60%);
received GOCO Grant; landowner manages; not open to the
public. Total CE acreage = 4,557.
2,734 2,734
Stonewall Creek Ranch
Conservation Easement
Conservation Easement acquired 2005 by Larimer County;
Natural Areas contributed (71%) to purchase, but does not
hold easement. Total CE acreage = 136 acres.
97 97
Focus Area Subtotal: 2,831 2,831
Total Acres Conserved by City: 41,550
Acres Acquired for Public Use: 34,842
Conservation Easements: 5,815
Leased: 893
Total Acres Conserved by Natural Areas since 2004:30,844
Table Notes:
1Current acres may not correspond to 2004 document due
to change in names of sites or combining sites together.
2These sites are open to the public and managed by the
Natural Areas Department.
3Includes partial donation, dedication, and/or reduced
purchase price.
Table 3. Natural Areas Inventory of Conserved Lands (Concluded)
28 Land Conservation FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
Figure 8. Total Spending and Acres Conserved
by Focus Areas (2003–2013)
CONSERVATION F OCUS
AREAS
Land conservation efforts from
1993 to 2003 primarily were
focused within the Fort Collins
Growth Management Area
and the Fort Collins–Loveland
Community Separator Area. In
2002, City Council directed the
Natural Areas Department to
develop a land conservation plan
that also included a regional
focus. The resulting 2004 Land
Conservation and Stewardship
Master Plan outlined a number of
high-priority land conservation
(“focus”) areas that were
grouped into three categories:
local, community separators,
and regional (Map 3). That ten-
year master plan provided guidance that land
conservation funds were to be equally divided
between the three focus area categories. However,
more land conservation opportunities arose
regionally (in particular, the Soapstone Prairie/Red
Mountain acquisitions), and therefore spending
in the Regional Focus Area category outweighed
that of the Community Separator and Local areas
categories. Total spending from 1993 to 2013,
however, is almost equally balanced between the
three focus area categories (Figure 8). Nevertheless,
the acreages conserved are not balanced due to the
differences in land conservation costs in each of
the focus areas. As shown in Figure 8, conservation
of local focus area lands cost more per acre than
separator lands, and regional land conservation is
much less expensive.
In June 2012, local governments within Larimer
County, including the City of Fort Collins,
embarked on an effort, Our Lands – Our Future,
to analyze the future challenges and opportunities
for land conservation. By defi ning common open
space goals and using the best available geographic
information system (GIS) datasets, the partners
developed maps highlighting agricultural, natural
resource, and regional and local conservation
opportunities. The outcomes of that effort and other
public outreach activities have helped provide
the framework for the next decade’s conservation
vision—one that is shared by Larimer County and
its municipalities. As the City looks to the next
ten years, the Natural Areas Master Plan’s focus
areas remain the same, but the priorities for land
conservation within and between the focus areas
have been further refi ned by the outcomes of the
Our Lands – Our Future project and the subsequent
public process.
The intent of the focus areas is to identify properties
within these areas that may be considered for
conservation when willing landowners desire to
sell or donate their land or conservation easements.
Properties outside of the focus areas may also
be considered, depending on opportunities and
conservation values of the site. As described in
Chapter 2 (Funding), the Department’s ability to
achieve the community’s future land-conservation
aspirations hinges on the extension of Larimer
County’s Help Preserve Open Space! sales tax.
$$25,597,953 $$25,531,992
$$27,513,765
33,656
55,764
331,129
$0
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
$20,000
$25,000
$30,000
$35,000
Local Separators Regional Costs in $1,000s LAND COSTS FOR LAND CONSERVATION BY FOCUS AREAS
Land Costs
Acres Protected
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 29
Map 3. Land Conservation Focus Areas
!"`$
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WXYZÕ
Wellington
Fort Collins
Loveland
Foothills/Buckhorn/Redstone
Fort
Collins-Loveland
Separator
Lower Poudre
and Windsor
Separator
Meadow
Springs
Laramie
Foothills
Owl
Canyon
Dry
CreekUpper
Poudre
Wellington
Separator
Rist
Canyon
Timnath
Separator
Fossil Creek
Corridor
Poudre
Corridor
Foothills
Corridor
Bellvue
Core
Natural
Areas WELD COUNTYLARIMER COUNTYWYOMING
COLORADO
Land Conservation Focus Areas
Local
Community Separators
Regional
Public Conserved Lands
City of Fort Collins Natural Area
Larimer County Open Space
Other Public Open Space
State Parks and Wildlife
Federal Land
Conservation Easements
City of Fort Collins
City of Fort Collins shared with others
Others
02468Miles
30 Land Conservation FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
LOCAL FOCUS AREAS
Local focus areas encompass stream corridors,
foothills habitat, and pockets of open land within
and near Fort Collins city limits that provide
opportunities for a variety of land protection goals,
including wildlife habitat, recreation, agriculture,
and viewsheds. Land in the local focus areas tends
to have higher costs for acquisition as a result of
development potential. Stewardship costs are also
typically higher due to greater recreation pressure
and restoration needs due to impacts from past
land use and urbanization. Over the next ten years,
the local focus areas discussed below will be the
primary focus for conservation efforts. This focus is
aligned with public feedback received through the
Our Lands – Our Future Project, Master Plan open
houses, and the Land Conservation and Stewardship
Board. Other City initiatives, such as Nature in
the City (which the Department participates in)
and the Multi-purpose Lands effort (which the
Department is the lead) may provide opportunities
to conserve natural areas in partnership with other
City departments.
Bellvue
Bellvue, a small agricultural community northwest
of Fort Collins, lies in Pleasant Valley. The narrow
valley at the mouth of Rist Canyon stretches between
the Dakota Hogback ridge and the foothills. Resource
values are plentiful: wildlife habitat, agricultural
production, scenic viewsheds, community separator,
and the Poudre River fl oodplain. Key elements for
protection include rare species habitat and important
wetlands, especially along the Poudre River
fl oodplain and adjacent riparian community. The
Fort Collins community is interested in conservation
opportunities that would preserve ecosystem
connectivity from the shortgrass prairie to the
foothills forest and linkages to Horsetooth Mountain
Open Space and Lory State Park. Conservation in
the Bellvue area will help maintain the agricultural
heritage and rural character of Bellvue and Laporte.
To date, the City has not completed any conservation
projects within this focus area.
Poudre River Corridor
The Poudre River, often considered the life
blood of the Fort Collins community, is not only
a critical water source for irrigation, drinking,
and industry, but also a haven for wildlife and
recreationists. Resource values include wildlife
habitat, fl oodplain, and watershed protection. The
City has a strong desire to protect and enhance the
natural state of the river by expanding its current
inventory of natural areas from the canyon mouth
to I-25. Continued protection along the river
will ensure fl oodplain protection, habitat, and
migration/travel corridors for both wildlife and
people. As previously discussed, the Poudre River
corridor has been an important focus area for the
community for decades. More than 1,500 acres
have been protected adjacent to the river, of which
223 acres have been protected since 2004.
