Ute Valley Park
BACKGROUND
In 2016, RMFI will begin a multi-year stewardship project in partnership with the City of Colorado Springs to complete maintenance and stewardship work at several properties purchased with proceeds from the Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS) tax. All work will be guided by the park's management plan developed by the City in cooperation with local citizens. The original portion of Ute Valley Park was donated to the City in 1969. Over the decades, additional parcels have been dedicated and acquired through the City's Parkland Dedication Ordinance, expanding it to 338 acres. In 2013, 200 acres of the Hewlett-Packard property was purchased with a combination of private funding, a Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) (Lottery) grant and Colorado Springs' Trails Open Space and Parks sales tax (TOPS) funding. Ute Valley Park is home to diverse wildlife and vegetation and is rich in archeological features. There is an existing trailhead along Vindicator Drive and several small informal trailheads within the adjacent neighborhoods. Within the park, numerous trails, both approved and rogue, are present. The recent TOPS acquisition area is subject to a conservation easement that mandates long-term protection of natural resources on the property while supporting the value of public recreation.
2018 WORK OBJECTIVES
RMFI's work objectives will largely focus on helping the City of Colorado Springs complete trail maintenance, construction, and restoration projects within the open space in accordance with the park management plan.
PROJECT FUNDERS AND PARTNERS
- City of Colorado Springs
- Friends of Ute Valley Park