"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”  ---- Brundtland Commision

The wisdom of the above ideal is central to the current dogma of the conservation movement. Four separate yet overlapping strategies for achieving this goal locally, with emphasis on public access and experience in our beautiful outdoors, made up the panel discussion entitled “The Green Toolbox: Strategies for Conservation, Restoration, and Sustainability in the Pikes Peak Region”. This took place Tuesday evening on the Colorado College Campus. The panel featured representatives from the Trails and Open Space Coalition (www.trailsandopenspaces.org), the Rocky Mountain Field Institute, the Catamount Institute (www.catamountinstitute.org) and the Palmer Land Trust (www.palmerlandtrust.org).

From lobbying for the creation and upkeep of parks and open spaces, to educating the youth and public, to doing the work needed to ensure sustainable trails these four conservation non-profits approach the issue of sustainability from very different angles (check out their websites for details). However, the solution to the challenge in the above quote consistently included, but was not limited to, you, me and us. The people who want to ensure beautiful parks and open spaces for future generations should give time and money to organizations dedicated to just that while pressuring their politicians to do the same.

Instead of focusing on the details of the discussion, this blog will begin to address a question that was asked as the event wound down. What about Institutional Memory? Without a knowledge of how our parks have been shaped and about past legal issues surrounding this shaping current conservation efforts are missing a piece of their own story. This blog will start with “deep history” (deep is relative here) and just give some foundational background.

Our first parks benefactor was, of course, General Palmer. This Quaker raised prohibitionist and philanthropist eventually donated over 2,000 acres of land as parks to this budding city. Which is a substantial chunk of the original 10, 000 acres of land he acquired to found the city in 1871. Acacia Park, Monument Valley Park and Cheyenne Canyon (to name a few) all have some land courtesy of William Jackson Palmer.

The theme of giving was continued by the family of railroad tycoon Charles E. Perkins, who was a personal friend to General Palmer. After purchasing the Garden of the Gods as a summer home in 1879 Perkins instead opened it to the public. Upon his death in 1907 he had not explicitly expressed his desire to make the sandstone icons a public park. (In fact his ownership stymied efforts to make the area a National park in 1866). However, his children ensured the ultimate fruition of his wish and Garden of the Gods has been officially free to the public since 1909. Congrats to the Perkins for starting a legacy that was named one of 10 “Great Public Spaces” of 2011 by the American Planning Association (www.planning.org/greatplaces/spaces/2011/).

Over the course of the winter we hope to publish a series of blogs that will tell the full tale of Colorado Springs Parks. If you know of an interesting story or theme or simple anecdote related to this issue please contact Sam at pfeifer.s.e@gmail.com or 425-681-7592 so we can include it on the website.

Sources (Check 'em out for More information)
http://worldsustainability.pbworks.com/w/page/15443507/Brundtland-Commission
www.wikipedia.org (General William Jackson Palmer)
http://www.gardenofgods.com/parkinfo/index_253.cfm?flash=1
http://www.springsgov.com/Page.aspx?NavID=2030