Colorado Open Lands
Northern Front Range CCA Projects
Alverson
Bauman
Bee Farm
Bee Farm II
Hidden Valley
Hidden Valley II
Hofmeister Farm
J. Parrish Ranch
Kaplan-Hoover Bison Bone Bed
Litzenberger Farm
Monaghan Farms
Neal Property
Oliver/JCK Gravel
Pluss Property
Rockwell Farm
Waggener Farm
Waggener Community Park Deed Restriction
2007
Kaplan-Hoover Bison Bone Bed, Larimer County, 0.85 acres
Partners: River West PUD Community Association, Colorado State University Department of Anthropology, with funding from Colorado State Historical Fund
Conservation Values: The Bone Bed property is located on a steep slope in the midst of a fully-developed subdivision and was initially slated for a residential home to be constructed. In the process of modifying a steep slope to accommodate a house, workers uncovered the edge of a large bed of bison bones. Upon discovering the bison bone bed, the owner at the time, Lester Kaplan, halted construction until the site could be further examined. Between one-third and one-half of the site has been excavated by Colorado State University and later restored to its natural condition. Kaplan subsequently donated the bones and other artifacts to Colorado State University.
The site has great archaeological, ethnographic, and cultural value. In fact, it has been established to contain the only archaic-age bison kill in Colorado, and to represent the largest such archaic-age kill known for North America. It is the location of ancient hunting and butchery events containing the remains of over 200 bison, nearly 3000 years old. This is a rare type of archaeological site of national, as well as state-level significance. Future archaeological research projects on the unexcavated remainder of the site may be permitted after approval.
In 2004, the River West Homeowners Association, with matching funds provided by Kaplan, was awarded a grant from the Colorado State Historical Fund to purchase the lot containing the Kaplan-Hoover Bison Bone Bed with the intent of preserving the site. Due to the site’s close proximity to the Poudre River trail and educational plaques established along the trail and at the site, the bone bed also has educational value for residents of River West and the public.
Waggener Community Park Deed Restriction, Larimer County, 39.5 acres
Partners: John Michael Waggener
Conservation Values: After protecting 35 acres through the Waggener Community Park conservation easement (see 2006 projects), Mike Waggener placed a deed restriction on the remaining portion of this farm property before selling it, too, to the Town of Berthoud. The Waggener Community Park Deed Restriction land considerably enhances its neighboring conservation easement property by permitting active recreation uses such as ball fields, an amphitheater, recreation center, basketball courts and more. Nestled against the conservation easement land on the north and west sides, the two collectively ensure that Berthoud can meet one of the widest ranges of recreation and educational activities possible for many decades to come.
2006
Litzenberger Farm, Weld County, 115 acres
Partners: Michael & Kathryn Litzenberger, with funding from Great Outdoors Colorado, USDA Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, Town of Mead and Boulder County
Conservation Values: More than half of Weld County contains Natural Resource Conservation Service prime-classified agricultural lands. In fact, with an estimated 2.5 million acres being farmed as of 2002, Weld County ranks as the third leading agricultural area in the United States. However, the threat of farmland conversion is extraordinarily high, as farmland continues to be converted to development at a breath-taking rate. County leaders anticipate that as many as 225,000 people could move to southwest Weld County in the coming decades.
Sitting smack in the middle of this rapid development is the Litzenberger Farm. With 100% prime rated soils and good water rights, the Farm is used for agricultural production of sugar beets, pinto beans, wheat, and other row crops. Before Mead’s Open Space Plan had cooled from the printer, the Open Space Committee was already meeting with the Litzenberger family to discuss a conservation easement purchase, including water rights, on the Farm. As one successful grant proposal followed another, negotiations began in earnest and despite two blizzards, successfully closed on schedule!
Waggener Community Park, Larimer County, 35 acres
Partners: John Michael Waggener, with funding from the Town of Berthoud
Conservation Values: After four generations of Waggeners have grown corn, Coors barley, forage sorghum, pinto beans and sugar beets, Mike Waggener now finds his farm bounded to the east by an elementary school and residential neighborhoods and on the south and west by a major subdivision and planned commercial development.
