About Open Space

What is Open Space?

Open Space is more than open land. It is land intentionally protected and actively managed for conservation while providing opportunities for appropriate low-impact recreation.

Conservation means protecting natural resources, supporting wildlife habitat, preserving scenic landscapes, and caring for the land so future generations can enjoy it.

Not every green space in Louisville is Open Space. Although many areas may look similar, each has a different purpose. Some are parks, some are utility or drainage corridors, some are private property, and others are protected for conservation.

Parks and Open Space complement one another, but they are managed for different purposes. Parks are designed primarily for recreation and community gathering. Open Space is managed first for conservation while providing opportunities for people to experience nature.

Together, parks and Open Space create a balanced public land system that supports recreation, conservation, and quality of life.

Learn more about public lands and how they are managed.

Open Space mission:

Everything we do, from restoring habitat and maintaining trails to reducing wildfire risk and protecting wildlife, supports one shared mission:

To conserve and restore Open Space through land acquisition and management for the protection of natural and cultural resources and provide opportunities for education, volunteering and appropriate passive recreation.

History of Louisville Open Space: A community vision

Louisville's Open Space exists because generations of residents chose to protect it.

It started in 1977, when the City acquired its very first piece of protected land, North Open Space. That single decision led to decades of investment. Since then, generation after generation of Louisville residents have continued to invest in protecting natural lands by approving dedicated funding, restoring lands, expanding trails, establishing an advisory board, and supporting programs that care for these special places.

Today, that commitment includes nearly 2,000 acres of protected land. This includes City-owned Open Space as well as properties that are jointly owned or managed in partnership with neighboring communities and public agencies. Together, these lands provide wildlife habitat, scenic views, agricultural landscapes, recreation, and natural buffers between communities.

What began with a single property has grown into a thoughtful, science-based Open Space program. Through habitat restoration, wildfire mitigation, and innovative stewardship practices, the program works every day to protect and care for the land while adapting to the changing needs of the landscape, wildlife, and the community.

Timeline

Louisville's Open Space has grown one decision at a time. Here's a snapshot of how the program has evolved over nearly 50 years.

• 1977: The City acquires its first Open Space property, North Open Space.
• 1990: The first segment of regional Coal Creek Regional Trail is built at Dutch Creek.
• 1993: Voters adopt the Open Space Sales Tax. Harney Lastoka Open Space is acquired.
• 2000: The Open Space Advisory Board (OSAB) is created, giving citizens a formal voice in how these lands are managed.
• 2001: Adler Fingru Open Space is acquired, and Louisville adopts its Home Rule Charter, which would soon give Open Space its strongest protection yet.
• 2002: Voters renew the Open Space & Parks Sales Tax.
• 2006: Open Space gets its first dedicated staff position.
• 2007: The Open Space Education & Volunteer Program launches.
• 2012: Voters renew the Open Space & Parks Sales & Use Tax again.
• 2016: Ranger Naturalist Program launches, expanding environmental education and Open Space protection.
• 2017: Louisville conducts its first prescribed burn on Aquarius Open Space. Mayhoffer Open Space is acquired.
• 2019: The Natural Resource Program becomes a top priority continuing to enhance best scientific management practices.
• 2022: Open Space trails reach 25 miles.
• 2023: The 104th Street Trail connects, and voters pass the Open Space & Parks Sales & Use Tax once more, including a 1/8 percentage dedicated to Open Space property aquisition.
• Today: The program keeps growing, one acre and one trail at a time, thanks to the work of staff, volunteers and community stewards.

Protected by the Charter

Louisville's Open Space is protected by the Home Rule Charter, which serves as Louisville’s local constitution, adopted by voters to govern city rules and protect public assets. In 2001, Louisville voters added Article 15 to the Home Rule Charter, giving Open Space its highest level of legal protection. Once zoned, land cannot be re-zoned or developed without a direct vote of the people. This guarantees that these lands remain protected regardless of changes in city council, staff, or political priorities.

Not every acre needs the same level of protection. The Charter recognizes that a fragile wildlife corridor and a busy trailhead need different kinds of care, so it establishes four management classifications based on the property's primary purpose:

Preserve

These are the most environmentally sensitive areas. Management focuses on protecting native plants, wildlife, and habitat. Public access is limited to minimize impacts.

Protect

These areas are managed primarily for conservation while allowing carefully managed, low-impact recreation. The goal is to balance public access with the long-term health of the landscape.

Visitor

These areas are designed to welcome people into Open Space. They often include trailheads, trails, and other amenities that help people experience nature while protecting surrounding natural resources.

Other

These properties support the overall Open Space system such as scenic buffers, access corridors, and neighborhood trail links.

From policy to practice

Protecting Open Space takes active stewardship.

Every day, staff actively care for the land by restoring native habitats, maintaining trails, managing vegetation, controlling invasive weeds, reducing wildfire risk, monitoring wildlife, and improving ecosystem health.

These decisions are guided by science, long-term planning, and the City's commitment to protecting both natural resources and public safety.

To help guide this work, Louisville uses several planning documents, including but not limited to the Open Space Master Plan, Wildfire Hazard and Risk Assessment of Louisville Public Lands, and Integrated Weed Management Plan. These plans and others help staff identify priorities, reduce wildfire risk, restore ecosystems, and choose the right management practices for each location.

Learn how we manage Open Space