Colorado Open Lands
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Did you know that for every $100 donated to us, $1000 worth of land is protected?
Press Room
Colorado Open Lands is a 501(c)3, non-profit land trust, dedicated to protecting working farms and ranches and the diminishing natural heritage of Colorado for future generations. Colorado Open Lands works with willing landowners and communities through collaborative approaches to land conservation. By facilitating land preservation agreements with landowners, Colorado Open Lands helps keep land in private ownership while preserving traditional land uses such a family farming and ranching. Since its inception, Colorado Open Lands has preserved over 250,000 acres through 350 projects in 40 counties.
For more information about our work, click here.
Press Releases
Related News Articles
2012 Press Release
Back to top2012 News Articles
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The future is perpetually ingrained in our present
The start of a new year is a natural time to turn our thoughts to the future. However, for the conservation organizations, local governments and state agencies protecting Colorado's most special natural resources, thinking about tomorrow is already ingrained in everything we do. Every project we undertake must not only have a tangible result today, but provide benefits to Coloradans far into the future....A mix of economic realities can make it difficult for land to be shared or handed down to sons and daughters who want to carry on the tradition. This year, a remarkable partnership helped address this issue while permanently protecting vital grassland habitat. Continue reading here...
Back to top2011 Press Release
No information at this time.
Back to top2011 News Articles
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Property acquisition was accomplished in partnership with Colorado Open Lands
The Colorado Division of Wildlife recently completed a major wetland renovation project at the Andrick Ponds State Wildlife Area southwest of Jackson Lake in Morgan County.This 710-acre property, the former Centennial Hunt Club, sits in "the Golden Triangle" -- the region between Riverside, Empire and Jackson reservoirs renowned for large numbers of ducks and geese and for quality waterfowl hunting it provides. More to read here...
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Create intact and connected landscapes in Colorado- From Peak to Prairie
The Peak to Prairie Project is a large-scale conservation initiative focusing on key resources in El Paso, Pueblo, Lincoln and Crowley Counties. Through a landowner initiated effort, Colorado Open Lands has protected 2,430 acres through 11 conservation easements to date. Read more here...
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Who is that man at the helm of COL- Get to know Daniel Pike!
Dan grew up in Minneapolis but his dad took him and his siblings on annual vacations to Montana to hunt and fish -- "a sojourn we dubbed 'Mecca,' which drew me to the West," he explained. He moved to Colorado from Washington, DC in 1976 to open the Rocky Mountain Field Office for The Nature Conservancy, the leading conservation organization in the world then and now. Finish this article here...
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Dieter Erdmann has a few words to say about your water-
The Center for Collaborative Conservation (CCC) of CSU’s Warner College of Natural Resources welcomes Dieter Erdmann, CCC Fellow, Director of Conservation Operations, Colorado Open Lands, to speak about, “Agricultural water transfers: Alternatives to buy and dry in Colorado's South Platte Basin.” Read more about this topic here...
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Just Shred It! Dignity Memorial gives to Colorado Open Lands
Bring up to 3 boxes Secure shredding service provided by Shred-It Denver Shreddings are recycled TIPS TO LIVING A MORE SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE IN 2011 - Speaker sponsored by Colorado Land and Open Space - Sessions are 15 minutes at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. - Olinger Chapel Hill will donate $5 to Colorado Land and Open Space for every 3 boxes shredded. DEBUT OF EARTH-FRIENDLY FUNERAL AND CREMATION PRODUCTS. Read more about this event here...
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Cranmer Award- Colorado Forum
LAKEWOOD, CO, November 2011– Every year since 1992, Colorado Open Lands has awarded the George E. Cranmer Award to someone with a distinguished career in open space preservation. Award recipients have gone above and beyond what others have done and often get things completed through determination and force of personality. They leave behind a legacy that will be valued and enjoyed for generations to come. This year’s winner is just a little bit different.
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DOW Done with Jackson Area Project
The Colorado Division of Wildlife recently completed a major wetland renovation project at the Andrick Ponds State Wildlife Area southwest of Jackson Lake in Morgan County.
This 710-acre property, the former Centennial Hunt Club, sits in "the Golden Triangle" -- the region between Riverside, Empire and Jackson reservoirs renowned for large numbers of ducks and geese and for quality waterfowl hunting it provides.
