For the second year in a row, the Town of Castle Rock has won one of the state's highest awards for open space preservation.

The Colorado Lottery announced this week the Town is one of its 2009 Starburst Conservation Award winners for its preservation of 106 acres of open space along the East Plum Creek Trail. The award recognizes excellence in using lottery proceeds in open space preservation projects that promote "community building, partnership, conservation and commitment to the recreational needs of Colorado residents."

The Town enhanced the asset the open space provides by constructing a portion of the East Plum Creek Trail through the site, connecting The Meadows and Downtown.

"The East Plum Creek Trail was a very important piece to the Town's overall trail connectivity puzzle," said Councilman Mitch Dulleck, who sits on the Parks and Recreation Commission. "It provides our citizens with a completely off-street, north/south corridor through Town."

Lottery officials also praised the multipurpose aspect of the open space preservation.

"It's inspiring to see a municipality work so creatively to preserve a piece of land that serves so many purposes," Lottery Deputy Director Tom Kitts said. "The purchase of this parcel will provide community benefits for decades to come."

The Town in February purchased the open space for $2.5 million to protect the site from commercial and industrial development. Funding came from a variety of sources, including $350,000 in lottery proceeds and $230,000 from a state trails grant.

The 106 acres purchased were combined with Town-owned open space to the south and open space to the north that Castle Rock Development Co. dedicated to the Town to form 575 continuous acres of open space through the center of Castle Rock. The site provides nature observation opportunities for residents as well as a safe haven for many species of wildlife, including the federally protected Preble's meadow jumping mouse.

The Town is one of 13 2009 Starburst Award recipients. The Town also received a Starburst Conservation Award in 2008 for its preservation of Quarry Mesa in Rhyolite Regional Park.