Riverbend Ponds Natural Area (Photo by Norm Keally)
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 31
Core (Neighborhood) Natural Areas
Conservation of nature in an urban environment
has many benefi ts, including aesthetic values,
nearby recreational opportunities, and protection
of islands of habitat that promote biodiversity and
provide a home for species that otherwise would
not be able to exist in an urban environment. In
light of the data gleaned from Our Lands – Our
Future, Plug In To Nature (Design Workshop
2012), and Nature in the City (City of Fort Collins
Planning Department) studies, the Department
is committed to acquiring properties that would
provide enhanced access to nature within the
City’s Growth Management Area and better reach
underserved areas, such as the city’s northeast
quadrant (see Map 1 for current location of natural
areas). Approximately 157 acres have been
protected within this focus area to-date, and 15
acres since 2004.
Fossil Creek Corridor
While the City has made great strides in protecting
the ecologically sensitive Fossil Creek area
since 2004, some opportunities remain. Land
conservation will help protect rare species and
riparian/wetland areas by expanding upon the
existing Fossil Creek natural areas, will provide
recreation opportunities, and will extend the Fossil
Creek Trail. Additional land protection in this area
contributes to community separation between
Fort Collins and Loveland/Windsor and preserves
views to the foothills and mountains along the I-25
corridor. Within this focus area, more than 3,000
acres have been protected, which mostly consists
of two larger properties, Fossil Creek Reservoir
and Cathy Fromme Prairie natural areas. Just over
100 of these acres have been acquired since 2004.
Foothills Corridor
Land conservation in the foothills will not only
preserve the City’s mountain viewshed, but will
also help conserve unique plant communities,
important wildlife habitat and travel corridors,
and the unique geology of the hogback ridges.
There are opportunities to improve the ecological
connections between the shortgrass prairie and the
foothills, as well as connections to other protected
lands to the west. The Foothills Corridor is
extremely popular for recreationists, particularly
cyclists and trail runners. Land conserved in the
southern portion of this area also functions as a
community separator between Fort Collins and
Loveland. Nearly 4,000 acres have been protected
by the City within this focus area, more than 700
of which have been acquired since 2004.
COMMUNITY SEPARATORS FOCUS AREAS
Community separators are parcels of undeveloped
or minimally developed land that create a buffer
between municipal jurisdictions and preserve the
individual identity of communities. Separators
often consist of undeveloped farmland, low-
density rural developments, fl oodplains, or
other areas that may or may not be desirable
for residential or commercial development. A
separator can be achieved through a variety of
mechanisms, including conservation easements,
fee purchase of land for natural areas or other
open space uses, or zoning restrictions. Separators
are often implemented along major roadways
connecting municipalities in order to preserve the
open viewshed that provides a natural boundary
between two communities. Land within the
community separator focus areas, particularly
those discussed below, is the second highest
The Plug in to Nature study found that
while 87% of survey respondents reported
their child’s connections with nature as
very high, 79% of respondents wanted
their children to spend more time in
nature than they currently do. Time,
location, and cost were the three greatest
barriers to increasing access to nature,
highlighting the need for more nature
closer to home (Design Workshop 2012).
32 Land Conservation FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
conservation priority over the next ten years, due in
part to rising land values and greater development
pressure than lands within the Regional Focus
Areas face.
Wellington Separator
The City has conserved more than 1,000 acres
in this separator, with more than 80% of the
acreage protected since 2003. The Natural
Areas Department will continue to reach out to
landowners, particularly on the west side of I-25.
Lands in the Wellington Separator Focus Area
provide prime soils for agriculture, an important
viewshed to the foothills and mountains, and a
signifi cant number of irrigated farmlands that are
a staple of the local economy. Partnerships with
the State of Colorado and City of Thornton in this
focus area are warranted, given that each entity
has large landownership positions in this area.
Lower Poudre and Windsor Separator
This separator area, located southeast of Fort
Collins, contains opportunities to protect rare
species habitat, wetland and riparian communities,
and agricultural values along the Poudre River. The
City has successfully helped to protect 338 acres
along the Lower Poudre, which in combination
with Fossil Creek Reservoir Natural Area (nearly
1,400 acres) creates community separation
between Fort Collins and Windsor. The Natural
Areas Department will continue to collaborate
on conservation efforts with the Larimer County
Department of Natural Resources, as well as with
the Towns of Windsor and Timnath, including
efforts to acquire key parcels for Poudre River
Trail System connections.
Fort Collins–Loveland Separator
The majority of the Fort Collins–Loveland Separator
has already been conserved. In addition to the
1,264 acres within Long View Farm Open Space
(managed by Larimer County) and Prairie Ridge
Natural Area (managed by the City of Loveland),
the 2,242-acre Coyote Ridge and 1,399-acre Fossil
Creek Reservoir natural areas, considered as local
focus areas, contribute greatly to this community
separator. These shortgrass prairies and farmlands
preserve scenic views, wildlife habitat and
travel corridors, and agricultural land. The open
character between Loveland and Fort Collins along
the north-south main arterials helps give each
community its own sense of character. The City
will continue to work with Loveland to protect
additional parcels appropriate for conservation
and regional trail connections.
REGIONAL FOCUS AREAS
The City has conserved nearly 31,000 acres in the
regional focus areas, most of which are located in
the Laramie Foothills and Meadow Springs focus
areas. The regional focus areas, in comparison
to the other two focus categories, have lower
acquisition costs due to lower development
pressure and lower stewardship costs due to lower
recreational pressure and higher quality habitat.
Opportunities exist to conserve a wide range of
conservation values, including wildlife habitat,
scenery, agricultural, watershed protection, and
recreation.
Sod Farm Conservation Easement in the Wellington Separator
(City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department Photo)
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 33
Foothills: Buckhorn, Redstone, and Rist Canyon
Land conservation projects in these areas preserve
important wildlife habitat in the foothills transition
zone, while providing ecosystem connectivity and
possible future trail connections to Horsetooth
Mountain Park, Lory State Park, and Coyote Ridge
Natural Area. In addition, conservation efforts will
focus on protection of high-diversity wetland and
riparian areas and maintaining natural viewsheds
and rural/open character in the foothills. To date,
the City has conserved 3,844 acres in this focus
area.
Upper Poudre
The City will consider partnership opportunities
to conserve lands along the Upper Poudre River
and Poudre Canyon that will enhance habitat
protection and ecosystem connectivity for
migrating wildlife within the canyon corridor.
Land protection projects in this area will also help
maintain a healthy watershed to ensure a clean
and natural river water supply and provide buffers
that help mitigate property damage from fl oods
and fi res. A total of 493 acres has been acquired by
the City for public use within this focus area.
Laramie Foothills–Meadow Springs
The City will seek to conserve additional lands
in the Laramie Foothills–Meadow Springs focus
areas to further enhance the conservation of this
landscape-scale wildlife corridor and wildlife
area. Land conservation projects in this area
support opportunities for larger-scale prairie
conservation, including protection of prime
pronghorn habitat, protection of the Foothills-to-
Plains wildlife corridor, reintroduction of native
shortgrass prairie species such as the black-footed
ferret and the American bison, and protection of
historical and archaeological resources. It also
sustains preservation of the I-25 viewshed to the
west with its uninterrupted views of the foothills
and mountains. The Natural Areas Department
has protected 26,600 acres within this focus area.
