Colorado Open Lands

 

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Our Latest News:

  • Announcing Our Next Field Trip - A Walk Back In Time   Stroll these 120 acres in western Elbert County and feel yourself go back in time as you walk on the historic Smokey Hill Trail or explore intact remnants of native grasslands and the ponderosa pine Black Forest. Round out your morning walking along Gold Creek with the landowner, looking for imperiled butterflies, or identifying rare or sensitive vegetation.  For directions and details, RSVP to Christine Strickland at (303) 988-2373 x212 or cstrickland(at)coloradoopenlands.org


  • Spring field trips are coming!  Our first trip is Saturday May 4th from 3:00 – 5:00 pm at 5 Fridges Farm.  Tour an innovative urban farm with us and learn about bee-keeping, raising chickens, starting your own vineyard or CSA, and more.  RSVP required by May 2 to Christine Strickland (cstrickland(at)coloradoopenlands.org or 303-988-2373 x212).  Join us, and check back here for more trips as we get them set up!

  • Great news! Continuing our long-standing partnership with the Whinnery Family, Helen Whinnery just donated another conservation easement to Colorado Open Lands, protecting another 160 acres of her ranch! The Whinnery Homestead Ranch is home to numerous wildlife species, including the bald eagle, and has a variety of subalpine coniferous forest, irrigated native grass meadows and sagebrush uplands throughout the property.

  • We are proud to announce that Sarah Parmar, one of Colorado Open Lands’ Land Conservation Specialists, has just been accepted into the Colorado Water Leaders Program! The Water Leaders Program offers emerging Colorado professionals the opportunity to develop their leadership potential with a focus on water resources issues.  Congratulations, Sarah!
  • We are proud and excited to announce the Acequia Assistance Project, a joint effort by Colorado Open Lands, CU School of Law’s Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment and the Sangre de Cristo Acequia Association  to provide low or no-cost legal assistance and educational materials to Colorado's acequia communities.  The Project’s goal is to enable acequias to protect and document their water rights, and establish their priority rights to water under Colorado law.

  • 2012 was a great year for Colorado Open Lands with so many great easements and great partnerships. We would like to share one of these moments from our Holiday party with special thanks to Colorado Native Lager for their support of Colorado Open Lands!

  • Recent closing: Red Dirt Open Space conservation easement (formerly known as the Nottingham project)was closed recently with Eagle County . The Red Dirt Open Space project is a GOCO funded acquisition of 228 acres of undeveloped land including about 1.75 miles of Colorado River frontage. Eagle County will use the property for low-impact recreational uses such as hiking, access to adjacent public lands for hunting, and to provide overnight camping opportunities for river users.

  • Colorado Open Lands is pleased to announce the permanent protection of the spectacular 1,017-acre Colorado River Ranch with a conservation easement.

    The ranch straddles the Colorado River in Eagle County and allows for the establishment of several public access points, including a boat-launch for river users and access to the Bull Gulch Wilderness Study Area. The ranch is also enrolled in the Colorado Parks and Wildlife walk-in access program for waterfowl hunting.

    The ranch can be seen from Eagle County Road 301 (Colorado River Road), and from the railroad line that runs through the property where Amtrak passengers can enjoy the view.
    Read more by clicking here!
  • Recently we closed on the 1,083-acre Marrs Family Farm conservation easement, which compliments another closing on the adjacent 7,968-acre West Bijou Creek conservation easement.  That totals 9,051 protected acres of scenic and agricultural open space, relatively natural habitat, and education and recreational land that also has historical, scientific and archeological values!

    Both properties contribute to a great mosaic of connected open space totaling ~16,000 acres along the West Bijou Creek. Read more about these great projects here!










  • On October 3, 2012, 320 guests joined Palmer Land Trust at the third annual Southern Colorado Conservation Awards. The 2012 Southern Colorado Conservation Awards documentary films produced by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Ginger Kathrens (Spirits of the Rainforest and The Cloud Series) capture the story of each winner.  These films are available for viewing on Palmer Land Trust's website.  Click here to watch the videos.  Click here to read about this year’s award winners. Event photographs by Blue Fox Photoraphy can be viewed and ordered by clicking here
  • Colorado Open Lands President Dan Pike, along with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar and noted conservationist Louis Bacon recently came together to help create a new place of refuge. Read more on our Press Page!

  • Check out our Anniversary Piece online, which celebrates our accomplishments over the past 30 years!