Andrick Ponds also contains an extensive network of recharge ponds and wetlands. These recharge ponds generate augmentation credits that help to support local irrigated agriculture.
DOW bought the property in 2009 with funds used from the Habitat Stamp program. The purchase ensures that associated water rights will remain in the lower South Platte River, eliminating the risk of the water being sold or exchanged for upstream municipal uses. Click here for full article"We acquired this property primarily to provide the public with some of the best waterfowl hunting in northeastern Colorado," said Division of Wildlife Director Tom Remington.
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2010 Press Releases
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Opposition Group Hosts Power Line Forum
The Transmission Line Coalition will host a pair of speakers at forums next month here and in La Veta.
Carol Overland, a Minnesota attorney, and Dan Pike, president of Colorado Open Lands, will speak Jan. 11 at the La Veta Community Center and Jan. 12 at Adams State College's Porter Hall, Room 130. Click here for full article
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Rancher Passes ‘the bug’ to Son
As a fifth-generation rancher, Bob Barr knows that staying in agriculture can be an uphill battle.
It’s a “bug” that keeps him going.
“My son, Justin, has the same bug I have,”Barr said, looking over new buildings and cattle pens that they’ve built together on Overton Road next to Fountain Creek. “There’s not too many people who have that bug anymore. I don’t think people care where their food comes from as long as they can get that food cheap.”
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Dignity Memorial offers Denver Community Earth-Friendly Burial Options
Dignity Memorial locations in Littleton and Boulder, both members of the Green Burial Council, now offer the first Green Burial Council approved funeral and cremation products and services in the Denver area. These unique options are designed to provide customers with a wider range of memorialization options. Earth-friendly products include caskets, urns and clothing, as well as eco-conscious tribute options.
Dignity Memorial currently provides green services and products through two of its Colorado facilities:- Olinger Chapel Hill Mortuary and Cemetery, Littleton
- Crist Mortuary and Crematory, Boulder
"Individuals who love nature and respect the environment want to honor those values at the end of their lives. We want to provide our customers with earth-friendly products, services and tributes that reflect that commitment." said Tom Hendler, Market Managing Director.
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Colorado Open Lands to Bestow 2010 George E. Cranmer Award to Conservationist michael P. Dowling
Every year since 1992, Colorado Open Lands has awarded the George E. Cranmer Award to someone with a distinguished career in open space preservation. Award recipients are individuals who have gone above and beyond what others have done and often get things completed through determination and force of personality. They leave behind a legacy that will be valued and enjoyed for generations to come. This year’s winner is just such a person.
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Partnership with Dignity Memorial
Colorado Open Lands is pleased to announce a unique partnership with Dignity Memorial. Two Dignity Memorial locations in Littleton and Boulder, both members of the Green Burial Council, now offer the first Green Burial Council-certified burial and cremation products and services available in the Denver area. Dignity Memorial has also made a generous donation to Colorado Open Lands, and is promoting the ability to establish an honorarium for family and friends to donate to Colorado Open Lands on behalf of their loved one.
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Conservation Options for Landowners
Free informational workshop at the San Juan Room in the SLV Education Center in Alamosa this Wednesday, September 22nd from 5 to 8 pm along with free food and drink. See the Flyer for more details. RSVP to info@riograndelandtrust.org - still accepting reservations but hurry! Space is limited!
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The proverb “Good fences make good neighbors” may be intentionally ambiguous, but as far as land trusts are concerned, clear boundaries should be anything but ambiguous.
In the article, Troublsome Neighbors: Third Party Tresspass and Standing, found in the fall 2010 issue of LTA's Saving Land magazine, Colorado Open Lands, with the help of Faegre & Benson, share their experience in dealing with easement defense. Also hear what happened in a New Hampshire case which ruled against third party interpretation of a conservation easement.
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COL will purchase conservation easements over two adjacent ranches covering 4,370 acres in the South Platte River Corridor in northwest Washington and southwest Logan Counties. The ranches lie between Prewitt Reservoir and Interstate 76 and serve as large areas of open space that provide highly scenic views of the reservoir and a rural landscape to travelers along I-76. Read the full details.
The Colorado Great Outdoors (GOCO) Board has awarded Colorado Open Lands (COL) $452,043 for the Prewitt Reservoir Conservation project in Logan and Washington counties.