LAND CONSERVATION STRATEGIES
The City uses three primary strategies to conserve
land: fee ownership, conservation easements,
and land development regulations. The fi rst
two mechanisms can be tailored to specifi c
opportunities in partnership with willing
landowners, other agencies, and nonprofi ts.
FEE OWNERSHIP
Purchase of Fee Interest in Land
Acquiring the fee interest, that is, obtaining full
ownership, nearly always includes eventual
public access to at least a portion of the site. Land
costs to obtain fee ownership is generally two to
three times more than purchase of a conservation
easement, which in contrast allows continued use
of the land by the private landowner. In addition,
owning a property creates a long-term maintenance
obligation. Fee acquisition is most appropriate
when public access and recreation, high natural
resource values, large restoration or management
demands, or other issues are present that make
full ownership of a property more advantageous.
It should also be noted that fee acquisition does
not always mean full control of the property.
Mule deer on Soapstone Prairie Natural Area
(Photo by Daylan Figgs)
34 Land Conservation FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
For example, many parcels the Natural Areas
Department has acquired are considered “split
estate,” or have had some rights (usually mineral
rights) severed from the property. In practice,
this means that the City must either seek out and
purchase the mineral rights from the owner or
must negotiate with the rights owner if it wants to
exercise the mineral rights on the property.
Over the last ten years, the Natural Areas
Department has purchased the fee interest on over
25,000 acres in both local and regional focus areas.
Donation of Fee Interest
When a landowner donates a portion or all of the
fee interest to a property, the landowner may be
eligible for a tax deduction (considered a charitable
contribution). Donations have contributed to land
conservation of several natural areas over the last
ten years.
Bargain Sale
A bargain sale is merely a purchase in which a
landowner sells property to the City at a price
below the fair market value. The purchase can
be either fee interest or a conservation easement.
Usually the landowner can take a tax deduction
or credit (treated like a charitable contribution)
for the difference between the fair market value,
as determined by a certifi ed appraisal, and the
sale price.
CONSERVATION EASEMENTS
Where public ownership of the land itself is
not essential to the public interest, or when the
property owner is not interested in selling their
property, the City may conserve the property by
acquiring a perpetual conservation easement (also
called the purchase of development rights) from
willing landowners. A conservation easement
limits development rights and places restrictions
on certain activities to achieve desired land uses
and protect important conservation values of a
property. Each conservation easement is tailored
to the specifi c property, runs with the land in
perpetuity, leaves the land in private ownership,
and usually does not permit public access.
Conservation easements are far less expensive
initially and over the long term than full ownership;
however, the City has perpetual stewardship and
enforcement responsibility to ensure that the
properties are managed consistently with the
terms of the easements.
Once a conservation easement is placed on a
property, the Natural Areas Department begins
the task of ongoing monitoring of the perpetual
easement to ensure that the deed restrictions
Swift Farm Conservation Easement adjacent to Fossil Creek
Reservoir Natural Area (City of Fort Collins Natural Areas
Department Photo)
Reservoir Ridge Natural Area (Photo by Norm Keally)
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 35
placed on the property are honored. Monitoring
also ensures that the land use on the property is
consistent with the conservation values described
in the easement deed and that any violations are
corrected. Staff conducts annual site visits to each
easement property, takes photos of the property,
and fi les reports.
In 2011 the Colorado Department of Regulatory
Agencies began administering regulatory oversight
of conservation easements in Colorado to comply
with a series of laws passed by the Colorado
legislature. This oversight included a certifi cation
process for holders of conservation easements, tax
credit caps and rules, and reporting regulations.
The City of Fort Collins was certifi ed as a qualifi ed
entity to hold conservation easements in 2011 and
annually seeks recertifi cation.
OTHER LAND CONSERVATION STRATEGIES
Other conservation mechanisms include leases,
intergovernmental cooperation, and partnerships
with nonprofi t groups.
Leases
The City leases surface rights from two irrigation
companies to enhance the wildlife habitat on
and surrounding the reservoirs and to provide
recreation opportunities. Fossil Creek Reservoir’s
recreational rights are leased from North Poudre
Irrigation Company; recreational rights for Dixon
Reservoir (on Pineridge Natural Area) are also
leased.
Intergovernmental Cooperation
The Natural Areas Department works cooperatively
and in partnership with other City departments,
Larimer County, and other municipalities on
open space conservation. Many of these efforts
have resulted in joint purchases of natural areas,
open space, or conservation easements. The City
has also worked with other local governments
to develop area plans that have helped guide
future land conservation efforts to protect natural
resources and agricultural land.
Multipurpose Lands
Within the City’s Growth Management Area,
the Natural Areas Department continues to seek
out properties that provide opportunities for
partnerships with the Parks and/or Stormwater
departments. Red Fox Meadows Natural Area is
a current example of “multipurpose land” that
serves as both a neighborhood natural area and
an important stormwater detention site. The City
will continue to work toward connecting open
lands with protected corridors, which could
serve as wildlife, trail, or drainage corridors and
sometimes all three. Multipurpose lands meet
two or more of the following objectives: increased
local fl ood protection, prevention of stormwater
pollution, improved water quality in streams and
groundwater, enhanced wildlife habitat/corridors,
and increased recreational (e.g., trail connections)
and educational opportunities.
Wire Draw Ranch Conservation Easement adjacent to Soapstone
Prairie Natural Area (City of Fort Collins Natural Areas
Department Photo)
36 Land Conservation FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
Partnerships with Government and Nonprofi t
Conservation Organizations
The City has a strong track record of successful
collaborations in land conservation with both
government and nonprofi t organizations in all
three major focus areas (see Table 3), including
Larimer County, City of Loveland, and The Nature
Conservancy. The City will continue to look for
new and innovative conservation strategies and
partnerships to conserve sustainable ecosystems
and working farms, including efforts to analyze
the challenges, opportunities, and possible gaps
in their collective land conservation, stewardship,
and outdoor recreation programs and portfolios.
Working together will encourage positive
changes for biodiversity and natural habitats and
agricultural land conservation.
PRIVATE LAND CONSERVATION
As the fi rst municipality in the country to be
designated as an Urban Wildlife Sanctuary (1987),
the City of Fort Collins has long valued the role
of nature within our urban environment. While
the Natural Areas Policy Plan (City of Fort Collins
1992) placed a strong emphasis on the acquisition
and stewardship of public lands, the plan also
highlighted the many opportunities to partner
with private landowners to achieve the Natural
Areas Department’s mission.
The City has been involved in developing and
refi ning a number of tools to ensure natural
resources are protected on private lands. These
tools have included development regulations,
the Certifi ed Natural Areas Program, and specifi c
subarea plans such as the Fossil Creek Reservoir
Area Plan.
Development Regulations
Initially established in 1997, the Land Use
Code contains an entire section dedicated to the
protection of natural habitats and features. A senior
environmental planner in the Planning Services
Department now administers this code section
from the initial conceptual design submittal
through post-construction monitoring to ensure
resources are protected as designed.
The Land Use Code requires that every site be
analyzed by an environmental professional prior
to the submittal of a development proposal. The
regulations also require that resources be protected
(or mitigated if impacted) and that protected
resources be buffered from the developed portion
of the site to ensure they are not only physically
protected but also functionally protected.
