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Residents urge action on trash, human waste and enforcement across county open space
Summary
Volunteers and residents described overflowing trash, illegal dumping, human waste and unauthorized camping in county open spaces and urged reallocating funding toward management and enforcement; commissioners said they are reviewing open-space priorities and may propose ballot changes to shift funding splits.
Multiple residents and volunteer organizers urged the county to address mounting maintenance and enforcement problems on public lands used heavily by day-trippers.
Mojo Lucas (Friends of Clear Creek) described open-space neglect, proposed a volunteer "Trail Buddies" program and suggested shifting open-space funding toward management and enforcement rather than primarily acquisition. Residents cited graffiti, illegal campsites, toilets closed at many trailheads, piles of human waste and repeated dumping at popular sites, and said these problems harm both watershed health and the county's visitor experience.
Commissioners acknowledged the scale of the problem and said the county's open-space staff are small (several staff for many sites) and that the county has discussed ballot changes to alter the current acquisition/management allocation (historically weighted to acquisitions). Officials noted regional grants and partnerships (NOCO, CPW) could help, and they described recent site walkthroughs and temporary signage placed following tours.
Speakers framed the problem as a mismatch between the county's small tax base (and few open-space staff) and millions of annual visitors; commissioners repeatedly said regional partners and new funding mechanisms will be needed to sustain long-term management rather than relying solely on local taxpayers.
Next steps: county staff and commissioners will continue open-space walkthroughs, pursue signage and temporary fixes, consider ballot options to change acquisition vs. management allocations, and seek additional partners and grant funding to support enforcement, toilets and ongoing maintenance.
