Vote ‘yes’ on Louisville’s 2C to protect open space
We urge Louisville voters to vote ‘yes’ on Ballot Issue 2C to protect our open space. Without extending current funding that ends in 2023, drastic cuts in Open Space and Parks programs will be required. A modest funding increase will enable long overdue, critical open space environmental protection and wildfire mitigation.
Some background: Louisville voters approved a .375% tenyear local sales tax to support open space acquisition in 1992. In 2002 voters renewed the tax for another 10 years and allowed the tax to be used for open space management and for some park maintenance. In 2012 voters approved the same tax for 10 more years which expires at the end of this year.
Over the years the tax originally passed to support open space has come to be used more and more for park maintenance, limiting amounts spent on open space.
Issue 2C would extend the current tax for 10 years but ensure the money is spent equally between open space and parks and add just a little more for open space to ensure there is enough money for wildlife habitat protection, acquisition of remaining open space, new trail corridors and fire mitigation.
More reasons to vote “yes” on 2C:
• Louisville owns 649 acres of open space and jointly owns another 1,225 acres. Ballot Issue 2C will help us protect and maintain all this land including grasslands, lakes, wildlife habitat, bird sanctuaries and riparian zones.
• Our city has 32 miles of hard and soft surface trails. Issue 2C will fund the construction of new connector trails, more proactive trail maintenance, trail mowing and snow plowing, as well as signs and maps for navigating trails.
• Native vegetation can provide less fuel for fire. Issue 2C will provide funding to help replace weeds and non-native grasses and restore native plants to help reduce fire risk. It will support planning for fire resilience and mitigation measures that may include grazing, mowing, fire-resilient native habitat restoration, fuel management programs, alternative fencing, and education and enforcement programs.
• Many Louisville families benefit from our open space education, volunteer, citizen science and ranger programs. Issue 2C will support these fun, educational, community-building programs for people of all ages and abilities to learn about and contribute to our open spaces.
• Investing in acquiring additional open space lands and trail corridors improves our environment, scenic vistas, and quality of life. Not every undeveloped area you see around Louisville that you may assume is open space is protected as open space. Critical open areas still need to be acquired. Issue 2C will provide funding to acquire land to protect wildlife habitat and scenic vistas. It will also provide funding to acquire more trail corridors for residents to connect to nature, outdoor exercise and an improved quality of life for all.
• In addition to maintaining park land, Issue 2C will help pay to maintain and improve playgrounds, basketball courts, athletic fields, tennis courts, pickleball courts, dog parks, 10,000 trees, annual flower beds, perennial and shrub beds, a multipurpose in line skating rink, and the City skatepark.
Louisville residents now will have the opportunity to again support the Open Space and Parks we all value. Issue 2C will extend for 10 years the current 0.375% sales tax with a small (0.125%) increase to ensure there is enough money for fire mitigation and acquisition of key open space parcels. If 2C does not pass the City will be forced to make drastic budget cuts to open space and parks programs.
Please join us in voting “yes” on 2C to protect our open space!
Bob Muckle is the former Mayor of Louisville. Matt Jones is a former Boulder County Commissioner, State Senator and Representative. Both were members of the first Louisville Open Space Advisory Boulder established in 2000.