Boulder trip: PDR began here

The birth of Lexington's farmland preservation program has its roots in Boulder.

In 1967, Boulder became the first city in the United States to establish a program to purchase land to preserve it from rapid development.

Citizens were so interested in preserving land that residents approved a tax to raise the money needed to acquire, manage and maintain the open space.

On the drive in from Denver International Airport, members on the Commerce Lexington trip probably noticed all of the open space and then all of a sudden you dropped into Boulder, said Boulder Mayor Mark Ruzzin.

Boulder has acquired 40,000 acres of open space, which is more acreage than there is in the incorporated city, Ruzzin said.

Lexington's farmland preservation program, which is also known as the Purchase of Development Rights program, doesn't purchase any actual land. Instead, the city acquires agricultural conservation easements

As of January, Lexington has purchased conservation easements on 17,653 acres on 151 farms.

- Michelle Ku