Help plan the Bluff Park’s future

Envisioning the future of the Bluff Park is the focus of an $8,000 grant San Isabel Land Protection Trust has received from the Laura Jane Musser Fund.

The grant will provide resources for "open park" events and community meetings to develop a shared vision and management plan for the park. That will include identifying partners and ways to pay for sustaining the park in perpetuity. The park events and meetings are planned for this fall and winter.

San Isabel and the town of Westcliffe co-own and manage the 10-acre Bluff Park at the west end of Main Street. San Isabel's share of the park is protected by  a conservation easement so that it may be enjoyed by the community forever. The park offers sweeping views of the Wet Mountain Valley and Sangre de Cristo Mountains. A steady stream of visitors and residents enjoy the park, the site of music festivals, night sky viewing parties and recreational use throughout the year.

“This central gathering place in our far-flung county is undoubtedly the single best venue to reach residents and visitors with our story of community and the importance of conservation,” said Linda Poole, San Isabel’s executive director.

The project, "Beyond the Bluff: Regenerating a Park, Restoring a Community,” will engage the community in a positive, open process that is as important as planning for the park’s future, Linda said.

“Our entire community will be invited to the table throughout the planning process for respectful, constructive conversations about the future of the Bluff and how that relates to our shared vision for the future of people and nature here,” she said. “By improving the quality of life and deepening connections of people to nature within town limits, we hope to reduce the temptation for further subdivision of wildlands that sustain our souls and economy.”

Watch for more news about this exciting project!

Janet Smith

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We have protected more than 42,000 acres through 134 conservation easements.

Conservation easements guarantee long-term protection – through generations of landowners.