ENDORSEMENTS
We are grateful for the endorsements from local Fort Collins leaders, experts and organizations in favor of the citizens’ ballot measure to conserve Hughes Open Space.
April 2021
Ross Cunniff
Mayor Pro Tem of Fort Collins
“Colorado at its finest is undeveloped open space. The former Hughes property is a fantastic gateway to the foothills to the west. There are many other parts of Fort Collins that can be developed - parts which are much closer to transit, work, school, and health care. Let the Hughes site remain open and public!“
JayCee Beyale, Artist & Program Organizer-CO Indigenous People’s Day Organization
“People have been on the land Hughes Stadium was on not just for decades but thousands of years. The Native life ways and beliefs of those peoples have always been rooted in a profound devotion to taking care of the land. When an open area of land that is treasured in the community and holds an elevated place in the natural ecosystem on which we rely to survive is slated for development, the Navajo's sense of the sacred nature of the earth and our responsibility to protect it rises in us to become an imperative. Indigenous Peoples Day is a nationwide movement that encourages greater understanding and appreciation of Indigenous peoples, our traditions, culture, and shared history. We do not believe that the plans to develop this land exhibit such an understanding. We support PATHS’ efforts to ensure that it is reached.”
Gary Wockner, Executive Director of Save the Poudre
"As the crush of growth devours northern Colorado, it's especially important to protect local natural areas in and near Fort Collins. The Hughes Open Space is a necessary purchase to protect the community's link to nature and wildness, and I encourage everyone to vote 'YES' on the ballot measure."
Sierra Club of Colorado, Poudre Canyon Group
The citizen-initiated zoning ballot measure to zone Hughes as Public Open Lands is officially endorsed by the Sierra Club. Thank you, Poudre Canyon Group of the Sierra Club!
Northern Colorado Wildlife Center
“The wildlife center supports Hughes as open space so that our wildlife have their foothills migration route protected, and we could take the next steps to using a small section of the stadium footprint to build an expanded wildlife rehabilitation/education center!“
Northern Colorado Herpetological Society
“The Hughes stadium site is critical habitat for native species, including native reptiles and amphibians that we strive to conserve, protect, and keep the public educated about. There is no better educator for nature than nature itself, which is one of many reasons why it is so important for this space to be preserved.“
Linda Stanley,
Research Scientist and Open Space Leader
Linda is a tireless open space leader and long-time resident of Fort Collins. Spanning several decades, Linda and her husband Kelly have successfully led several open space and Natural Areas ballot measures in the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County. Linda supports a YES vote on the citizens’ initiative to conserve and Keep Hughes Open Space.
David Roy, Former City Councilmember, District 6
“The Old Hughes Stadium site must be preserved. I endorse the citizen effort to protect this unique landscape from development. This ecotone -- plains to foothills -- is highly threatened endangered on the Front Range, and provides critical habitat and resources for many species. Your vote is crucial in making it possible to set aside this land for us today, and for the generations to come. Please vote to protect and preserve the Old Hughes Stadium site.”
Bob Nightwalker, Renown Expert in Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation
“Hughes is a sacred place to our community that deserves to be protected. This property is especially important because it is surrounded by an important wildlife corridor and migration route. By protecting this property it could also help us bring back a much needed wildlife center to our Northern Colorado communities.”
Phil Friedman
Owner of Solar Professional Services LLC, 13-year member of the Natural Resources Advisory Board (NRAB), & open space leader.
“As a long time champion of city open space areas, we have a tremendous opportunity with the Hughes property. This land is one of the last remaining close in, easily accessible, and ecologically important open space areas within the city limits of Fort Collins. A “YES” vote will expand public open lands and give us an area with recreational opportunities, open lands, wildlife habitat, and wildlife rescue and education programs. We cannot afford to let one of the "last best places" in Fort Collins to be developed.”
Michael Lee Jones
Owner of High Prairie Environmental LLC, 30+ year Risk Assessor and Certified Senior Ecologist
“CSU claims on its website that ‘extensive reclamation’ of the property will cost millions because some of it was used as a dirt/gravel/grass parking lot for about 50 years. CSU states that this is one reason why it's not a good idea to convert the property to open space. The City of Fort Collins has recently stated that it might cost $2 million to rehabilitate the entire property and restore it to native vegetation if the property were to become a city natural area. The fact is that there probably is some amount of soil that is contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons from use as a parking lot. But, what CSU doesn't mention is that CDPHE has stricter regulations for the cleanup (remediation) of surface soils that will be used in the future as children’s backyards in a residential neighborhood. So, it is actually more expensive to clean up the property for residential use than it would be for the property to become a natural area.”
Lauren Olsen
Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator, Birds and Mammals
”The land that Hughes Stadium formerly stood on is precious to the people of Fort Collins, and the substantial number of signatures collected on the petition to conserve that land is undeniable proof. Rather than going against the clear wishes of the citizens of Fort Collins, the land should be used to benefit the people and wildlife that inhabit our city.
Larimer County needs a wildlife rehabilitation center to serve its community. The nearest wildlife rehabilitation center able to take in mammals and non-raptor birds is 45 minutes away, and must prioritize animals from Boulder County over Larimer County and other areas. The land that was formerly Hughes Stadium would be an optimal site for a wildlife rehabilitation center that could help our community peacefully coexist with our wild neighbors.”
Andrea Vanderbuilt
Owner of Teach Me To Grow, LLC, CSU Natural Resources Alum, Founder of Save Our Stadium CSU (SOSCSU)
“Fort Collins is such a unique place, bound by a community that loves and respects clean air, fresh water, and open space. For our elected officials, listening to the community and working to protect these elements is critical to the prosperity of citizens as our city grows. Conserving the Hughes stadium land as open space is a choice that will set Fort Collins apart in reflecting and upholding the integrity of our culture, and it honors what our citizens value most.”
Bob Vangermeersch
Retired Business Person, Founder of Save Our Stadium Hughes (SOSH)
“Open space is by far the best use of this property. CSU made a terrible financial decision to bulldoze Hughes and spend over $300,000,000 to build an on-campus football stadium.
CSU is now trying to recoup its losses independent of the wishes of the local citizens.”
Fort Collins Sustainability Group (FCSG)
“The Fort Collins Sustainability Group strongly endorses the PATHS work for the preservation of the former Hughes stadium site as public open space, which will help maintain the ecological integrity of the neighboring Maxwell and Pineridge Natural Areas, benefiting wildlife, Fort Collins residents, and visitors in perpetuity.”
The Sierra Club’s Poudre Canyon Group (PCG)
has formally endorsed the citizens’ ballot measure
to zone Hughes as Public Open Lands!
Thank you, Sierra Club PCG!
Sierra Club PCG endorses open space for Hughes at City Council Meeting, 8/18/2020