City of Boulder · department · OSMP
Open Space & Mountain Parks
“OSMP protects and cares for open space lands to preserve natural, cultural and agricultural resources, provide opportunities for recreation, and support a healthy, livable community.” source as of 2026-10-30
Who runs it
AI-read · unreviewed read by a model from the city's pages, the Charter, the code and the budget books; every quote checked against its saved source; not reviewed by a person. Hover a source for its words.Researcher's note: Divisions follow the program structure of the 2026 Annual Budget (the city's department pages do not list divisions). Deputy-director heads come from the OSMP org chart PDF (bouldercolorado.gov/media/4299, dated 06/24/2026), whose extracted text prints each title before its holder; Kilcoyne and Haley are corroborated by the October 2026 OSBT packet, Freeston and Swanson by the chart alone. Org chart PDF; the text extraction prints each title before its holder's name; the chart carries the date 06/24/2026.
- Head
- Dan Burke, Director, Open Space and Mountain Parks as of 2026-10-14 source source
- Answers to
- City Manager. The charter puts the director of the department of open space under the direction, supervision, and control of the city manager, who appoints department directors. Head appointed by City Manager. source source
- Legal basis
- Contact
- 303-441-3440 · OSMPFrontDesk@bouldercolorado.gov · 6840 Winchester Circle Boulder , CO 80301 · contact page source source as of 2026-10-30
Boards and commissions it staffs
- Open Space Board of Trustees · secretary source source source
Budget
from the city's approved budget books; each figure printed, to the dollar, in its source (hover a source for its words). A year may come from a different book or table than the next: the table says what each covers| Year | Basis | Amount | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | approved | $40,395,547 | all funds (the Open Space Fund): department budget as printed on the department's page of the 2024 Approved Budget, and the FY2024 Budget column of the 2026 book's program and expense type table source source |
| 2025 | approved | $41,421,863 | all funds (the Open Space Fund): department budget as printed on the department's page of the 2025 Approved Budget, and the FY2025 Budget column of the 2026 book's program and expense type table source source |
| 2026 | approved | $41,910,200 | all funds (the Open Space Fund): department expenses including capital improvement program, debt service and transfers & cost allocation; EXPENSES TOTAL, FY2026 Budget column of the 2026 Annual Budget's 'Budget by Program and Expense Type (FY2024-2026)' table source source |
Divisions
in the city's own words; heads only where an official source names them- Administration
“This program ensures strategic alignment of OSMP’s projects with the department’s mission and priorities, including implementation of the Master Plan and focus on strategic enhancements like equity, climate resilience, and presence on the land.” source - Central Services · Lauren Kilcoyne, Central Services Deputy Director source source
“This division offers real estate, information resources, and planning services, including acquisition of land interests, addressing real estate related matters, and management of easement requests; management of data, geographic information systems, and web content; and department-wide planning and design efforts.” source - Community Connections · Jennelle Freeston, Deputy Director of Community Connections source
“The Community Connections program engages community members around the mission and vision of OSMP.” source - Resource Stewardship · Heather Swanson, Deputy Director of Resource Stewardship source
“The Resource Stewardship program enhances Boulder’s natural and agricultural environment by protecting its ecological, agricultural, and water assets.” source - Visitor Experience & Infrastructure · Jeff Haley, Deputy Director of Visitor Experience and Infrastructure source source
“The team is responsible for managing OSMP’s trails network, signs and graphics, trailheads, and other access points; office buildings and other structures across the open space system; the department’s equipment and vehicle assets; cultural resources on the system; and research around visitor use and impacts.” source source
What a resident can do here
services and programs, linked to the city's pages- Voice and Sight Program “The city allows for guardians to hike with their dogs off leash on certain designated trails under the Voice and Sight Control Tag program.” source source
- OSMP Parking Permits and Fees “All park visitors whose motor vehicles are not registered in Boulder County must possess either a daily or annual permit to park on Flagstaff Mountain, in Gregory Canyon, or at Doudy Draw, Flatirons Vista, Greenbelt Plateau, Marshall Mesa, South Boulder Creek West and South Mesa Trailheads.” source source
- OSMP Closures “Trail and Area Closures and Advisories” source source
- Volunteer with OSMP “Volunteers are an important part of Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP). They help care for the land, support our work and connect people with nature.” source source
- Nature Hikes and Programs “Open Space and Mountain Parks staff and volunteers offer ongoing educational and recreational nature-based programs.” source source
- OSMP Shelter Rentals “Open Space & Mountain Parks has several picnic shelters and facilities available to rent.” source source
- Off Trail Permits “Off-Trail permits are available for the Western Mountain Parks, Eldorado Mountain and Southern Grasslands HCAs.” source source
- OSMP Special Use Permits “The Special Use Permit Program manages non-commercial group activities on Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) lands.” source source
- OSMP Commercial Use Permits “The Commercial Use Permit Program manages commercial activities on Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) lands.” source source
- Firewood Program “Wood generated by the City of Boulder’s forest management operations is made available to contract-holding members of the public.” source source
- Junior Ranger Program “The Junior Ranger Program is a summer job for teens 14 to 17 years old with the City of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) department working on natural resource projects such as trail maintenance, forestry, and invasive plant management.” source
- Visitors Experiencing Disabilities “Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) department recognizes the importance of providing a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities for people of all abilities.” source source
- Land Acquisition and Real Estate Services Program source source
- Report an Issue source