Page 24 - AreaNewsletters "May2023"

Taking You Back to 1987, and Douglas Land Conservancy’s
Early Days
By Richard Bangs, DLC Board Member
veloping a master plan for development, pitting private land ownership against the public’s desire to preserve some of the iconic landscapes in the county. As the development debate raged, a group of concerned residents recognized this growth could forever change the nature of the
Douglas Land Conservancy is celebrating its 35th year in existence this year. It’s been a long and winding road made possible by the effort of hundreds of people who cared about open space and the unique qualities of the county.
It all started years before there was a Douglas County open space tax or a county Open Space Advisory Committee.
As the crush of development began spilling out of the Denver metro area in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the county wrestled with de-
May 2023 • Castle Rock “AreaNewsletters”
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CASTLE ROCK AREA HISTORY