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Summit County lands staff outlines expansion of open-space portfolio, management and costs
Summary
Public lands staff told Summit County Council members they are close to closing on several large acquisitions that will dramatically increase the county's fee-owned acres and trails, and warned that operations, noxious-weed control and public access will require sustained funding and staffing.
Jessica Kirby, Summit County's public lands professional, told the council during a retreat update that the county is close to completing multi-year acquisitions and is shifting focus "from purchase to programming." She said the county already manages about 850 acres in fee title, 3,780 acres of conservation easements and about 10 miles of trail, and projects that with pending closings those totals could rise to roughly 10,000 acres of county-owned land and an additional 36 miles of trail by year-end.
Kirby said the lands portfolio will grow further under option agreements now on the table, and that the county is preparing for the operating costs that follow acquisition. "On average, it's about a $100 to $250 per acre to manage land," she said, adding per-mile figures for trail maintenance and higher costs for paved, urban trails. Kirby said conservation and wildfire mitigation remain part of the department's core work and that water-rights and habitat analyses will…
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