Awards to be presented Sept. 27, 3 p.m., in Longmont

Boulder County, Colo. - The Boulder County Commissioners and Parks & Open Space staff will present their annual Conservation Awards at the Parks & Open Space building in Longmont on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 3-4 p.m.

The Conservation Awards honor individuals or groups for outstanding contributions made to the conservation, preservation, and protection of land-based environmental resources.

What: 2023 Parks & Open Space Conservation Awards
When: Wednesday, Sept. 27, 3-4 p.m.
Where: Parks & Open Space headquarters building, 5201 St. Vrain Rd., Longmont (map).

The commissioners will present the following awards:

• Land Conservation Award
  • The Boulder and White Rock Ditch and Reservoir Company for the donation of a conservation easement protecting the 403-acre Panama Reservoir, designated critical wildlife habitat.
• Environmental Stewardship Award
  • Keith Owen for his outstanding efforts to restore a tree nursery on his private land to native grassland.
  • Hepp and Rooney families for allowing the Northern Redbelly Dace Recovery Project to release these rare native Colorado fish into ponds on their private properties. Hepp family members: Brian Hepp, James Hepp (posthumously), Gayle Hepp, Patty Alexander, Laura Schechter. Rooney family members: Matt Rooney, Emma Rooney, Andy Torres.
• Volunteer Awards
  • David Millhiser for outstanding contribution of over 300 hours of exceptional volunteer service at the Nederland Mining museum since 2019.
  • Anne Janicki for her long-time volunteer work for the Boulder County CSU Extension 4-H program.

For more information about the awards and each winner, please visit boco.org/ConservationAwards. For questions about the event, please contact Renata Frye at 303-678-6261 or rfrye@bouldercounty.org.