Open Space
Swan River Restoration
Restoring Natural Stream Systems
Summit County’s Swan River Restoration site was the background for Governor Polis’ signing of three bills protecting Colorado’s water and environment, including Senate Bill 23-270 which provided for stream restoration projects throughout the state, like the project completed on the Swan River.
Reach A of the Swan River was restored and opened in 2016 and 2017, while work on Reach B has been underway since 2021 and with recent completion of the final revegetation effort, is expected to open to the public in Spring 2024.
Aerial footage of Swan River
Trail Projects
Trails and Trailheads Construction
With the help of community volunteers and local trail contractor McGill Trail Fabrication, OST constructed 1,800 feet of new trail connecting Dillon Valley to the Oro Grande Trail.
New non-motorized trailhead constructed at Brown Gulch on Tiger Road, and two new handicap parking spaces were constructed on the south side of French Gulch Road across from the Reiling Dredge Trailhead.
Bridge Projects
Repaired and replaced about 300 feet of trail bridges:
Swan Mountain Recpath on the Summit Cove side to Sapphire Point
Several on the Swan’s Nest Trail connecting the Colorado Trail to Tiger Road
Trail Maintenance
Heavy maintenance work completed on lower Aspen Alley Trail, Spiral Staircase Trail and the Snake River Bluffs Trail, in addition to routine maintenance on dozens of miles of trails throughout the County.
Wildfire Mitigation
Neighborhood Chipping Program
2023 marked the delivery of the 10th annual Chipping Program. This year, the door-to-door hazardous fuel reduction program:
Visited 1,442 properties
Picked up approximately 5,000 piles
Totaling over 3,870 cubic yards of biomass.
The bulk is recycled every year, going to projects like the Swan River Restoration stream bank stabilization, Summit County Government buildings and grounds landscaping, Summit School District landscaping, Town of Frisco landscaping and free mulch and firewood pick up sites for local residents.
Homeowner Wildfire Prevention Grants
Grant programs for homeowners provide action oriented solutions to the wildfire issue. The Strong Future Fund budget, which supports these efforts, approaches $1.5 million annually. Staff work with the Summit County Wildfire Council to review and propose projects for funding.
Since 2006:
Over 200 projects have been funded on a cost-share basis
$4 million in County funding, $4 million from applicants and grants
3,000 acres of treated area
Average cost is $3,157 per acre
Equity Focused Hazardous Fuels Reduction
In 2023, Summit County received an Incentives for Local Government grant for $600,000 for treatment of 700 acres over 3 years from the Colorado State Forest Service.
This grant includes funding for a pilot program to expand access and infuse equity into the hazardous fuels reduction process. The goal of the pilot is to both increase participation in and access to the program. With these funds, Summit County will introducing a sliding scale of matching funds for full-time residential homeowners based on financial need or ability.
Camp Hale National Monument
Summit County Government joined Senator Michael Bennet and Congressman Neguse at a one-year anniversary celebration of the Camp Hale Continental Divide National Monument.
In 2022, President Biden established the 53,804-acre Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains and our Summit County backyard.
The national monument preserves areas like the Tenmile Range, Quandary Peak, Continental Falls, Mohawk Basin Falls, Spruce Creek rock glacier, and McCullough Gulch Falls.
These areas are not only important recreational areas but also unique geological and alpine ecosystems that are vital habitat for Canada lynx, boreal toad, mountain goat, moose, bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain elk, black bear, bald eagle, and many other species.