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Bands for Lands Supports Colorado Open Lands
Want a different way to support Colorado Open Lands? How about playing in a game tournament or listening to music? Bands for Lands, an organization dedicated to communicating the message and practice of sustainability, conservation and social awareness issues through music, the creative arts, and inspirational speakers, has chosen Colorado Open Lands to be one of the beneficiaries of their efforts. Visit their website, www.bandsforlands.org to find information on upcoming events, including:
- The “Rock Paper Scissors” tournament is held every third Tuesday from 7-10pm at Three Kings Tavern in Denver, and
- The Underground Music Showcase produced by the Denver Post, July 22nd-25th.
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We are one of only 26 certified non-profits operating in Colorado. As of January 1, 2010 all non-profit entities that hold a conservation easement for which a tax credit is claimed must be certified.
Colorado Open Lands was recently certified by the State of Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Real Estate.
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Colorado Open Lands is honored with Best of Business Award for 2009 by the Small Business Commerce Association.
Using statistical research and consumer feedback, the SBCA identifies companies throughout the country that have best demonstrated the elements which make small businesses a vital part of the American economy. The selection committee chooses the award winners from among the nominees based upon statistical research of performance. The committee also considers information taken from its own monthly surveys; a review of consumer rankings, and other ratings and reports.
2010 News Articles
- Congratulations to Reeves and Betsy Brown of the 3R Ranch who are the winners of "The Friends of Open Space Award"! Watch the video below to learn how they are using innovative ranching techniques and constant monitoring to turn the 3R Ranch into a model for Holistic Range Management. And to ensure the future health of their ranch the Brown's have worked with Colorado Open Lands to secure a conservation easement on their land, and have become advocates of land conservation for other ranchers.
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Case for the Private Partner: Landowners ease into conservation:
On a bluebird spring day, Jeff Crane stands beside
Highway 92 where it crosses the North Fork of the Gunnison River just outside of Hotchkiss, a small town on Colorado’s Western Slope. With his hands tucked in the pockets of comfortably-worn Levis, Crane looks up and down the river, surveying the results of his handiwork.
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Trinchera Ranch's owner responds to Chieftain editorial on the public utility dispute.
Mr. Bacon responds to an editorial published in the Pueblo Chieftain which was attempting to blame Trinchera Ranch owner Louis Bacon for Xcel’s recent decision to reduce its solar commitment to the San Luis Valley.
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Dieter Erdmann, our Director of Conservation Operations, was just named one of CSU's Center for Collaborative Conservation Fellows!
The purpose of the CCC Fellows Program is to strengthen engagement among students, faculty, conservation practitioners and other stakeholders by promoting collaborative research, education and action on critical issues concerning conservation and livelihoods on landscapes around the globe.
2009 Press Releases
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Brenda Biondo, a Colorado writer and photographer, is auctioning one of her fine art prints, Sego Lily, on eBay to support Colorado Open Lands' work.
To honor Earth Day on April 22, Colorado photographer Brenda Biondo is auctioning one of her botanical images of native plants to benefit Colorado Open Lands! The seven-day eBay auction starts April 16 and ends on Earth Day, with 100% of the selling price donated to the land trust. You can also see her work at an exhibit at the Whole Foods upstairs cafe at 870 S. Colorado Blvd, beginning March 26th.
2009 News Articles
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Peak to Prairie in the News:
- If Colorado’s mountains are like the heart and lungs of the state, its streamside environments are the veins and arteries. Click here for Pueblo Chieftain article.
- Everyone, it seems, has wanted a piece of the Hanna Ranch. Click here for Colorado Springs Gazette article.
- Fountain Creek needs millions - Pueblo Chieftain article.
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Congress approves landmark conservation bill - this includes the South Park National Heritage Area.
The Democratic-led U.S. Congress gave final approval on Wednesday to sweeping land and water conservation legislation that environmental groups praised as one of the most significant in U.S. history. The measure, a package of more than 160 bills, would set aside about 2 million acres -- parks, rivers, streams, desert, forest and trails -- in nine states as new wilderness and render them off limits to oil and gas drilling and other development.
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Salazar Names Land Conservation Leader Will Shafroth Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has named Will Shafroth, a land conservationist executive and founding director of the Colorado Conservation Trust and Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund, as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The appointment does not require Senate confirmation.
