Rocky Flats designated a Wildlife Refuge

Pictured above (L to R) are Doris DePenning, Secretary and Board Member of Friends of the Foothills, Congresman Mark Udall, Tom Hoffman, President of Friends of the Foothills and U. S. Senator Wayne Allard on Dec. 17, 2001

Mission Statement

The Friends of the Foothills is a Colorado non-profit organization, founded in February, 1999, by a number of foothills area residents who had been active in land use issues, as well as homeowner and other civic organizations. Our goal is to preserve the natural heritage lands and the rural character of the scenic Foothills Highway Corridor (SH 93) from Golden to the Boulder County line. This area has been identified as one of Colorado’s remaining Crown Jewel Open Lands (Denver Post editorial, June 11, 2000) a priority for preservation.

To achieve this goal, Friends of the Foothills may partner with local governments, local open space departments, other local, state, or federal conservation agencies, land trusts, and property owners to preserve significant portions of the mountain backdrop and associated prairie lands along the highway 93 corridor as permanent natural open space through acquisition of land or conservation easements.

Note: Our most effective tool has been to inform our Friends, the public, and our elected and appointed officials on issues and public policies that threaten the mountain backdrop and other natural heritage lands in the corridor.

Prior to the founding of our organization in 1999, our founders worked as concerned citizens with a number of different local organizations in the vicinity to protect the corridor from inappropriate urban development.

Summary of major events impacting the corridor and preservation efforts:

1989	Jefferson County, Arvada and a developer sign the Jefferson Center Development Plan Voters reject the proposed W-470
1995	Ten Eyck housing development begins process to annex into Arvada to develop land on the Mountain Backdrop at the entrance of Coal Creek Canyon
1997	Jeffco Transportation Committee does not endorse a beltway link (W-470 replacement) Jefferson County Communities Coalition urges DRCOG to make SH 93 the western urban growth boundary – no urban development west of the highway 27 land owners request exclusion from the Jefferson Center Development Plan Arvada City Council appoints a review committee to look at the Jefferson Center Plan (including citizens who later founded Friends of the Foothills) – the committee was unable to reach a consensus for making any changes June – Arvada annexes and rezones the Ten Eyck property for a housing subdivision
1998	Jeffco Commissioners vote to withdraw from the Jefferson Center Plan Jeffco Commissioners adopt the Front Range Mountain Backdrop Project Resolution
1999	Friends of the Foothills forms as a Colorado nonprofit Friends of the Foothills supports Arvada citizens' lawsuit to overturn Ten Eyck annexation City of Boulder buys 1400 acres of Open Space in Jeffco, NW corner of SH 93 & 72 which is a major blow to Arvada’s development plan Jeffco Open Space buys the Lacy property, almost 1500 acres on the south side of SH 72 extending west from Highway 93 to over 2 miles past the RR overpass Arvada conveys OS land to Denver Water and obtains water commitment for Vauxmont (became Candelas) Rail Line Quarry proposal is rejected by Jeffco Commissioners Arvada grants re-zoning request from Vauxmont (later became Candelas) the development will no longer be primarily commercial development, now zoned for over 50% residential development
2000	Northwest Quadrant Transportation Feasibility Study Final Report recommended that a beltway connection not be built, rather arterial improvements were recommended
2001	Proposal to erect super towers on Eldorado Mtn. rejected by Jeffco Commissioners Rocky Flats Wildlife Refuge Legislation passed by the U. S. Congress Arvada citizens win lawsuit on the Ten Eyck annexation but the Arvada City Council refuses to rescind the annexation so the issue will be put to a vote in Arvada Citizen efforts thwart Jeffco effort to locate Juvenile Sex Offender and county government facility north of Golden using Open Space land.
2002	Developers win Arvada election – Ten Eyck annexation is not overturned
2005	Rocky Flats Wildlife refuge is formed when DOE turns over land to USFWLS
2007	City of Boulder buys Hogan Ranch Conservation Easement
2008	Candelas bid to use Jeffco Open Space for water storage tank is rejected by OSAC
2010	Jeffco Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC) voted unanimously to recommend the purchase of the 5 acre tract on the SW corner of the intersection of Highways 72 & 93