Aurora Parks, Recreation and Open Space to Revitalize Plains Conservation Center

AURORA, Colo. - March 1, 2019 - PRLog -- Last month, the City of Aurora's Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) department began the development of a Master Plan for the Plains Conservation Center (PCC). The 1,100-acre site, located in eastern Aurora at the intersection of Hampden Avenue and E-470, boasts a rich history as one of North America's remaining remnant prairie ecosystems, making it a valued part of Aurora's cultural tapestry. The PCC Master Plan will lay out a shared vision to guide the development, management, and marketing of its natural grassland ecosystem, eclectic collection of buildings, and its dual traditions of conservation and educational programming.

PROS has engaged a team of consultants including skilled landscape architects, architects, and economists to develop the PCC Master Plan. The community is encouraged to attend the first in a series of open houses to learn about the project and provide vital input for a shared vision. The first open house is Saturday, March 2, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the PCC.

As Aurora transforms from a midsize community to a large city, there is a growing need to conserve open space for the health of the native ecosystems as well as the community. Even among the region's open space parks, PCC is unique in that it represents much of the remnant shortgrass prairie in the United States (i.e. undisturbed by agriculture, urban development, pollution, and invasive species). While many visitors come for the educational programs, few realize they are peering back into the history of the landscape, seeing it just as the Native Americans and early European pioneers saw it.

Four homestead patents, dating back to the Homestead Act of 1862, comprise the current PCC site. From the late 1930s to the late 1940s, the U.S. Army operated the Lowry Bombing and Gunnery range at the site, testing the accuracy of their bombing runs by dropping sacks of flour on the empty prairie. In 1949, the U.S. Army Corps granted land to the Western Arapahoe Soil Conservation District for the creation of the PCC, which opened in 1952.

Over the years, management and program operations changed, yet throughout, conservation and education have remained at the core of the PCC's mission and vision. Generations of community members fondly recall school field trips to the PCC – jumping in the back of the wagon for a site tour, visiting the homestead and Cheyenne village, and seeing ferruginous hawks and pronghorn in their natural habitat.

"We're looking forward to sharing initial findings and discussing the future of PCC with our community," said Pat Schuler, manager of Open Space and Natural Resources in PROS.

Additional information and online surveys about the PCC Master Plan can be found at AuroraGov.org/Nature.

About PROS

The Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department within the city of Aurora provides a world-class system of parks and natural areas including over 7,400 acres of open space, 97 developed parks, 91 miles of trails, five golf courses, nine signature special events, three nature centers, two reservoirs, and 25,000 city street trees.  The mission of City of Aurora Parks & Recreation is "Encouraging active lifestyles and creating healthy environments for people, nature, and community.