About LCOSI
The Lake County Open Space Initiative (LCOSI) was developed in the winter of 1997 with the purpose of procuring historic ranchlands for sale along the Arkansas River corridor in Lake County, Colorado. LCOSI’s preserved lands include views of Colorado’s highest peaks, critical wetland and lowland riparian ecosystems, prime big game habitat, crucial landscape linkages between the Sawatch and Mosquito ranges, traditional wildlife migration routes, spawning grounds and waterfowl flyways, unique recreational opportunities along the Arkansas headwaters, and tangible links to the rich indigenous, mining, and ranching heritage of the Colorado mountains.
LCOSI was formed at the invitation of the Lake County Board of County Commissioners and represents a diverse group of stakeholders with a common interest in sustainability and preserving the natural, recreational, and cultural resources of the Upper Arkansas River Watershed. The partnership has evolved to represent a broad cross-section of public interests, including local, state, and federal agencies, private entities and individuals, and governmental and quasi-governmental bodies, organized under a Cooperative Stakeholder’s Partnership Agreement.
The LCOSI partnership exists to provide collaborative, ecosystem-based planning direction for land managers administering the County’s open spaces. LCOSI decision-making is consensus-based, non-binding on the partners, and does not supersede mandates and legislation of its participating jurisdictions.