A desire to preserve the land’s idyllic nature, yet with recognition of the Town’s growing size, Mike chose to get creative: he protected the land permanently from residential and commercial development through a conservation easement, and then sold the same parcel to the Town of Berthoud for future use as a community park. As a park, the land will be used for passive uses only, such as walking and bike riding, with interpretive information for public education purposes.
Berthoud, located just off the busy I-25 corridor, is in the center of the rapidly growing Northern Front Range and until this purchase, was on the verge of having insufficient park resources for its residents. Now, Berthoud has dramatically raised its residents’ quality of life through this historic and unique purchase and Mike Waggener has left a true legacy to his community.
2005
Bee Farm II, Larimer County, 104 acres
Partners: Philip Bee, Bees Incorporated
Conservation Values: This year’s conservation easement is an amendment to last year’s donation to the west and will double the size of the easement, bringing the total protected acreage on the Bee Farm to 209 acres.
The Bee Farm is southeast of Wellington, at the corner of County Road 58 and 3, and provides significant scenic value to the public traveling on these roads. No residences exist on the portion of the farm on which an easement will be donated, although the right to build a horse barn has been reserved.
Because the property is in irrigated agricultural use, it also possesses agricultural conservation values. Finally, Box Elder Creek runs through the southwest corner of the property and provides modest, small mammal wildlife habitat. Because the Wellington State Wildlife Area (320 acres) is across the road from the Bee Farm, preservation of this farm will also provide a buffer to the Wildlife Area.
2004
Alverson, Larimer County, 66 acres
Partners: Ron and Mary Ann Alverson
Conservation Values: Ron and Mary Ann Alverson’s property contains a surprising diversity of landscapes and habitats and thus, many conservation values. After going through the County’s rural land use process and obtaining approval to build two more homes, the Alversons decided that only one more home would be enough. They eliminated one of the home sites and permanently protected the rest of the property with a conservation easement.
The Little Thompson is one of the few major canyons in the foothills of the northern Front Range that is not traversed by a road, and it is also undammed, resulting in a natural cycle of spring flooding that adds to the health and complexity of the vegetation and diversifies the habitat. Also, because the property has not been heavily grazed by livestock and is believed to have never been cultivated, the natural habitat is of even greater value to the area’s wildlife. This river corridor contains a variety of riparian trees and shrubs that support diverse wildlife, especially songbirds.
In addition, the open nature of the property complements the nearby Rabbit Mountain Open Space land owned by Boulder County and Redtail Ridge Open Space owned by Larimer County, and is visible to members of the public that recreate on both open spaces.
Hidden Valley II, Larimer County, 103 acres, (202 total acres preserved)
Partners: Scott Charpentier and Backbone Investments
Conservation Values: This parcel is directly north of Scott’s donation in 2003 and is also very close to Devil’s Backbone Open Space, which lies west of Loveland and is owned by Larimer County. While Scott could have placed the limited number of homes he planned for the property on a prominent ridge top along the property’s eastern boundary, he decided to cluster them at the base of the ridge instead, significantly decreasing their visual impact on the adjacent public land to the west and maintaining the integrity of the valuable wildlife habitat on the ridge.
Much of the steeper eastern portion of the land is dominated by mountain mahogany, skunkbush sumac, and a diverse community of grasses and forbs which have high value for browse, cover, and forage for mammals and avian species. Because of the immediate proximity to public open space, the property also provides a visual buffer and continuation of the open space already present to the west in Devil’s Backbone Open Space.
Monaghan Farm, Weld County, 58 acres
Partners: Tom Deline, Robert Deline, and Annabelle Deline
Conservation Values: The Monaghan Farm has been the premier thoroughbred breeding and training facility in Colorado since the mid-1950s, when it was built by Henry and Neta Monaghan. Operated by the Monaghan Family, the Farm has stood many of the outstanding thoroughbred stallions in the state. In addition, many of the state’s best thoroughbred race horses were foaled, raised, and trained at the Monaghan Farm.
Initially contemplating a mixed use development of their land, the family now intends to preserve this historic farm and maintain a commercially viable equestrian center for Northern Colorado. By preserving this open space, the Monaghan Farm will provide an important scenic buffer between the commercial/industrial and inevitable residential development in the City of Brighton and the adjacent agricultural properties in Weld County.
