Eight Natural Areas Enhancement projects funded

FORT COLLINS – Eight projects have received at total of $15,000 from the Natural Areas Enhancement Fund from the city of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program in 2009.

Front Range Community College received $1,000 to enhance the children’s reading garden with native plantings and stone seating, as well as support for the Exotic Species Elimination Project, which targets Russian olive removal on city natural areas and county open spaces. Funds for long-term projects to remove Russian olives from certified natural areas also went to Fox Creek Homeowners Association and Terry Cove Homeowners Association.

Anheuser-Busch Inc., received $2,000 to continue its native planting project on the brewery’s certified wildlife habitat site. The Ponds at Overland Trail Homeowners Association also received $2,000 to continue its native planting project at a trailhead access to the foothills.

SPONSORED CONTENT

How dispatchable resources enable the clean energy transition

Platte River must prepare for the retirement of 431 megawatts (MW) of dispatchable, coal-fired generation by the end of the decade and address more frequent extreme weather events that can bring dark calms (periods when there is no sun or wind).

Both the Stone Creek and Huntington Hills certified natural areas received funds for the installation of barriers to prevent vehicles from negatively impacting wildlife habitat.

Since its inception in 1994, the Natural Areas Enhancement Fund has provided over $205,000 for enhancement of 57 sites. The funds can be used to enhance privately or publicly owned natural areas in the Fort Collins area. Sites must be at least a quarter acre in size. A total of $15,000 from the citizen-initiated Open Space Yes! sales tax will be available for grants again in 2010.

Proposals from neighborhood groups, nonprofit organizations, school groups, corporations and individuals are eligible. Applications will be available early fall 2010.