Colorado County Saves 64,000 Acres in 30 Years

Thirty years ago, voters in Larimer County, Colorado made a quarter-cent bet on nature that paid off beyond anyone's wildest dreams.

Since 1995, the Help Preserve Open Spaces sales tax has protected more than 64,000 acres of wild land, built over 100 miles of trails, and pumped $355 million back into local communities. That's conservation funding that came straight from everyday purchases, turning shopping trips into environmental wins.

The program saved iconic Colorado landscapes that residents and visitors cherish today. Horsetooth Mountain, Devil's Backbone, and Hermit Park Open Spaces all exist because neighbors chose to invest a fraction of each dollar in protecting the places they love.

"For three decades, the community's trust has guided our work," said Daylan Figgs, director of the Larimer County Department of Natural Resources. The agency is launching a "30 and Thriving" campaign to honor the milestone and the people who made it possible.

The celebration includes an interactive website tracking the program's journey from ballot measure to conservation powerhouse. For 30 weeks, the county will share stories of landowners, volunteers, and staff who turned voter approval into protected wilderness.

The Ripple Effect

This success story shows what's possible when communities decide conservation matters. The quarter-cent tax created jobs in trail building and land management while preserving working ranches through conservation easements. Families gained safe places to hike and bike, kids discovered nature in their backyard, and wildlife found protected habitat to thrive.

Other counties across America are watching Larimer's model, proof that small, consistent investments can create massive environmental wins. The program balanced development with preservation, showing that growth and conservation aren't enemies but partners in building livable communities.

Residents can now share their own "Notes to Nature" on the campaign website, adding personal memories to the collective story of what these protected spaces mean. Every campfire story, every trail proposal, and every morning hike became part of a bigger mission to pass nature forward to the next generation.

Three decades of conservation success started with one question on a ballot and thousands of people saying yes to protecting tomorrow's wild places today.