2003
Bauman, Larimer County, 525 acres
Partners: Mark and Nancy Bauman
Conservation Values: This conservation easement represents Colorado Open Lands’ first easement in the Virginia Dale region of Larimer County. The Bauman conservation easement is located in a biologically complex, fascinating transition area between the Great Plains to the east and the Rocky Mountains to the west. Because of this transition area, the property is a haven for a wide variety of plant and animal species, some of which are characteristic of the plains, while other are characteristic of the mountains.
From a development perspective, the property is located in an area with few permanent residents, and mostly large land holdings, some of which are protected from development, and is therefore secluded. The property harbors a short stretch of Dale Creek, a perennial stream, with a riparian shrubland plant community growing along its banks. The property also has a small area of wet meadow that is supported by a seasonal spring. Most of the property contains ponderosa pine - scrub woodland and foothill prairie plant communities and is used for livestock grazing.
Bee Farm, Larimer County, 106 acres
Partners: Philip Bee, Bees Incorporated
Conservation Values: The conservation easement restricts all future development, leaving it available for continued farming or conversion to natural habitat, a condition that would nicely complement the Wellington State Wildlife Area across the street. The easement also protects a portion of Boxelder Creek, and allows for a County trail easement through the southwest corner of the property. Located at the northwest corner of two well-traveled county roads, the conservation easement will also protect significant scenic views across the farm and to the Rocky Mountains to the west.
Although the Bee Farm has not actually raised bees (or honey), it has had a busy past producing hay crops and pasture for livestock. The Farm is approximately 290 acres in size, and the Bee family has initiated the process of pursuing a cluster development along the northern edge of their farm, on the least productive farmland. Wishing to preserve the better-irrigated portions of the farm, the family has donated a conservation easement on the western half of the farm and hopes to protect an additional 100 acres in 2004.
Hidden Valley, Larimer County, 99 acres
Partners: Scott Charpentier and Backbone Investments
Conservation Values: Colorado Open Lands closed on a 99-acre conservation easement donated by Scott Charpentier and Backbone Investments, proving that once again, less is more. While Scott could have more than 70 houses on the 168 acres he owns, the land is directly east of Devil’s Backbone Open Space, owned by Larimer County, and the development would have been out of place, next to such a stunning scenic area.
Instead, Scott pursued a small-scale, clustered development through the Larimer County Rural Land Use Process that will result in something much more appropriate to the adjacent Open Space and surrounding area, and will offer a buffer to the open space as well. As a buffer, the easement provides additional wildlife habitat to that of the Open Space, and because the development is below some scenic cliffs, will protect potential bird habitat as well.
Hofmeister Farm, Larimer County, 120 acres
Partners: Jim and Dianne Hofmeister with funding from the Town of Berthoud, the Governor’s Office of Smart Growth, Great Outdoors Colorado, and the Farm & Ranchland Protection Program
Conservation Values: Good things do come to those who wait! Colorado Open Lands’ initial contact with Jim and Dianne Hofmeister was in the spring of 1999, and our conservation easement negotiations weathered numerous changes in their family, skyrocketing water values, and shifting local and national political priorities. The constant throughout all of this, however, was their strong desire to permanently protect their rich agricultural land that lies along the highly scenic eastern entrance into Berthoud.
The 120-acre conservation easement that the Hofmeisters bargain sold to Colorado Open Lands is a very special property for a number of reasons. The farm provides outstanding views of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains and is part of a large, continuous expanse of working farmland that offers significant open space and scenic values to local residents and the general public. Comprised entirely of irrigated farmland, the Hofmeister Farm and surrounding farms contain some of the highest quality agricultural soils in Colorado.
Preservation of the agricultural values of the property are important both for the high productivity of the land, and the important role agriculture plays in the economic and social character of the local and regional community. Lastly, the Hofmeister family and project partners are hopeful that the successful funding and completion of this project will encourage other agricultural families in this corridor to pursue protection their farms as well.
Pluss Property, Weld County, 101 acres
Partners: The Pluss Family
Conservation Values: The Pluss family came to Colorado Open Lands through Todd Hodges Design, an innovative land planning company that places high importance on environmentally sensitive development. It was Todd who suggested they first consider the donation of a conservation easement on their 120-acre property before proceeding with plans for a limited development. Doug enthusiastically supported the idea, and a 101-acre conservation easement was donated to Colorado Open Lands in August.
