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IjUll ,i J NATURAL LANDSCAPES: . Colorado's Legacy to its Children A Report from the Governor's Commission on Saving Open Spaces, Farms & Ranches Coloradans place tremendous value on their open spaces. farms and ranches. These undeveloped lands are the places v.'here wildlife lives. vegetation flourishes. water and air aTe clean. and vistas are beautiful Open space is essential to the state's quality of life. It is. In facl. one of the principal reasons many Coloradans decide to make this place their home. . AgriCulture is vital to the I1H'lihood of many Colorado families and communities. comributing more than SJ billion In spirit and rugged indi\'idualism of the early settlers and serve as a reminder of our heritage and cultural rooLS. conservation agency that requires loltery proceeds to be used for open space. parks and wildlife. -'~'" .'-." " , - .,.. -;..'" '~-'~";' ".~::. ,~':"ll.:;....__~" .. "~ 1......~...:;.;:..J.~..o: .~~:....: ..- "~ . . .~. .. , . il~:~ ,;t.', .~. " ." ,..'- ," , ~i f,i;:'..;~~~ .." .~-~ ~;'\:~~~~.: -r"'........., ...;. '.. ~. ,',~>/~f .;-; ; '.: .~~ t~ . '~"'ll' _~....:.:.,~.... .........L~ .I. Not For Sale . . . Responding to the publlc, state lawmakers passed some of the most innovative conservation incentives In the country. Including Slate income tax credits for fanners and ranchers who place conservation easements on their land to prevent development. In fact. the use of conservation easements is often " as or more important for land preservation in Colorado than outrtght purchase of the land by government or other agencies. At the local level. voters In many communities approved me use of taxpayer funds for open space. U"ails and outdoor recreation projects State OwnedUnd Fedel4l Owned und Much of Colorado's land IS already owned ond prottaed by the go..-emment exports from the state r.;-,;e,Cdlw6o ~o(~! It is also the single largest holder of open space in the state, By sustaining much of the habitat for endangered and native species, pnv3tely owned farms and ranches provide much more than food To Coloradans who live in urbanized areas, these lands often symbolize our quality of 11fe and the vastness of the West. Colorado landscapes embody :.he adventurous . s....ns.._"tDnd~ PlMc~~O<<_ Thts Is not mere rhetoric. Coloradans put their money where their mouth is when it comes to presen.ing open spaces, farms and ranches, Voters approved a state lottery and directed that its proceeds fund land conservation, Concerned thai soml" of the money was not being used for this purpose. voters followed this up by apprO\ing a constitutiOnally chartered .. It is no coincidence that Colorado's increased conservation effons parallel historic population growth In the Slate, With development pressures concentrated along the Front Range f<~"'l>cr<4)