PRESERVATION OF UNIQUE WILDLIFE HABITAT NEAR MOUNT EVANS RECEIVES SIGNIFICANT ASSISTANCE

(GEORGETOWN, CO) –Using a $5.2 million Lottery bridge loan from the Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Trust Fund, Clear Creek County Open Space acquired the remaining 1442 acres of the Beaver Brook Watershed today, securing more time for the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to complete the purchase and preservation of the scenic wildlife habitat located east of Mount Evans.

With the Forest Service’s option to purchase the remaining acreage from the City of Golden set to expire, the integrity of the watershed’s unspoiled mountain terrain and rich wildlife habitat was jeopardized by imminent development. The latest effort of Clear Creek County Open Space, the Mountain Area Land Trust (MALT), and GOCO to purchase the property ensures that it will not be developed, and buys the Forest Service more time to secure the money necessary from Congress to purchase the remaining property – now from Clear Creek County.

In 2001, a partnership, that included the USFS, Clear Creek County and MALT, reached an agreement with the City of Golden for the USFS to purchase the land in the watershed for $21.1 million. Since that time, the USFS has used $15.5 million in federal appropriations to purchase 3929 of the acres and add them to the Arapaho National Forest. The remaining acres that Clear Creek County acquired today had to be purchased by May 2005 to meet the conditions of the agreement. If the purchase had not been completed, Golden would have had the right to sell the property, which was zoned and approved for approximately 40 homes.

“Our community’s tireless efforts over the past ten years to preserve the Beaver Brook Watershed have been significantly advanced by the outstanding assistance from GOCO,” expressed Frank Young, Chairman of the Open Space Commission. “But the work is not yet over, and we must continue to encourage our representatives in Washington, D.C. to fully fund the purchase of the Beaver Brook Watershed and protect Colorado’s western landscape and wildlife.”

Located just west of Evergreen, the Beaver Brook Watershed is part of a 20-mile wildlife corridor between Elk Meadow in Jefferson County and Mount Evans. It is inhabited by a variety of wildlife including elk, deer, bear, turkey and mountain lion, as well as rare plant species. Part of the watershed is also traversed by Highway 103, providing a popular scenic drive between Evergreen and Echo Lake.

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