County open lands manager will leave lasting legacy

Larimer County Open Lands Manager K-Lynn Cameron says it's time to catch her breath, reflect and consider the next challenge. She will be leaving her Larimer County job in mid-June.

Cameron began work at the county in 1981 as a parks planner. Except for a half-year hiatus working for Fort Collins in 1995, she has been with Larimer County ever since.

"It's time for me to turn the reins over to others while I pursue new challenges," she said.

Cameron leaves a lasting legacy for Larimer County. In 1981 she began developing a strategy to fund open space protection, and she developed the county's first Parks Master Plan in the early 1990s. That plan gave rise to a grassroots initiative to establish funding to protect the special places of Larimer County. In 1995, citizens voted overwhelmingly for the quarter-cent sales tax initiative Help Preserve Open Spaces to fund protection of open space, agricultural lands, wildlife habitat and regional parks and trails. Citizens renewed the tax in 1999.

Because land acquisition requires "willing landowners," Cameron has worked personally with most of the landowners to create the necessary partnerships.

"One of my favorite parts of the job has been meeting landowners and recognizing their appreciation for their land," she said. "We take a walk, they point things out and they tell me their land is the most beautiful land in Larimer County. When I see it through their eyes, I can't help but agree."

Among the memorable projects she collaborated on with other local, state and nonprofit groups is the Laramie Foothills Mountains to Plains Project, which has protected more than 55,000 acres in northern Larimer County. The project includes Red Mountain Open Space, the Roberts Ranch conservation easements and the Soapstone Prairie Natural Area.