12-11-23 NOTE: This project is still in the works. Keep an eye out for updates.
_____________________
If you’ve hiked the King’s Crown Trail area recently, you have hopefully seen our sign about a threat to the area. If not, the short version is that this area contains 120 Acres of private property that is now for sale. If a developer or other private owner purchases it, there is a high likelihood that they would shut down public access to these trails from now on (and have every right to do so.) For the full context, see our previous article here:
The good news is that after presenting this problem to the City, along with some possible solutions, they have been working hard behind the scenes with us in an effort to protect this area. The goal is to purchase and permanently preserve these 120 acres for the public to enjoy.
Deals like this of course have many, many layers to them, and a TON of things have been going on behind the scenes, but here’s where we are right now. Keep in mind that there are still moving parts so it’s not 100% set in stone, but we are in the home stretch.
- The Project is now being called Avenger Open Space after the historic mining road on the property.
- The Sellers seem to be excited about the prospect of this property being preserved, and are waiting for the City to get an offer in (tentatively early January pending a council vote on the 4th.)
- The City of Woodland Park has made it to the Final Round of a Great Outdoors Colorado Land Acquisition Grant (GOCO) that would foot the majority of the bill for purchasing this land!
- If the City is awarded the Grant and the Real Estate deal goes through, the 120 acre property will be owned by the City of Woodland Park as a Public Open Space, and a Conservation Easement put on the property by Palmer Land Conservancy to protect the Land Forever!
- As part of the Grant Process, GOCO wants to see Community interest/investment, so the Community needs to raise $80,000 toward the project. However, I’d love to see the community step up and hit $100,000 to help cover future expenses, and I think with the momentum we have we can absolutely hit that number!
- This is where you come in. We are collecting Donation Pledge Letters from Community Members to show that we’re ready to step up to save such an incredible natural area. All Donations would be contingent upon receipt of the GOCO Grant and via a 501(c)3 Partnership or another legal avenue that may be tax deductible. Please consult your tax preparer for more information.
- Grant results will be announced in March, so no money would be needed or accepted before then.
- You can also watch our Presentation to City Council here at 31:00 and again at 1:40:30 (which gets a little in the weeds).
This may seem like a lot, and it is, but I’ve been blown away by how seriously the City has taken this, and that we’ve been able to make it this far this quickly. For context, GOCO Grants are usually a multi-year process to get everything done, and done right. However, it’s been just over 4 months since I sent the first email about this, and here we are!
How You Can Help
If you want to support this project, there are a few things you can do:
- Fill out a Donation Pledge Letter and email it to me at Chris@tellertrailteam.org to help us hit $100k!
- Keep an eye out for the announcement about actual donations in March.
- Join the Teller Trail Team Newsletter
- Feel free to reach out if you have questions before donating.
Thanks for taking the time to look this over, and I hope to see you all enjoying the Avenger Open Space later in 2024! – Chris Gonzales, Founder @Teller Trail Team
P.s. We’ll be doing some fundraising for Teller Trail Team soon, too, in order to keep working on amazing projects like this, so keep an eye out.
Important Note: This is not a done deal yet. This area contains a series of Social Trails not System Trails, meaning they are not recognized or maintained by land owners/managers, including the USFS. Please always respect Private Property and the Land Owners and Managers Rules and Desires, and as always, Leave No Trace.