Bighorn sheep at Filoha Meadows in early spring.

With a 9-month, annual closure to human activity and limited visitor access when it is open, Filoha Meadows Nature Preserve really is about nature.

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A year after the 2014 cutting of decadent vegetation at Sky Mountain Park, new growth had filled in the area, improving the habitat for wildlife.

Sometimes, looks can be deceiving. That is certainly true when dense stands of overly mature trees suggest a healthy landscape. In reality, those forests may need help. This summer, Pitkin County Open Space and Trails is working independently and with other land managers to provide that aid in several locations. We’re regenerating vegetation by cutting it down.

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Desiccated cheatgrass, now gone from Red Wind Point Open Space.

On a wind-swept mesa perched above the Crystal River at Red Wind Point Open Space, what’s most noticeable on the landscape is what’s not there – cheatgrass.

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