Parks & Open Space Acquires 340-Acre Conservation Easement Near Lyons — Follow-Up Report

Parks & Open Space Acquires 340-Acre Conservation Easement Near Lyons — Follow-Up Report

Boulder County Parks & Open Space has acquired a 340-acre conservation easement on a working ranch near the town of Lyons. The easement permanently protects critical wildlife habitat along the St. Vrain Creek corridor and preserves agricultural land from future development while keeping the property in private ownership.

Eligible participants include Boulder County residents with household incomes at or below 60% of Area Median Income (AMI). For a family of four, this is approximately $57,000 per year. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Affordable housing remains the top priority identified in the 2026 Community Survey. Boulder County’s Worthy Cause program has funded 400 affordable housing units since its inception, with 58 additional units in the development pipeline.

What You Need to Know

A community information session will be held at the Lafayette library on Friday, June 5 at 6:00 PM. Translation services in Spanish and Nepali will be available. The session will also be livestreamed on the Boulder County YouTube channel.

Colorado state law requires all counties to provide these services to eligible residents. Boulder County exceeds minimum state requirements by offering expanded hours, multilingual support, and online access. In 2026, the county received a state award for excellence in service delivery.

Next Steps

Data from the 2026 Boulder County Community Survey shows that 63% of respondents rated this service as “important” or “very important.” The survey, conducted every two years, received 2,750 responses from residents across the county.