Good things are happening on Fountain Creek - in our Peak to Prairie Area . A recent Peublo Chieftain article highlights the accomplishments.
2008 Press Releases
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Colorado Open Lands is proud to announce that we are one of the 1st land trusts in the nation to be accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission!
We are one of 38 land trusts across the country that was selected to pilot the new program in 2007. Land trusts that were selected to participate represent a diversity of land trust sizes, geographic locations, and types of land protected.
Read More! See related article here.
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Brenda Biondo-
Writer and photographer, has generously offered to donate 20% of any sales from her store or website to Colorado Open Lands during September and October! Her botanical scanographs (digital photographs made on a flatbed scanner) will be on sale from her website (www.foundflora.com) and at Lulu's Furniture and Decor Store (2553 South Colorado Boulevard 106, Denver, CO 80222) . Please see related Denver Post article here.
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Colorado Open Lands Protects nearly 14,ooo acres on Beatty Canyon in Southeast Colorado.
Considered to be a' diamond in the rough', this property borders the Purgatoire River and includes spectacular scenery, habitat for big game species and the ruins of early Spanish settlements. Read More....
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Leading Colorado Conservation Groups Unite for Long Range Plan to Achieve Greatest Conservation Impact-
In the initiative to "Keep it Colorado". Recognizing the need for a comprehensive vision to address the critical challenges Colorado faces as a state, five of Colorado’s leading conservation organizations - Colorado Conservation Trust, Colorado Open Lands, The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and The Trust for Public Land- announced today an unprecedented collaboration and far-reaching conservation vision to preserve Colorado’s iconic landscapes for the decades to come. Read More....
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Photographer John Fielder's latest work -
"Ranches of Colorado", a new book aimed at illustrating the importance of Colorado's Conservation Easement Program for preserving Colorado's ranching heritage, will benefit the Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts, Colorado Open Lands and the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust. Click here to read more .
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Join the Colorado Conservation Partnership for an unprecedented event on April 23rd-
To KEEP IT COLORADO with special speaker John Fielder, nationally-renowned photographer. The Colorado Conservation Partnership includes Colorado Conservation Trust, Colorado Open Lands, The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and Trust for Public Lands.
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Colorado Open Lands is pleased to announce two new Board members, Rebecca Frank of Grand Junction and Scott McInnis of both Grand Junction and Denver.
Additionally, James Lochhead with Brownstein, Hyatt & Farber and Board member for the past 10 years, has rotated off the Board. Read More...
2008 News Articles
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Worth Protecting: Ranchers say conservation easements don’t deserve a black eye. The Pueblo Chieftain interviews the owners of 3R Ranch.
Given the care they have taken with their land for the last quarter century, it seems odd that Reeves and Betsy Brown, owners of the 3R ranch at Beulah, have no grand plan for saving water in the Arkansas Valley. Instead, it’s just a gut instinct that made them decide to speak out on the value of conservation easements at a time when many others are running for cover. Read More....
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Colorado Conservation Partnership Awards $2 Million in Grants To Accelerate Wildlife Habitat Conservation in Colorado
The Colorado Conservation Partnership (CCP) today announced that it has awarded grants to five Colorado land trust organizations whose land conservation projects advance the goals and objectives of the Colorado State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). The five grants total $2 million and are part of the funding CCP received from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to help implement the on-the-ground wildlife conservation projects that Colorado and four other western states identified as priorities in their plans. Read More....
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Colorado Ranches Preserved on Film
By Margaret Jackson, The Denver Post
John Fielder is working on a new book aimed at illustrating the importance of Colorado's Conservation Easement Program for preserving Colorado's ranching heritage. A percentage of sales of his book, "Ranches of Colorado" will go to the Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts, Colorado Open Lands and the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust. Read More Here...
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Park County Recieves National County Leadership in Conservation Award.
By Gary E. Nichols, Park County Office of Tourism & Community Development
The National Association of Counties (NACo) and the Trust For Public Land (TPL) have selected Park County as the national winner in the small population category of the 4th Annual County Leadership in Conservation Award. While this year’s application pool included many accomplished programs, the selection committee was impressed with the high quality of Park County’s resource conservation program, in all respects. Read More.