Colorado Open Lands
Land Protection Program
The Land Protection Program develops partnerships with landowners, other non-profit conservation organizations, local governments, business people, funding agencies, and state and federal conservation programs to develop and protect conservation easements, ensuring open space and preservation of unique and important resources such as critical wildlife habitat, working farms and ranches, threatened viewsheds, vital wetlands and river corridors Use the map below to select a region, or scroll down to visit the complete region list.
Areas we are currently working in include:
- Denver-Metro Area. Protecting open space in a quickly growing urban area is always a challenge. To date, we have protected 10,983 acres through 38 projects in Denver and the surrounding six counties. (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties)
- Gunnison Basin. This area contains some of Colorado’s quintessentially beautiful mountain valleys, and Colorado Open Lands and its partners have proudly protected 13,354 acres of privately owned working ranches through 40 projects to date. (Gunnison and Saguache Counties)
- North Fork Valley. Bisected by the North Fork of the Gunnison River, this valley consists of primarily public land, with a mosaic of private lands in small scale agriculture. Watercourses from high mesas cut through steep canyons and combine with numerous springs to provide lush vegetation and an unusually diverse biota for the high-desert environment. To date, we have protected 5,331 acres through 35 projects. (Delta County)
- Northern Front Range. Ironically, it is the counties with the richest agricultural soils that are experiencing the greatest growth pressures. To date, we have protected 2,112 acres through 17 projects in this rapidly developing part of Colorado. (Larimer and Weld Counties)
- Peak to Prairie. The vision of the Peak to Prairie project is to achieve landscape-scale conservation by knitting together a series of public and private protected lands to preserve one of the last remaining stretches of unfragmented prairie along Colorado’s Front Range. This regional effort will benefit the local economy, preserve working ranches and critical habitats, and provide a critical link in the Colorado Front Range Trail. To date, we have protected 3,117 acres through 18 projects. (El Paso and Pueblo Counties) Click here for related article
- South Park Basin. South Park is a 1,000-square mile grassland basin in the geographic center of the Colorado that contains over 200 miles of stream and riparian habitat and a globally rare grassland community. Colorado Open Lands has protected a total of 26,648 acres, including nearly 30 miles of riparian stream corridor, through 48 projects to date in this landscape of state and national significance. (Park County) Click here for related article
- South Platte River Corridor. Encompassing a six-county area in the northeast part of the state, this area is comprised of a mosaic of cottonwood and willow forests, irrigated and dryland agricultural areas, and short-grass prairie. This corridor also supports an amazing abundance of migratory bird species. We have protected 10,184 acres through 20 projects to date. (Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, and Washington Counties)
- Southern Sangre de Cristos. This area provides critical winter range for elk and deer, as well as year-round habitat for black bear, mountain lion, wild turkey, and other wildlife. Colorado Open Lands has protected 83,353 acres through 19 projects in the area. (Huerfano and Costilla Counties)
- Wet Mountain Open Space Coalition. Through a landowner initiated effort, Colorado Open Lands has protected 14,904 acres through 39 conservation easements to date. (Pueblo County)
- Individual Landowners. In addition to projects within our Community Conservation Areas, Colorado Open Lands responds to more than 100 inquiries each year from landowners seeking information on conservation options for their land around Colorado. Working with 46 landowners, conservation easements have been placed on 63,021 acres across Colorado to date.
- Government Assistance. Colorado Open Lands provides various government agencies with assistance in both program development and specific land preservation projects important to those communities. Currently all our Government Assisted Projects are located throughout the different areas in which we work.
- Public Access Conserved Properties. Whether you are a Colorado “native,” new resident, or periodic visitor, you probably seek opportunities to work and play outside whenever you can. Thanks to creative partnerships and a vision for the future, residents and visitors alike have even more public open spaces in which to recreate. Here, you will find a list of public parks and open spaces that Colorado Open Lands has assisted with permanently protecting, and on which we hold a conservation easement. Each of these is unique, and offers different recreation opportunities. We hope you enjoy visiting them!