Trust for Public Land in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah - 2021

The Trust for Public Land in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah THERE IS SO MUCH TO BE PROUD OF in 2021 AND MORE TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE YEAR AHEAD

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT Thank you for partnering with us in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah! As a Trust for Public Land supporter, you are contributing to healthy, equitable, resilient communities.

When the pandemic first limited travel and inside gatherings, we all turned to nearby open spaces like never before, rediscovering the joys of hiking, biking, camping, or simply taking a walk in a close-to-home park. But this also exposed inequality when it comes to accessing the outdoors.

We believe that maximizing opportunities for all people to experience the benefits of nature will energize the efforts of historically marginalized groups, and improve climate resilience through land protection and park creation. Then, every community—regardless of zip code—will be stronger, healthier, and more connected. Now is the time to champion the pivotal role of parks, trails, and open space.

ARIZONA, COLORADO, NEW MEXICO, AND UTAH

BY THE NUMBERS places 520 NEW

218,500

673,000+ ACRES PROTECTED

people with improved 10-minute walk park access

This year, we generated some amazing results.

With your support, we accomplished so much, including: • Enhancing access to the Verde River in central Arizona with the addition of 84 acres to Prescott National Forest • Creating public access to a stunning island and peninsula at Lake San Cristobal in Colorado

DARCY KIEFEL

• Breaking ground on Panorama Park, Colorado Springs’ largest-ever park renovation project • Opening Montbello Open Space Park, Denver’s very first nature education park • Increasing the size of the Sabinoso Wilderness Area in northern New Mexico by 10,000 acres Thank you for helping create happier, healthier communities through equitable access to the outdoors!

PUBLIC LAND FOR PUBLIC GOOD Conserving land is a proven method for improving health, combating climate change, advancing equity, and strengthening communities.

river, which provides critical protection of a water source for the fast-growing Front Range, and new public access for the most rafted whitewater river in the nation.

CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH THE RIVER IN ARIZONA

LAKE SAN CRISTOBAL AND PENINSULA In remote Hinsdale County in Southwest Colorado, Lake San Cristobal is a stunning regional attraction with breathtaking views of the San Juan Mountains. Until recently, the lake’s 10-acre peninsula and island were privately owned, limiting public access to the water.

The 170-mile Verde River crosses the Arizona desert before reaching Phoenix where it provides essential drinking water for Metroplex residents.

We added the 84-acre Rio Verde Ranch property to the Coconino National Forest. This land protection effort protects nearly a mile of river and a major archeological site. It also provides a rare place to hike, enjoy nature, hunt, and camp.

CHRIS HINKLE

Downstream we added 60 acres to the Prescott National Forest at the confluence of the Verde River and Beaver Creek. This project is a key part of the Town of Camp Verde’s vision for outdoor recreation and nature-based economic development by serving as a trailhead to new river and creek-side trails.

In late 2020, we partnered with Hinsdale County to protect and create an improved, safe public open space for residents and visitors to Lake City.

The project will also create new ADA accessible ways to enjoy fishing and other non-motorized aquatic recreational activities on the lake.

WORKING LANDS IN COLORADO Across Colorado, we support ranching communities’ vision for diverse economies that enhances agricultural land and local food production and preserves public land and wildlife habitat. By prioritizing ranches and their historic water rights, we provide landowners with an option to sustain their important operations while also benefitting the whole community for generations.

In priority areas like the Upper Arkansas River Basin, we collaborate with nonprofit partners, utilizing a comprehensive approach to conserve thousands of acres of ranch land in the Upper Arkansas River Basin. These efforts protect the

Verde River Confluence Yavapai County, AZ

PARKS AND TRAILS CONNECTING COMMUNITIES DELTA PARK

Parks and trails provide critical public benefits by reinforcing community identity and catalyzing social connections. Access for all to these outdoor spaces means improving community well-being by addressing climate change, public health, and social capital challenges.

