High Line Canal - Protecting a Beloved Urban Trail

Inspired by a desire to protect the environmental sustainability of one of the longest urban trails in the country, the Tuchman Family Foundation became a founding partner of the High Line Canal Conservancy in 2016. By providing critical early-stage funding, the foundation helped make the conservancy a reality to help preserve, protect and enhance one of the most robust natural resources in the Denver Metro Region.

The 71-mile High Line Canal draws 1 million users each year to enjoy the expansive trail, which begins at the South Platte River in Waterton Canyon and ends in north Aurora near Denver International Airport. The canal covers an impressive 860 acres, making it larger than Central Park in New York City. The canal backs to neighborhoods that house more than 350,000 residents and is within walking distance for schoolchildren at 28 nearby schools. The High Line Canal is a treasured nature haven that helps foster climate resilience in the midst of an urban area that has experienced rapid development and population growth.

The High Line Canal Conservancy serves the important role of steward for the canal and the accompanying greenway. As a founding partner of the conservancy, the Tuchman Family Foundation helped lay the groundwork for the conservancy’s important work, and for the development of a long-term plan for the canal, which includes a focus on environmental sustainability. The foundation also helped fuel the creation of the Canal Collaborative, an innovative public private partnership that includes 15 jurisdictions and agencies working together to manage care and improvements for the canal.

Photo credit: Evan Anderman