Since these regulations were adopted in 1997,
over 30 natural habitats and features have been
protected through the regulatory process, with
approximately 250 acres of resources and buffer
zones provided.
Certifi ed Natural Areas
In 1994, the City established the Certifi ed Natural
Areas Program for private landowners and
non-City public landowners to encourage the
protection of lands with existing natural areas
values as well as lands that could be restored or
enhanced to provide those values. Land certifi ed
as a natural area is managed by the landowner
so that native animal and plant communities
are enhanced, restored, and protected. City
Fossil Creek Meadows Certifi ed Natural Area (City of Fort Collins
Natural Areas Department Photo)
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 37
staff provides assistance in the planning of this
management. The Natural Areas Department
provides monetary assistance in implementation
of management plans through the Natural Areas
Enhancement Fund (see page 77). Landowners can
feel proud that they are contributing to the Fort
Collins community’s goal of resource protection.
Not only are they providing higher-quality habitat
for the wildlife that the landowners enjoy seeing,
but they also are contributing to the protection
and enhancement of the quality of life for all of
Fort Collins citizens. As of 2013, 56 sites and a
total of 505 acres have been certifi ed by the City
as a natural area.
Area Plans
In City Plan, the comprehensive plan for the City
of Fort Collins, specifi c area plans are developed to
focus on a particular subarea of the community. Each
area plan builds on City-wide vision and policies,
while establishing a more specifi c level of detail
and focus within a subarea. Plans are established
or revisited when there are emerging issues that
could affect development patterns. The Natural
Areas Department is involved in these area plans to
a greater or lesser extent given the need to protect
resource values.
One of the key area plans that helped preserve local
natural areas values was the Fossil Creek Reservoir
Area Plan, jointly adopted by the City of Fort Collins
and Larimer County in 1998. The Fossil Creek
Reservoir ecosystem is unique and provides habitat
for over 180 species of birds, including winter
roost sites for bald eagles and has been recognized
as an Important Birding Area by the Audubon
Society. Since adoption of the area plan, the City
and Larimer County have dedicated more than $12
million for land protection along the reservoir’s
shores to protect wildlife habitat and develop an
outstanding regional bird watching area through
public land ownership, leasing and managing
reservoir recreational rights, and conservation
easements on neighboring working farms.
At far less cost, the City also used development
regulations to protect the ¼-mile buffer (established
via the area plan) around Fossil Creek Reservoir.
In 2014, one of the last remaining large parcels
of land to be developed within the Fossil Creek
Reservoir Area Plan, Kechter Farm, was approved
and included over 120 acres of land managed for
wildlife protection and enhancement. These efforts
to implement buffer regulations paid off when bald
eagles successfully nested on the reservoir in 2014
for the fi rst time in at least three decades.
Current Planning Department Efforts
While private land conservation tools have
served Fort Collins well over the past 20 years,
the city’s development patterns are shifting from
greenfi eld (i.e., land that has never been used for
development, such as agricultural land) to infi ll
and redevelopment. As these patterns shift, private
land conservation priorities are also shifting from
protecting individual natural resources to ensuring
that natural systems in developed or informal
natural areas are conserved and that everyone in
our community has access to nature.
To ensure that nature is protected within the urban
fabric of our community, the following efforts, led
by the Planning Services Department, are currently
Bald eagles at Fossil Creek Reservoir Natural Area
(Photo by Dawn Wilson)
38 Land Conservation FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
under way to ensure our private lands are contributing to
this overall conservation goal:
• Development Regulations. City Planning staff will
continue to implement the Land Use Code standards
for protecting natural resources on private lands.
To ensure compliance with these requirements and
that the resources are adequately buffered from the
development, Planning Services staff is crafting
guidelines to illustrate how to protect and enhance
the site’s ecological value through proper plant
selection, minimizing construction impacts, and
ongoing maintenance requirements.
• Nature in the City. Initially contemplated in the
1992 Natural Areas Policy Plan, City Planning staff
is currently developing a Nature in the City Strategic
Plan to evaluate and plan for the incorporation of
nature into an increasingly urban environment. This
strategic plan will further expand upon community
conservation efforts by looking at how access to
everyday nature can be provided within the urban
environment. This strategic plan is scheduled to be
completed in the spring of 2015.
Widow skimmer dragonfl y at Cottonwood Hollow
Natural Area (Photo by Dave Leatherman)
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 39
S TEWARDSHIP
T he City’s Natural Areas Program has been the major catalyst conserving the fi nest examples
of native ecosystems and valuable wildlife habitats within and near Fort Collins. Partners,
such as Larimer County, and willing property owners have helped expand the acreage of
habitat conserved beyond the City’s Growth Management Area boundary. Collectively, these diverse
landscapes connect our community to our natural heritage and are emblematic of our active outdoor
lifestyle and our commitment to land conservation. The careful and responsible management or
“stewardship” of these lands is entrusted to the Natural Areas Department by the citizens of Fort
Collins and Larimer County.
STAFFING
From its small beginnings in 1992 of three Natural Resources Division staff and three Parks maintenance
staff, Natural Areas Department staffi ng has grown along with the acreage and complexity of lands the
department manages. Today, it takes a team of 50 professionals to manage the Natural Areas Department
and its properties. The Department is divided into eight work groups:
Arapaho Bend Natural Area (City of Fort
Collins Natural Areas Department Photo)
• Department Management (fi nance, budgeting,
strategic planning, policy plan development,
landscape level river issues, Land Conservation
and Stewardship Board support, clerical support)
• Land Conservation (land, water, and conservation
easement acquisitions)
• Education (outreach, community relations,
interpretation, Master Naturalist Program
supervision, volunteer coordination)
• Resource Management (restoration, weed control,
wildlife management, research)
• Land Management (water rights management,
post-gravel mining land restoration, cultural
resources, agriculture and local food production
issues, property leases, energy development and
minerals extraction, utility easements and right-
of-ways on natural areas, conservation easement
stewardship, night sky monitoring)
• Rangers (patrol, visitor contacts, enforcement)
• Public Improvements (recreation amenities,
including trails and trail head parking)
• Facility Operations (maintenance of offi ces, shops,
storage buildings, ranger/caretaker residences,
and Primrose Studio; recycling; sustainability;
pollution prevention)
40 Stewardship FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
Stewardship management responsibilities fall across
all department work groups. Members of multiple
work groups work as a team on planning and
implementing various projects throughout the year.
LAND CONSERVATION AND
STEWARDSHIP BOARD
The Land Conservation and Stewardship
Board advises staff and City Council on matters
pertaining to the management and conservation
of natural areas. This nine-member citizen board
is the community’s advocate for natural areas
enhancement and conservation within Fort Collins
and regionally.
Specifi cally, the duties and functions of the Land
Conservation and Stewardship Board are:
1. To advise City Council regarding policy and
budgetary matters pertaining to the Natural
Areas Department, including but not limited
to the expenditure of Open Space, Yes! and
Larimer County Help Preserve Open Space
dedicated sales tax revenues.
2. To advise Natural Areas Department staff and the
City Council in connection with the proposed
acquisition or disposition of land, interests in
land, interests in water, and other interests in real
property for the Natural Areas Department.
3. To advise Natural Areas Department staff
regarding the development of management
plans and public improvements for Natural
Areas Department properties.