Greeley, CO

More than 2,500 residents live within a 10-minute walk of Delta Park in Greeley. But the park—which serves as the backyard for the dense, multi-family housing neighborhood—is desolate and lacks amenities. With a majority Hispanic population and a large subgroup of East African Muslim refugees, residents are linguistically isolated and are unable to communicate with many of their neighbors.

PANORAMA PARK

Colorado Springs, CO This 13-acre park is the largest park renovation in the history of Colorado Springs and our largest ever in Colorado. When the park opens in summer 2022, the community will enjoy a universally accessible playground, an event lawn and pavilion, a multi-purpose sports and fitness area, and trails. The Panorama Park Youth Advisory Council designed a special area for young people, featuring a climbing boulder donated by The North Face. To celebrate the neighborhood’s diversity and unity, our partners are creating two murals made with over 7,000 ceramic tiles designed by residents.

We are working with the City of Greeley and our community partners to redevelop Delta Park into a vibrant, culturally-relevant recreation play space with active programming to encourage physical activities for all ages.

MONTBELLO OPEN SPACE PARK Denver, CO

CIT Y OF COLOR ADO SPRINGS

Panorama Park

Colorado Springs, CO

In partnership with Denver nonprofit Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK) and the City and County of Denver, we opened the first open space park in the Montbello neighborhood and Denver’s first nature education park in June.

This park will bring much needed open space to far northeast Denver and provide opportunities for healthy and active recreation and learning.

The 5.5-acre vacant lot was transformed into a restored shortgrass prairie ecosystem with native plants, green infrastructure to filter stormwater, an outdoor classroom, walking trails, and interactive nature play spaces. The park will also house ELK’s nature education center, providing outdoor programs to foster youth engagement in science.

LORENZO DAWKINS OF IMJUSTANARTIST

Westwood neighborhood

Denver, CO

MONTBELLO FRESHLO WALKABLE LOOP

THE WESTWOOD VIA VERDE

Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure has deemed Montbello a priority neighborhood for improvements in 2021–22.

With the Montbello Organizing Committee, we are reaching out to the community to ensure that all residents can provide input on the alignment, destinations, and improvements along the proposed FreshLo Walkable Loop.

This “healthy living loop” will connect community gardens and parks, school gardens, and the Cultural Hub by improving sidewalks, street crossings, and bike lanes.

The Westwood Via Verde connects more than 24,000 people to close-to-home parks—including a large population of youth. Our partners at D3 Arts are helping design a future skate park for this community with positive youth activities and violence interventions in response to needs in the Westwood neighborhood. The Westwood Via Verde wayfinding plan encourages residents to use alternative transportation methods and improves access to community resources.

We are establishing the physical route of this new greenway with green infrastructure and wayfinding elements, including yard signs, banners, sidewalk decals, painted curbs and murals, and new trees.

Denver, CO

Denver, CO

Great & Green Schoolyards

F4D STUDIO

This year we are bringing our Community Schoolyards™ to high-need communities in Colorado. Benefits include: • Cost effective opportunity to expand park access • Equitable access to outdoor spaces • Localized outdoor programming • Community-led design • Improved education outcomes

Westwood Via Verde Denver, CO

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: SANTIAGO JARAMILLO, CO-FOUNDER OF D3 ARTS

The Trust for Public Land and D3 Arts partnered on a number of projects, including designing and programming a new pocket park. D3 Arts received a $25,000 partner grant through our Equitable Communities Fund (ECF). Through the ECF, we aim to deliver 104 parks and open space projects, invest in at least 127 local community partners, and generate and leverage $500 million in public funds for parks and open space.

D3 Arts and The Trust for Public Land have worked together for almost 10 years in Westwood. What do you think makes our partnership work?

Honesty and respect—The Trust for Public Land has been so open to our ideas and making them happen. It’s been a real partnership and has felt genuine and not forced. I know I feel supported by you all.

What were some of the challenges the Westwood community faced in the last year?

Violence is still pretty bad. All the shootings and gang activity that happened was shocking to us—how bad it was. I haven’t seen violence like this since I was a teenager. You could feel people’s anger, frustration, fear.

When D3 Arts helped create that mural of community member photos that surrounds the future pocket park, it made the community very happy. I see how this project moved and affected people, and I know that it’s that much more important to do this work.

