The Wheat Ridge Open Space Management Plan (OSMP) was developed as a response to rapid growth in visitation to the Clear Creek National Recreation Trail (also a segment of the Colorado state Peaks to Plains Trail) and recreational uses on open space lands resulting in increased user conflicts and impacts to natural resources. The plan establishes a framework for priorities and provides specific management direction for natural, scenic, and recreational resources within the 300-acre Wheat Ridge Greenbelt and future open space acquisitions by the City of Wheat Ridge within the west Denver metro region. The OSMP seeks to balance high demand for outdoor recreation use with the protection, enhancement, and effective management of natural resources for long-term sustainability and stewardship. Habitat values that sustain the function and connectivity of the natural landscape are emphasized while simultaneously providing a high-quality visitor experience.

The City of Wheat Ridge has secured $1.5 million for projects and is pursuing an additional $500,000 for Clear Creek trail maintenance and upgrades; a low-impact trail and restoration of a former gravel pit turned heronry; social trail reclamation and restoration; design solutions for erosion; fire fuel mitigation; and invasive species removal as recommended in the OSMP.