This past year, the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) team made meaningful progress across our lands, trails and programs. These accomplishments reflect the hard work of staff, strong partnerships and the ongoing support of our community. 

Thank you to everyone who shops locally to support dedicated open space taxes, donates to Boulder Open Space Conservancy, follows rules and closures, attends programs and treats Boulder’s open spaces with care. Your actions play an important role in protecting the land, water, plants and wildlife that make these places special. 

Wildfire resilience

  • Expanded wildfire resilience work on OSMP lands, especially near neighborhoods in the wildland-urban interface using a mix of approaches, including targeted grazing, tree thinning, mowing, prescribed burning, ditch fuel reduction and invasive weed removal. 
  • Partnered with CU Boulder to research prescribed fire best practices with funding by the National Science Foundation.  
  • Increased wildfire prevention through more public education, clearer on-site signage, system closures and stronger nighttime parking deterrents and enforcement.  

Protecting land, water and wildlife 

  • Enhanced and restored agriculture production on approximately 300 acres of OSMP lands at 13 different sites by removing prairie dogs, improving water delivery and soil conditions and planting seeds.  
  • Awarded cost-share grants to 16 neighboring landowners to help offset the cost of prairie dog barrier installation to reduce prairie dog movement onto their properties from OSMP.  Of these 16, 7 projects were completed by the end of 2025. 
  • Completed water infrastructure projects at East Boulder Ditch and Howard Ditch siphon on South Boulder Creek to improve water delivery to agricultural properties and improve in-stream habitat conditions. 
  • Provided protection and monitoring of raptors which helped successfully fledge 4 Bald Eagles, 2 Golden Eagles, 17 Osprey, 10 Peregrine Falcons, 4 Prairie Falcons and 21 Burrowing Owls.  
  • Completed restoration of amphibian breeding habitats at four sites which included removal of 9.5 tons of invasive cattails at one site.   
  • Removed or retrofitted 20,000 linear feet of fencing to support wildlife movement around open space land. In addition, 11 elk/deer jumps were installed to further allow easy passage to large animals. 
  • Completed wetland assessments across 52 wetlands as part of an EPA wetland program development grant.  This work was designed to be generalizable across OSMP providing critical data for restoration, protection and infrastructure project planning. 

Strengthened connection to the land and equity in nature 

  • Received Innovative Environmental Education Program Award from the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education for Out in Nature program supporting LGBTQIA2S+ community access to the outdoors, building community, supporting participants mental health, and making it easier for folks to see themselves in nature. 
  • Developed new BVSD 4th-grade field trip to The People’s Crossing, co-designed with Tribal Nations to help students learn about Boulder’s complex history and its significance to Indigenous Peoples. 
  • Adopted its first department equity plan which sets strategic equity goals and actions for the next several years, including investment in accessible visitor infrastructure, bilingual and Spanish programming, engaging youth and families, tribal partnerships and more. 
  • Continued work with Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Representatives to develop a vision for education and interpretation on the Fort Chambers – Poor Farm property.

Improved trails, trailheads and access 

  • Completed major renovations to key OSMP trailheads at Chapman Drive, Sawhill, Cottonwood, South Boulder Creek and Marshall Mesa enhancing neighborhood connectivity to trails and providing accessible areas for wheelchairs and equestrian trailer access.  
  • Built new trails at the Boulder Valley Ranch complex including Shale, Hidden Valley and Eagle, and along the South Boulder Creek Trail in the area just east of the East Boulder Community Center including a new bridge to connect neighbors to the trail system. 

Photos

  • People standing around a city of boulder tent on a trail outside.

    Gebhart Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

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  • Stairs at a trailhead surrounded by trees

    Chapman Drive trailhead improvements.

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  • Ranger looking through the lens of a telescope on a dark night

    Viewing the stars through a telescope at nature program.

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  • Pond next to trees, bench seating area and outdoor bathhouse.

    Sawhill Ponds trailhead improvements.

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  • Watercolor pictures

    Watercolors and sun prints on nature programs.

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  • Small owl perched on a fence post

    Burrowing Owl.

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  • Two adult women standing in a colorful classroom pointing at animal photos, skulls and pelts

    Education Naturalist volunteers.

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  • A group of young people wearing yellowing shirts standing in a green field in front of mountains.

    Amazing work by Junior Rangers!

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  • Group of young people sitting outside on rocks listening to adults speak

    Youth field trip to Chautauqua. 

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