COURTESY OF SANTIAGO JAR AMILLO

Third generation Westwood resident, artist, and co-founder of nonprofit D3 Arts, Santiago “Santi” Jaramillo is dedicated to improving his community.

to the park and be “They canlike:come We did this. ” Why does D3 Arts believe youth-focused arts programs are important?

What we’re doing now is teaching kids how to do murals [at the pocket park]. And once they’re engaged, we can get them talking about other issues like mental health or drugs and alcohol. To have this space to be able to do that—I’m hoping we can reach more people through the park.

Why are outdoor spaces important to you and the Westwood community?

I think [parks] can be life changing. Parks like this one have something that bring people together.

There’s a feeling that people care about you, that people are interested in what you want. Who doesn’t want to see something happen that they got to put their opinion on? They can come to the park and be like: We did this.

LARGEST EVER DONATION OF LAND FOR WILDERNESS AREA EXPANSION In July, The Trust for Public Land donated 9,855 acres to the Bureau of Land Management, to be added to the diverse Sabinoso Wilderness in New Mexico’s San Miguel County. The Trust for Public Land gathered together with Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, regional partners, and elected officials to celebrate the expansion. This is the largest land donation via the Wilderness Act in U.S. history, increasing the size of Sabinoso Wilderness by nearly 50 percent.

The dramatic and unique geological region located east of Las Vegas, New Mexico, on the western edge of the Great Plains features deep sandstone canyons dotted with riparian areas surrounded by grasslands. With another access point anticipated to open later in the year, public access to this formerly landlocked wilderness will continue to grow and improve.

Our work in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah is made possible thanks to the generosity of foundations, companies, and individuals like you.

Current funding opportunities The Trust for Public Land: Give a gift to support our land-for-people mission.

Community Outreach with Resident Experts (CORE): Support youth and rising resident leaders as they help their local communities envision and create the great outdoor spaces they need to thrive.

JEROD FOSTER

Wildlands: Conserve Colorado’s most iconic and imperiled landscapes.

Community Schoolyards™: Transform barren schoolyards into vibrant green spaces for learning and play and help launch our Colorado Great and Green Schoolyards program in 2021.

Leave a legacy: Create an even bigger impact by demonstrating your commitment to our land-for-people mission and making a gift through your will, trust, charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, beneficiary designation, or appreciated assets.

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah Advisory Board We are so grateful for our outstanding volunteers!

Jonathan Adelman, Xcel Energy Heidi Baskfield, Children’s Hospital Colorado Dennis Carruth, Carruth Company Steve Coffin, Steve Coffin Strategies Christopher Corroon, Axis Realty Group Dana Crawford, Urban Neighborhoods, Inc Greg Felt, Chaffee County Commissioner; Ark Anglers Beverly Griffith, Community Volunteer Happy Haynes, Denver Parks & Recreation*

Megan Hottman, Hottman Law Office Scott Ingvoldstad, WSP USA† Peter Kirsch, Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell‡ Mike LaMair, RiverBank LLC Kim Morss, Community Volunteer Jeff Resnick, Philanthropist* Arnold Salazar, Colorado Health Partnerships Kimberley Sherwood, Nonprofit Consultant Chair; ‡ Vice Chair; * Also serves on national Board of Directors †

Thank you for helping improve the health, equity, and climate outcomes for communities in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and beyond.

We couldn’t do this without you.

BACK COVER: DARCY KIEFEL • FRONT COVER: JEROD FOSTER; DON J. USNER; CHRIS HINKLE; THEO STROOMER; ANDREW NEIGHBOUR

Join us Help ensure everyone has access to the outdoors. Every park we create, schoolyard we transform, trail we extend, and landscape we protect is thanks to supporters like you.

tpl.org/donate

Jim Petterson Vice President, Mountain West Region 303.863.8485 | jim.petterson@tpl.org Annette Mainland Director of Philanthropy 303.867.2337 | annette.mainland@tpl.org 1410 Grant Street, Suite D210 Denver, CO 80203