ZONE, ACQUIRE, PROTECT! Could the City bungle the Hughes issue anymore than it already has over the last 6+ years? Yes, of course it can.

We've reached yet another milestone! Thanks to PATHS volunteers and to ~70% of voters in the April 2021 election, the City of Fort Collins now officially owns Hughes open space!

The AMAZING folks at the NoCo Wildlife Center recently released previously orphaned Cottontail bunnies at Hughes Open Space.

We are profoundly grateful to the folks at the NoCo Wildlife Center for all of their hard work to protect our local wildlife in dire need of rescue and rehabilitation.

Congratulations to the PATHS organizers, members, supporters and voters! It's YOUR hard work that has made this vision of solitude and open space for all, a reality.

During the March 14th work session, Council and Staff discussed the Future of Hughes, based on the poorly designed surveys, and focus groups, that were conducted by the outreach consultant. Staff and Council downplayed the proposed 80+ acre bmx/mtb bike skills park as a future use of Hughes open space, which was spearheaded by the lobbying efforts of a few small but vocal mountain bike groups.

PLEASE donate to our legal and community education fund so we can conduct the next steps in our tireless effort to protect Hughes open space for the solitude and serenity of ALL community members, and for the protection of our local wildlife. Together, we can stop the egregious development of an 80-acre BMX/MTB bike skills park at Hughes Open Space, near the sensitive foothills-to-plains habitat and transition zone.

PATHS is advocating for OPTION #1: LOW IMPACT ACTIVITY. The survey closes Friday, Feb. 24th!

“Fort Collins can seize the chance to save it (Hughes) from development and overuse, while honoring its past and preserving it for future generations”

The best and most protective use for Hughes is that it be designated a City Natural Area, contiguous with the existing Natural Areas: Maxwell Natural Area to the west and north, and Pineridge Natural Area to the south.

Great news again, Fort Collins! According to the Coloradoan, CSU's Board of Governors formally approved the sale of the Hughes parcel to the City of Fort Collins for $12.5 million. That puts us one step closer to conserving Hughes Open Space in perpetuity!

Please read our letter to City Council, which PATHS submitted for the November 23, 2021 Council work session, regarding the acquisition funding for Hughes. We also discuss future land uses that will benefit all members of the community, within the parameters and provisions of the successful citizens’ ballot measure.

Thank you again, Everyone! You can be sure that PATHS will be there working with our City and community to ensure that Hughes is protected for future generations and for our increasingly displaced and impacted wildlife. Our work is not complete just yet!

Much gratitude to the City of Fort Collins, CSU, and especially PATHS volunteers, organizers, supporters, and Fort Collins voters for making the protection of Hughes a reality. 🥰

Happy Public Lands Day!

#HughesPublicOpenLands

In their May 6, 2021 meeting, the CSU BOG and Chancellor Tony Frank address the recent rezoning (as Public Open Lands) of the former Hughes Stadium green space, per the Fort Collins citizens' initiative that was overwhelmingly approved by voters on April 6, 2021. Additionally, the BOG passes a resolution that lays out the Board’s intentions and next steps for the Hughes open space parcel.

Hello Hughes Open Space Supporters! It is now too late to mail in your ballot! To ensure that ballots are received by the City Clerk, ballots must be hand-delivered to a drop box location by 7:00 pm on Tuesday, April 6th.