The Conservation Fund and Jefferson County Parks & Open Space (JCPOS) recently acquired the 347-acre Braun Ranch, a high-priority property west of Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Denver’s-metro western edge, Jefferson County Parks & Open Space announced on Monday, April 27.
According to JCPOS, the conservation win secured a critical gap between existing public lands, protecting rare habitat from development and opening the door for new outdoor recreation opportunities.
“Protecting this stunning landscape adjacent to Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a big win for Coloradans and visitors to our state,” Justin Spring, Vice President and Colorado State Director at The Conservation Fund said. “The landscape protects sensitive habitat and important species while also guaranteeing that future generations can continue to experience the remarkable outdoor beauty of Colorado’s Front Range.”
JCPOS said the Jefferson County open space system draws an estimated 10 million visitors each year across 60,000 acres of parks and protected land.
In fact, Jefferson County open space is so popular, if it were a national park, it would rank second in annual visitation, according to JCPOS.
“As urban growth accelerates and public lands face increasing pressure, this acquisition creates new potential for backcountry hiking while helping meet growing demand for outdoor access,” JCPOS said.
Aaron Roth, Director of Jefferson County Parks & Open Space concurred.
“Conserving Braun Ranch enables a vital link for our Jefferson County Parks and Open Space system,” Roth said. “The views stretching toward Mt. Blue Sky embody the inspiration that can be found from our doorstep in the Front Range, and we are proud to work alongside Denver Mountain Parks to ensure this iconic landscape around Red Rocks Amphitheatre remains protected for everyone.”
According to JCPOS, the property is surrounded by existing public open space, including three high-biodiversity conservation areas identified by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program.
The Property includes portions of three Potential Conservation Areas and is an important wildlife linkage for big game species, including elk, mule deer, black bear and mountain lion, JCPOS said.
Additionally, several State Wildlife Action Plan Tier 1 and 2 species reside on or within one mile of the property, including Hops Azure Butterfly, Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse, Mottled Dusky Wing Bat, and Fiddleleaf Twinpod.
“Conservation of the property preserves a highly visible and scenic viewshed, maintains important big game habitat, and enhances connectivity to established recreational trails near Red Rocks Amphitheatre,” JCPOS said.
According to JCPOS, the Braun Ranch property plays a key role in climate adaptation and wildfire resilience, which by conserving intact foothill forests the project enables proactive forest and watershed management in a region facing elevated wildfire risk.
Support for the project was made possible in part through funding from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), which invested over $2 million in the purchase, with JCPOS contributing over $7 million in the purchase.
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