4. Upon request of the City Manager or at the
direction of the City Council, to advise City
Council regarding any positive or negative
impacts that particular plans or projects of
the City or of other public or private entities
may have on Natural Areas Department
properties or properties that may be of
interest to the Natural Areas Department.
This provision shall not apply to
development projects for which applications
have been submitted to the City for approval
under the Land Use Code.
5. Upon request of the City Manager or at the
direction of the City Council, to advise City
Council in connection with the proposed
acquisition or disposition of land, interests
in land, interests in water and other interests
in real property for City programs other than
the Natural Areas Department.
POLICIES, PLANS, AND PROCEDURES
Various policies, plans, and procedures guide the
Natural Areas Department in its daily operations
and management of natural areas. The overarching
policies come from the City Council-adopted City
Plan (see Appendix B). Various other policies,
plans, and procedures are established for specifi c
sites or purposes and approved at different levels
within City government. Management plans and
guidelines are meant to be somewhat fl exible
given the reality that changes occur during the
life of these plans that were not anticipated
when initially written. Since the 2004 Land
Conservation and Stewardship Master Plan, the
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department has
created more than 35 documents to help guide its
daily operations (Table 4).
Poudre River Projects Open House, June 2013 (City of Fort Collins
Natural Areas Department Photo)
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 41
Table 4. Natural Areas Policies, Plans, and Procedures (2004–2014)
Document Category Document Name
Resolutions
(Adopted by City Council)
• Natural Areas and Open Lands Easement Policy (2012)
• Council Involvement in Acquisitions for the Natural Areas Program (2005)
Regulations
(Adopted by City Council)
• Naming of City Properties and Facilities Ordinance (2011)
• Revisions to Natural Areas Regulations Ordinances (City Code; 2004–2012)
Policies and Procedures
(Adopted by City Manager)
• Use Policy for Primrose Studio at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area (2012)
• Conservation Easement Amendment Policy and Procedure (2011)
• Conservation Easement Monitoring and Enforcement Policy and Procedure
(2011)
• Conservation Easement Phasing Policy and Procedure (2011)
• Land Conservation Due Diligence Procedure (2011)
• Land Conservation Approval Policy and Procedure (2011)
Policies
(Adopted by Service Area Director)
• Community Services—Use of Motorized Mobility Devices on Parks and
Natural Areas Policy (2012; revised 2014)
• Utilities Services—Poudre River Annual Debris and Downed Tree Removal
Policy (2011)
Policies and Position Statement
(Adopted by Natural Areas Director)
• Volunteer Policies and Procedures and Procedures (2013)
• Natural Areas Encroachment Policy (2011)
• Natural Areas Agriculture Position Statement (2011)
• Natural Areas Commercial Use Policy (2010)
• Natural Areas and Trail Rangers Policies and Procedures Manual (2008) (also
adopted by Police Services)
Management Plans
(Adopted by Natural Areas Director)
• Cache la Poudre River Natural Areas Management Plan Update (2011)
• Soapstone Prairie Natural Area Management Plan (2007)
• Foothills Natural Areas Management Plan (2007)
• Fossil Creek Reservoir Regional Open Space Habitat Improvement Plan (2006)
• Bobcat Ridge Natural Area Management Plan (2005)
• Fossil Creek Natural Areas Management Plan (2005)
• Resource Management and Implementation Plan for Fossil Creek Reservoir
Regional Open Space (2003)
Management Guidelines
(Adopted by Natural Areas Director)
• Wildlife Management Guidelines (2007)
• Vegetation Management Guidelines (2007)
Guidelines • User Guidelines for Gateway Natural Area Large Group/Event Permit (2011)
• Policy Regarding Public Use of City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Photos
(2006)
• Natural Areas Permit Conditions (2002)
• Natural Areas Department Identity Standards and Guidelines (2013)
Plans and Manuals • Nix Emergency Action Plan (2014)
• General Resource Protection Standards for Easements or Rights of Way (2013)
• Emergency Preparedness Plan for Fairport Dam, Robert Benson Lake (Pelican
Marsh Natural Area) (2012)
• Fire Management Plan (2012)
• Vegetation Management Field Guide (2011)
• Bobcat Ridge Operations Manual (2011)
• Gateway Natural Area Operations and Maintenance Manual (2011)
• Natural Areas and Trail Rangers Field Training Offi cer Handbook (2010)
• Natural Areas Sign Manual (2005)
42 Stewardship FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
Over the next ten years, new policies, plans, and
procedures will undoubtedly be developed as the
need arises and brought forward for adoption at the
appropriate level. Master Plan Priorities (Chapter
5) include stewardship policy and procedural
needs identifi ed at this time.
MANAGEMENT ZONING SYSTEM
In 2011, the Natural Areas Department developed
a new system of management zoning to more
effectively manage natural resource protection
and human use within natural areas along the
Poudre River (City of Fort Collins 2011b). This
system will also be used for other natural areas as
new management plans are developed or updated.
The Management Zoning System consists of fi ve
zones (0 to 4) ranging from areas closed to public
use to “focal areas” prescribed for intensive public
use. A modifi er is added to the zoning designation
to describe whether on-trail-only or off-trail use
will be permitted:
TRAIL MODIFIERS (REGULATORY ZONING):
• A – On-trail only
• B – Off-trail use allowed
• C – Closed, no trails available (Zone 1)
MANAGEMENT ZONES:
• Zone 0 – Closed Natural Area: The entire
natural area is not open for public access. The
natural area is either not intended for public
use or is not yet open due to lack of public
amenities (e.g., trails, parking lots), which
require construction prior to opening.
• Zone 1 – Closed Zones: Portions of a natural
area that are not open to the public due to one
or more reasons specifi ed below. In closed
zones, trails and other public amenities either
do not exist or are intended for maintenance
purposes only. All Zone 1 – Closed Zones are
modifi ed as “C – no trails available.” Reasons
for closures may include:
Areas closed for conservation or wildlife
refuge
Areas where no formal access is provided
Areas closed due to public safety concerns
Areas under long-term restoration
(typically 10 years or more)
Areas closed due to the presence of
cultural artifacts
Areas closed on leased land because
public access is not allowed by the terms
of the lease
• Zone 2 – Resource Protection Zones: Portions
of a natural area where conservation and
resource protection are the highest priorities.
Visitor access is generally limited to on-
trail or trailside activities. Public amenities
are limited or nonexistent. Temporary or
seasonal closures may be enacted for resource
protection, restoration, or other reasons.
• Zone 3 – Natural Experience Zones: Portions
of a natural area that are intended to provide
visitors with a place to connect with nature
and enjoy site-appropriate recreation. Off-
trail use is generally allowed and public
amenities may exist, although, not to the scale
or frequency of a focal area. Temporary or
seasonal closures may be enacted for resource
protection, restoration, or other reasons.
Osprey at Riverbend Ponds Natural Area (Photo by Jack Hicks)
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 43
• Zone 4 – Focal Recreation Zones: Portions of a
natural area that provide intense and directed
recreation. These are developed areas intended
to provide defi ned recreation or access to
recreation. Focal areas generally include
parking lots, picnic areas, boating or fi shing
access points, designated rock climbing areas,
etc. Temporary or seasonal closures may be
enacted for resource protection, restoration,
or other reasons.
