Open Space: Percentages Open and Closed

Questions frequently arise about the percentage Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks land that is actually open to the public. Two BOC members with extensive experience off their best estimates.

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From Eric Vogelsberg

All the figures are somewhat inaccurate.

Of the ~43,000 acres about 7,000 is in conservation easements. For the conservation easements (like the Hogan property) the city has only restricted development. There is no fee ownership and no public access.

The fee ownership properties, about 36,000 acres, are divided into 4 categories:

Habitat Conservation Areas (13,433 acres, 38% of fee properties)

Natural Areas (14,145 acres, 41% of fee properties)

Passive Recreation Areas (4,220 acres, 12% of fee properties)

Agricultural Areas (3,291 acres, 9% of fee properties)

Note that these are 2005 figures. However there have been few significant new property additions since then.

In general public access is allowed in all of these areas, with restrictions increasing from Passive Recreation Area off-trail access to Habitat Conservation Area and Agricultural Area on-trail or by permit only access

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From Suzanne Webel

The Final Draft VMP Management Areas are as follows:
38% Habitat Conservation Areas (HCAs)
41% Natural Areas (NAs)
12% Passive Recreation Areas (PRAs)
9% Agricultural Areas (AAs)

Of the 125 miles of trail on OSMP,
54 miles (43%) are in PRAs
48 miles (38%) are in NAs
19 miles (15%) are in HCAs
4 miles (4%) are in AAs

Of the total 43,000 acres,
72% are "open" to the public
19% are Conservation Easements, closed to the public
7% are closed to everyone for hazards and sensitive habitat

However, all of these categorizations are fuzzy, and many overlap. For example:
Much of the 72% "open" is de facto closed, because it is surrounded by fences and locked gates which discourage access. So the "72% open" assertion, while technically correct, is disingenuous at best.

Some of the Natural Areas are being treated as de facto HCAs, with stricter rules and no off-trail use by certain groups (such as Spring Brook Mesa).

Only a tiny fraction (less than 2%) of the HCAs are "open" to the public because they contain very few trails, the Off-Trail Permit system is only available to some user groups and not others, and then only to a tiny proportion of those groups.

Agricultural areas are mostly closed to public access.

My best calculation at this point is that about 68% of all OSMP lands are effectively closed to public access, which surely vindicates the term "Closed Space."