Projects

Upper South Platte Watershed Association

Contact Information:
OSM/VISTA: Elana Fox
Supervisor: Jonas Feinstein
Address: 655 Parfet St E300, Lakewood CO 80215
Phone: 720-544-7870
Email: elana.fox AT co DOT usda DOT gov
Website: jeffersonconservationdistrict.org
US Congressional District: Colorado 7th
County: Jefferson County

Description of organization and mission:

Located in Jefferson County, Colorado, the Jefferson Conservation District works to address conservation needs in Jefferson, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties. It is one of fifteen conservation districts included in the Upper South Platte Watershed Association, a watershed group "with the mission to protect the natural resources and ecological health of the watershed through locally led efforts."

The Jefferson Conservation District, co-located in the metro office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, currently manages federal Farm Bill, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) forest management contracts for private landowners and is working with communities to understand and implement its Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The District is looking to expand its wildfire mitigation work and to begin addressing urban conservation issues.

Goal of OSM/VISTA with the Upper South Platte Watershed Association:

The Upper South Platte Watershed Association, in conjunction with the Jefferson Conservation District, received two OSM/VISTA volunteers in the fall of 2009. This OSM/VISTA position will work to expand the District's work to urban conservation issues by focusing on urban agriculture needs in urban/suburban Jefferson County. The OSM/VISTA will complete an assessment of community programs and community needs with the ultimate goal of creating a program or community partnership to improve land and nutrition sustainability and access in urban Jefferson County.