Larimer County is hitting a milestone anniversary that's worth noting, especially if you're a fan of the great outdoors and a little thing called nature. Thirty years back, the county had the foresight to pass a sales tax designed to keep its open spaces, well, open. Fast forward to now, and they're rolling out the '30 and Thriving' campaign, a move to highlight all the wins of the past three decades.
Here's the skinny: that 0.25-cent sales tax the voters said "yes, please" to back in '95 has done more than just sit around collecting dust. According to the Larimer County Department of Natural Resources, it's been hard at work, pumping $355 million into local pockets, conserving over 64,000 acres, and tossing together more than 100 miles of trails for your hiking pleasure.
To give everyone a chance to get in on the anniversary action, a site's been put up where you can take a little digital stroll through the history of the Help Preserve Open Spaces (HPOS) program, not to mention a series they're calling "30 Years, 30 Stories" that'll showcase weekly drops on the folks who've made this all happen. And for those who've gotten a kick out of these open spaces, there's an open mic of sorts, a "Notes to Nature" feature where you can share your outdoorsy tales.
Daylan Figgs, who heads up the county's Department of Natural Resources, put it this way, "Since voter approval in 1995, the HPOS tax has enabled the protection of iconic properties such as Horsetooth Mountain, Devil's Backbone, and Hermit Park Open Spaces, along with dozens of conservation easements on working lands," he said, as per Larimer County Department of Natural Resources. And with the campaign in full swing, it's clear they're not just about patting themselves on the back; they're setting their sights on keeping the green train moving forward.
