The OSMP program is the product of a long history of actions taken by the residents of Boulder to preserve buffer areas, natural areas and the mountain backdrop.

Innovation at the Grassroots - Land Preservation History:

  • 1898 – Residents purchased the alfalfa fields and apple orchards of Bachelder Ranch (present site of Chautauqua Park). That purchase was paid for with a bond issue.
  • 1907 – A federal grant of 1,600 acres of land on Flagstaff Mountain.
  • 1912 – Boulder residents purchased another 1,200 acres of Flagstaff Mountain for $1.25 an acre.
  • 1959 – PLAN Boulder County formed; the group has successfully campaigned for many land preservation issues.
  • 1959 – A charter amendment was passed, establishing a "blue line" above which city water would not be supplied.
  • 1964 – Residents organized to protest the planned development of a luxury hotel on Enchanted Mesa, and the City Council voted to condemn the land and force its sale. Activists raised small donations from the community until they reached the purchase price.
  • 1967 – Boulder voters made history by approving a 0.40 of a cent sales tax specifically to buy, manage, and maintain open space, the first time residents in any U.S. city had voted to tax themselves specifically for open space. The sales tax measure passed by a 57 percent majority.
  • 1971 – A charter amendment passed allowing City Council to issue bonds for the acquisition of open space.
  • 1973 – Resident activists successfully called for the creation of a separate Open Space Department focused on acquiring and maintaining natural land. The City Council created the Open Space Board of Trustees.
  • 1978 – The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan was adopted.
  • 1986 – A charter amendment providing more permanent protection for open space lands was adopted with passage by 77 percent of the voters.
  • 1989 – 76 percent of voters added 0.33 of a cent to the sales tax for a period of 15 years to accelerate open space preservation; in 1997, voters extended the tax through 2018.
  • 2003 – Voters added 0.15 of a cent sales tax through 2019 to fund continued land acquisitions and maintenance.
  • 2013 – Voters approved a tax measure extending 0.22 of the 0.33 cent sales tax that was set to expire in 2018 through 2034. After Jan. 1, 2035, the 0.22 tax will drop to 0.1 cents, and will be permanently dedicated to open space purposes.
  • 2019 – Voters approved a 20-year extension of a 0.15 cent sales tax that was set to sunset in 2019. At the end of 20 years, the tax will be allocated for other city purposes.