EDUCATION
Natural areas are treasured by the community and
individuals for many reasons, including education,
recreation, scientifi c, economic, cultural,
ecological, and spiritual values. The mission of
the Education Staff Work Group is to increase
citizens’ awareness of natural areas, promote
understanding of natural systems, and foster each
individual’s realization of the importance and
meaning natural places add to our lives.
The goals of the Education Staff Work Group are
to:
• Increase recognition, awareness, and support
of natural areas, natural areas values, and
the Natural Areas Department’s vision and
mission.
• Provide a diversity of meaningful experiences
for residents of every age, toddler to seniors,
to facilitate their connections to nature.
• Directly reach a portion of the Fort Collins
community (current goal is 8%–10% annually)
while ensuring participant demographics
match the demographics of the community.
• Strive to meet these goals through community
programs, school programs, special events,
media, community involvement, and service
learning through volunteer opportunities. The
programs are regularly evaluated to determine
the most effective way to reach the public.
MASTER NATURALISTS
The volunteer Master Naturalist Program began in
1994 and has become the mainstay of the Natural
Areas Education Program. Each certifi ed Master
Naturalist completes over 50 hours of hands-
on training focused on local natural history and
public speaking. In 2013, 164 Master Naturalists
and their volunteer assistants helped the City
reach out to the community, donating thousands
of hours. Because of their dedication, the Natural
Areas Department is able to provide nearly 300
educational activities and events each year,
currently reaching approximately 11,000 people
annually.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
The Natural Areas Department arranges community
programs on a variety of topics each year. Programs
are offered through the Tracks & Trails publication,
or listed in monthly press releases and the natural
areas electronic newsletter. Community programs
can also be requested by groups for a mutually
agreed upon topic or date.
Master Naturalist at McMurry Natural Area (City of Fort Collins
Natural Areas Department Photo)
44 Stewardship FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
SCHOOL PROGRAMS
AND SPECIAL EVENTS
Field trips to natural areas
for students, grades pre
K-12, are available free of
charge to local schools.
Lessons are taught
by Master Naturalist
volunteers and staff using
unique, standards-based,
interactive activities
developed by the Natural
Areas Department.
Limited transportation
funding is available by
request. School fi eld trips
are offered in the spring
and fall.
The Natural Areas Department sponsors events
and participates in local festivals by providing a
staffed booth with interactive activities. Special
events include the NoCo Nature Festival, Wade the
River, Picnic on the Poudre, Cinco de Mayo, and
National Get Outdoors Day celebrations. These are
effective events in reaching new audiences and a
large number of people. The Department attends
or sponsors an average of two events a month.
MEDIA
The Natural Areas Department uses a
comprehensive communications strategy to
support community access and enjoyment of
natural areas:
• Interpretive features are installed on the most
visited natural areas. Currently, 23 sites contain
interpretive signage. Signage (free-standing or
on kiosks) has been installed on 13 of these
sites since 2004. These products explain the
natural features of the natural areas, increase
visitor enjoyment, and contribute to visitor
management.
• The Department funded a lobby visitor center
and interactive exhibits at the Fort Collins
Museum of Discovery, which opened in
2012. The highlight of the free natural areas
visitor center is the live black-footed ferret
display, which focuses on the values of the
native shortgrass prairie. An interactive map
and brochures help to orient the public to
the wealth of natural areas available for their
use in the community. Master Naturalist
volunteers staff the exhibit at peak times.
• Technology is part of connecting people
to natural areas, so the Department has an
extensive website and employs social media
as important communication strategies.
• Printed materials, such as maps and
brochures, complement online resources and
provide material that is accessible for fi eld
experiences. Maps and brochures are provided
at most trailhead kiosks. The Natural Areas
Map is the most popular brochure; it is printed
and updated as needed. New in 2010 was the
popular Tracks & Trails, the Department’s
guide to free education-sponsored activities,
May–October. Site brochures are provided
for the most visited sites such as Soapstone
Prairie, Bobcat Ridge, Gateway, and Coyote
Ridge. An annual report is produced to report
on the Department’s revenues, expenditures,
and accomplishments. The School Program
Guide is created annually to promote
free student fi eld trips sponsored by the
Department. Other publications highlight
wildlife, native plants, current projects, trails,
and cultural resources.
• Communications and marketing focus on
sharing information about Natural Areas
Department events, activities, and public
input opportunities. These include a monthly
e-newsletter (available by free subscription),
social media postings, targeted emails,
newspaper columns, paid advertising, direct
mail, and press releases.
Master Naturalist at Wade
the River 2013 (City of
Fort Collins Natural Areas
Department Photo)
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 45
Figure 9. Number of Volunteer Hours per Year, 2007–2013
(Note: The drop in 2013 resulted from 6 weeks of program
cancelations due to the September fl ood event)
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Everyone in the community is invited to
participate in developing the plans and policies of
the Natural Areas Department through frequently
offered feedback and input opportunities, and by
communicating concerns, ideas, and compliments
to staff at any time. The Education Work Group
is responsible for planning and coordinating
community involvement processes in collaboration
with staff leading the plan/policy effort.
PARTNERSHIPS
The Natural Areas Department is involved
in the Fort Collins community and regional
environmental education efforts through
partnerships and collaborations. Education staff
works with relevant professional associations at
the state and national level, related organizations
and agencies, and other City departments on
mutually benefi cial work and projects.
BALANCING FUTURE NEEDS
Currently, most natural areas
educational activities and events
are fi lled to capacity. While the
Education staff is now able to
meet the current goal of reaching
8%–10% of the community,
with population growth this may
become more diffi cult to achieve.
Several approaches could be
considered to address this issue
including decreasing the level
of service, increasing volunteer
recruitment and volunteer
management capacity, increasing
staff, increasing funding, or
revisiting the model of volunteers
providing most of the Department’s
education offerings in order to
provide more reliable staffi ng.
Keeping up with a changing media landscape and
technology is an issue for all professionals involved
in education. While many new communications
strategies have been introduced in the last 10
years, the older methods are still necessary, making
communications a more complex endeavor. The
City will continue to seek out new opportunities
for using technology to connect people to the
natural world.
VOLUNTEER COORDINATION
Citizens support natural areas in many ways
from voting for ballot measures that fund the
conservation of these special lands to volunteering
to participate in stewardship activities. In 2011, a
seasonal educator was hired to introduce service
learning into volunteering. Service learning
volunteer events include an educational component
taught by education staff or another professional
in the natural areas fi eld. Through these efforts to
provide more volunteer opportunities, the Natural
Areas Department now receives more than 10,000
hours of volunteer support each year (Figure 9).
46 Stewardship FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
Volunteer opportunities for residents to get more
deeply involved in natural areas vary from a
single half-day project to projects spanning over a
year or more. Short-term projects of a half or full
day typically are service-learning stewardship
projects, such as trail building/maintenance,
plantings, weed pulling, and site cleanups. Over
1,000 people participated in service-learning
projects in 2013.
Volunteer projects with a longer time commitment
include Master Naturalists, Master Naturalist
Assistants, Volunteer Ranger Assistants, Adopt-a-
Trail, Adopt-a-Natural Area, and Citizen Scientists.
Although the Master Naturalists and the Adopt-a-
Natural Area Program were in existence since the
mid-1990s, the other volunteer programs have been
established in just the last 10 years. The Master
Naturalist Assistant Program was established in
2009 to help educate and inspire stewardship
by assisting the Certifi ed Master Naturalists in
community and school programs. The Volunteer
Ranger Assistants Program was established jointly
with Larimer County in 2007. The 143 Ranger
Assistants greet visitors, promote outdoor safety,
and monitor natural areas, logging over 2,200
hours in 2013 alone. Adopt-a-Trail volunteers,
established in 2012, are groups that commit to
trail maintenance three times a year or more. Since
2008, Citizen Scientists have collected data about
natural areas, including occurrence of plants and
wildlife (e.g., monitoring motion-activated wildlife
cameras at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area).
RESEARCH
The City has both supported and benefi ted from
many research projects conducted on natural
areas even before the Natural Areas Program was
established in 1992. Natural areas provide an
excellent opportunity for scientists to conduct
local research across a variety of disciplines and
conditions including habitat types, land uses, and
the urban to rural spectrum.
Research conducted on natural areas include (1)
projects initiated internally or collaboratively to help
the City manage natural resources or (2) research
proposed by others through Special Use Permits to
allow external organizations access to ecosystems on
City natural areas and access to species specifi c to
their research needs.
Checking wildlife cameras at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area (City of
Fort Collins Natural Areas Department Photo)
Volunteers planting shrubs on Kingfi sher Point Natural Area
next to Nix Farm Facility (City of Fort Collins Natural Areas
Department Photo)
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 47
Natural areas serve as valuable resources for local
scientists and managers. On average, 27 Special
Use Permits are now approved each year to allow
access and use of Fort Collins natural areas for
research. Additionally, each year the Natural Areas
Department initiates, or is collaboratively involved
with, a handful of research projects directly tied to
immediate management questions. For example,
archaeological research efforts are underway on
Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, which includes
the Lindenmeier Site, a National Historic Site that
is the largest Paleo-Indian Folsom-era campsite
known in the world.
Research studies that have taken place on City
natural areas have addressed various components
of local ecosystems that demonstrate value, use,
application, and relevance of natural area-based
research to contemporary ecosystem management
issues (Table 5). Projects may be very narrow or
local in scope, or even help to answer population-
or landscape-level questions. Research has
included innovative methods for restoration,
integrated pest management, disease management,
and other resource management topics valuable
for future management of natural areas.
Table 5. Examples of Special-Permit Research Projects on City Natural Areas over the Last Four Years
Research Category Examples
Plants Rare plant mapping, vegetation recovery following fi re and urban disturbances,
population and demography studies, fl oristic inventories
Insects Rare insects, grasshopper research, collections and species lists, disease vectors (West
Nile virus, plague)
Fishes and Amphibians Boreal chorus frog interactions with greenback cutthroat trout, citizen science
amphibian survey
Wildlife Predator prey relationships with prairie dogs (raptors and potential for ferret
reintroduction), mountain lion and bear behavior and movement patterns in the
urban Front Range, breeding bird studies, wildlife movement on fragmented sites, bat
research, wildlife behavior research, mark and recapture study on deer
Atmosphere and Skies Night-sky light pollution, weather-monitoring stations
Restoration and Integrated
Pest Management
Innovative restoration methods under challenging conditions (prairie dog colonies,
weeds), effi cacy of riparian exclosures
Disease Management Oral plague vaccine research for prairie dogs, chronic wasting disease prevalence and
movement research for deer
Recreational Impacts Noise impacts on prairie dogs, wildlife camera studies observing wildlife movement
with recreational activity and urban development
Archaeology Survey and documentation of archeological sites on natural areas
Cache la Poudre River Modeling future river conditions
Educational Research Long term datasets collected by middle and high school students, groundwater wells
and watershed education, undergraduate term projects (wildlife cameras, various mini
research projects), habitat evaluations, testing and teaching protocols for large scale
public agency research (such as wetland inventories)
48 Stewardship FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
FUTURE RESEARCH NEEDS
Natural Areas Department staff has
identifi ed a number of research topics
that would aid in stewardship of natural
areas over the next 10 years (Table 6).
This working list will help direct local
researchers, both student and professional,
toward meeting some of the needs for site
surveys and management. The City will
continue to provide opportunities for
children, students, and the community to
become involved in natural areas research
and management.
Table 6. Selected List of Research Topics to Help Stewardship of Natural Areas over the Next Ten Years
Research Category Research Topic
Monitoring • Climate change
• Night skies (continue)
Site Inventories • Invertebrates, including aquatic insects and crustaceans
• Herptiles
• Mammals (large and small)
• Fish (especially small streams and ponds)
Management
Techniques
• River woody debris management
• Urban prairie dog management/conservation
• Growing native plant species in greenhouses
• Relationship between soil disturbance, native plant establishment, and mycorrhizal fungi
• Other integrated pest management methods besides herbicide treatments to control cheatgrass,
annual ryegrass, bindweed, and Japanese brome.
• Methods to eliminate smooth brome while causing the least amount of disturbance
• Connections between wildlife populations and vegetation species and structure (creating a link
between what works and what doesn’t so that restoration efforts are more successful)
Values • Ecosystem goods and service values
• Ecological value of really small sites for wildlife species—what can you reasonably attract with
little effort (Nature in the City)
Recreational Use • Creel survey at pond sites (and River) in cooperation with Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Black-tailed prairie dogs on Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area (Photo by
Steve Nelson)
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
The Resource Management Work Group focuses on
stewardship of native plant communities and the
wildlife those habitats support. Activities over the
last ten years have included managing nonnative
and invasive plants, restoring native plant
communities (primarily grasslands), rehabilitating
river banks, and conducting sustainable wildlife
management. Resource Management staff oversees
the implementation of projects that meet natural
resource objectives outlined in site-specifi c natural
areas management plans.
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 49
As the City’s inventory of natural areas has
increased, so too has the human population of Fort
Collins and the Front Range. With more people
and development, land stewardship has become
more complex in response to the challenges of
habitat fragmentation, increased recreational
needs, threats to habitat integrity from nonnative
plants and animals, increased demands for water,
and the reality of a changing climate.
Although resource management in an urban
environment poses many challenges, opportunities
abound as well. With careful thought, planning, and
adaptive approaches to management our natural
areas can provide a visitor experience that even for a
brief period, transcends the hustle and bustle of life
in the city. The aspiration to provide visitors with
high quality experiences and habitat opportunities
for wildlife beyond the typical generalist urban
species has been termed “wilderness in the city” by
the Natural Areas Department.
Wilderness, when used in the federal land
management context has specifi c meaning centered
in the concept that lands exist “untrammeled or
unchanged by man, where man himself is a visitor
who does not remain” (1964 Wilderness Act). The
aspiration of the Department, however, is to create
a very high-quality experience in nature even
though it occurs within an urban environment.
The Department will seek to return landscape
level natural disturbances, such a fi re, grazing,
and expansion of riparian areas where appropriate
given public safety and urban infrastructure
needs. Where opportunities exist, staff will design
restoration projects to provide habitat for native
species that may be uncommon to this area, but
are known to thrive here if certain habitat elements
exist. High quality habitat and the associated
experience, or feeling, of being in a “wild”
environment dovetails with the Department’s
objectives to restore ecologic function, and to
provide exceptional educational and recreation
experiences.
WEED MANAGEMENT
Local natural areas typically host nonnative plant
communities due to historic land uses such as poor
farming practices, livestock overgrazing, gravel
mining, and poor land management practices.
Those land uses had the unintended consequences
of creating soils defi cient in nutrients and organic
matter and creating conditions conducive to weed
species.
For much of the past ten years Resource
Management staff has worked to control
nonnative and invasive plant species under a
typical integrated weed management paradigm.
Signifi cant accomplishments during this time
include the near elimination of Russian olive
(Elaeagnus angustifolia) and salt-cedar (Tamarix
chinensis) within Poudre River natural areas, and
the substantial reduction in acreage of problematic
weeds such as leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula),
Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), Dalmatian
toadfl ax (Linaria dalmatica ssp. dalmatica), purple
loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), fi eld bindweed
(Convolvulus arvensis), kochia (Bassia scoparia),
and cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) throughout
the natural areas system. Likewise, major gains
have been made to reduce residual agricultural
grasses, including crested wheatgrass (Agropyron
cristatum) and cereal ryegrass (Secale cereale).
Weed management actions are based on the
integrated pest management (IPM) philosophy: a
combination of chemical, mechanical, cultural,
and biological treatments. Herbicides are selected
for use based on lowest environmental toxicity,
selectivity to the target species, and effectiveness.
By using the most effective chemical in
combination with other treatments, the Natural
Areas Department is seeing improved control
lasting multiple years and promoting a competitive
advantage for native plants.
More recently, management actions have focused
on promoting the health of native vegetation in
contrast to a sole focus on management against
50 Stewardship FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014
nonnative vegetation. The evolution of this
approach has manifested in a grassland health–
based approach, which includes the use of fi re
through controlled burns to invigorate native
vegetation and the control of prairie dogs to
promote sustainable native grasslands.
VEGETATION MONITORING
Staff monitors vegetation management to improve
long-term success and determine best methods.
Repeat ground photography (“photo points”) and
weed mapping provide extremely useful data on
the effectiveness of various treatments through
time.
In 2005, the Natural Areas Department developed
the Resource Management Information System
(RMIS), which is a GIS-based planning and tracking
software that records management and monitoring
activities on a management unit (geographic)
basis. This system permits the easy retrieval of
management actions that affect the vegetation on
properties in the natural areas system. RMIS can
generate summary data for year-end reporting and
other data inquiries, as needed.
A key contribution to resource management has
been the implementation of a system-wide rare
plant survey on City natural areas. Only ten rare
plant species were known to occur throughout
the natural areas system in 2004. Over the last ten
years, using a GIS model to focus rare plant surveys
and a dedicated corps of volunteers, Resource
Management staff located 26 additional species of
plants rare to Colorado and, in some cases, even
globally rare. City of Fort Collins natural areas are
the only known locations in Colorado for some
of these rare plant species. Knowledge of rare
plant occurrence on natural areas is critical to
management planning and stewardship.
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION
In addition to signifi cant efforts at managing
weeds, the City is taking a proactive approach
to restoring degraded lands back to native plant
communities. Restoration efforts have been
initiated and are progressing well in degraded
grasslands of southwest Fort Collins on lands
previously in winter wheat. A more challenging
grassland restoration has been the restoration of
lime waste pits along the Poudre River that began
in 2003. Few thought that these severely degraded
lands would ever support native vegetation, but
today wildlife thrive in a native grassland mix
established on both sides of Timberline Road
south of the Poudre River.
Several natural areas, under joint ownership
and management with Stormwater Utility, have
undergone extensive wetland restoration as part of
fl ood protection and water quality improvement
projects. With funding support primarily
provided by Stormwater Utility, the Natural Areas
Department staff provides expertise throughout the
planning and implementation process. The largest
project, to date, has been the Canal Importation
and Ponds Outfall Project that included a major
portion of the Red Fox Meadows Natural Area.
Between 2008 and 2011, the Department and
Stormwater Utility restored over 26 acres of
this natural area to wetlands and native upland
vegetation through an award-winning project that
improved water quality, reduced neighborhood
fl ooding, and enhanced wildlife habitat.
Prescribed burn at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area (City of Fort Collins
Natural Areas Department Photo)
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Master Plan FINAL DRAFT September 24, 2014 51
The major focus of restoration for the Natural
Areas Department since 2011 has been the
fl oodplains and cottonwood forests of the
Poudre River Corridor. In 2011 the fi rst phase
of the McMurry Ponds Restoration Project was
accomplished on the west pond where four acres
of new wetland habitat were created and three
acres of new fl oodplain cottonwood habitat were
initiated. Likewise in 2013, a major effort began
at North Shields Ponds Natural Area where fi ve
acres of new wetland habitat were created in an
old gravel pond and eight acres of new fl oodplain
cottonwood habitat were created. Perhaps the
greatest accomplishment was the removal of the
Josh Ames Ditch diversion structure at North
Shields Ponds Natural Area. The structure, no
longer needed for water diversion, was essentially
a small dam in the Poudre River that prohibited
fi sh passage.
Over the past ten years, a total of 867 acres of natural
areas within the local focus areas of Fort Collins has
been restored to a composition of greater than 75%
native plant species. One important component of
these restoration efforts is the annual monitoring
and adaptive management necessary to ensure that
the goals of each restoration effort are met. Over
the next decade, the Department will continue to
focus on restoration in the Poudre River corridor
in addition to completing the large grassland
restoration projects on the southwest side of the
city on Coyote Ridge Natural Area.
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
For decades, conserving land that supports
black-tailed prairie dogs has been a conservation
priority. However, prairie dog management can be
very controversial. Unlike the natural expansion,
movement, and contraction of prairie dog colonies
throughout the Great Plains of the 1800s and
prior, colonies within the Fort Collins region are
restricted from this natural movement due to
confl icts with urban development and agriculture.
The lack of movement possibilities outside of
the conserved natural area produces a situation
where intensive prairie dog grazing degrades the
health of the grassland to a point where topsoil
becomes exposed and can be easily eroded by
frequent wind events and vegetation composition
becomes dominated by undesirable nonnative
plants. Cyclical periods of drought exacerbate
these conditions.
In the past decade, the City has experimented
with a suite of management efforts ranging from
a “hands-off”/no-lethal-control approach to
signifi cant lethal control. Adoption of the Wildlife
Management Guidelines in 2007 created a hybrid
approach that seeks to balance the conservation of
prairie dog colonies with maintaining grassland
structure benefi cial to a variety of grassland wildlife
species. This approach manages colony acreages
below system “maximums” observed from 2004
to 2006 toward overall improvement of grassland
health. Looking forward, the Natural Areas
Department will continue to carefully monitor
and manage prairie dog colonies while exploring
innovative techniques that promote prairie dog
communities in harmony with grassland health.
Removal of the Josh Ames Ditch diversion structure at North
Shields Ponds Natural Area (City of Fort Collins Natural Areas
Department Photo)