Among the conservation values of the property are wildlife habitat in the southwestern portion of the property that mule deer, coyote, eastern cottontail, red wing blackbird, magpie, ring-necked pheasant, western meadowlark and red-tailed hawk frequent. The seasonally wet nature of this portion of the property also provides potential habitat for deer mouse, prairie vole, meadow vole, house mouse and western harvest mouse, red fox, striped skunk and raccoon.
The Pluss’ property also offers scenic and open space resources associated with the views of the Rocky Mountains in the distance and the primarily open nature of the property in a developing area. Nearly two-thirds of the property is also classified as ‘Prime Farmland if irrigated.’
While future management plans for the property have not been set, the Pluss’ are considering returning the property to native prairie, which will increase the wildlife habitat and resources of the land further, while still preserving the high-quality soils for possible future reversion back to an agricultural use.
Oliver/JCK Gravel, Weld County, 37 acres
Partners: Kathy and Floyd Oliver, Colorado State Parks, St. Vrain Open Space and Trails Coalition (Municipalities of Dacono, Erie, Firestone, Frederick, and Longmont; Boulder and Weld Counties)
Conservation Values: This project was a direct result of the up-front planning work of the St. Vrain Trails and Open Space Coalition partners listed above. Colorado State Parks was the principal partner of this project and is the holder of the conservation easement.
The Oliver property remains in a substantially undisturbed, natural state and therefore has significant ecological, open space, riparian, scenic, and wildlife values. More specifically, it borders the St. Vrain River and provides outstanding natural habitat to many species of wildlife, including deer, waterfowl, hawks, herons, fox, bald eagles, and others. According to the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, the property also contains potential suitable habitat for a variety of both globally and state rare and/or imperiled species. With significant wetlands on it, the property complements the ecological viability of nearby Barbour Ponds State Park and lands owned by the City of Longmont.
Finally, because the Oliver property is located on the north side of Highway 119, it has tremendous scenic value to the traveling public, will provide visual relief in the future from urban development and will serve as a buffer between I-25 and the City of Longmont.
2001
Neal Property, Weld County, 100 acres
Partners: Berthoud Land Conservation Fund, with funding from the Town of Berthoud
Conservation Values: The project preserves significant open space and valuable farmland in a rapidly developing area and complemented the Town’s land protection efforts along the Little Thompson River.
Dennis Neal had a vision of preserving the majority of his property as open space and agricultural land while serving as an amenity to the planned limited development nearby. By employing this technique, Mr. Neal not only preserved in perpetuity the natural features and open space of his property, but also created value that will be realized in his conservation development venture.
Rockwell Farm, Weld County, 77 acres
Partners: Jeff and Clinton Rockwell and the Berthoud Land Conservation Fund, with funding from the Town of Berthoud and the Governor's Office of Smart Growth
Conservation Values: Located approximately three miles southeast of the small, agricultural community of Berthoud, The Rockwell Farm has been in the family for over 100 years.
Recently, the family has witnessed a rapid increase in the amount of development in the area. With a desire to continue the family farm, receive some much-needed income, and not feel pinched by the encroaching growth, the Rockwells were referred to the Berthoud Land Conservation Fund and its five-year partnership with the Town of Berthoud and Colorado Open Lands.
With guidance from the BLCF Steering Committee, expertise from Colorado Open Lands, and funding from Berthoud, a bargain-sale purchase of a conservation easement on the farm’s eighty acres was possible. Transaction costs were covered with a grant from the Governor's Office of Smart Growth.
The farm includes a productive hay field, row crops, cattle pasture, and a portion of the Little Thompson River, all of which will now be permanently protected. Sitting at the corner of two county roads, the farm will also forever protect excellent views of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, and keep the majority of the water rights on the farm.
2000
J. Parrish Ranch, Larimer County, 428 acres
Partners: Jesse and Donna Parrish, Curt and Jennifer Heckrodt, the Berthoud Land Conservation Fund, and Larimer Land Trust with funding from Larimer County, the Town of Berthoud, and Great Outdoors Colorado
Conservation Values: This unique and committed partnership resulted in the protection of 390 acres of remarkable land. Larimer County purchased the westernmost 320 acres of the property with help from a generous donation from the Heckrodts and an open space grant from Great Outdoors Colorado. In addition, the Parrishes donated a conservation easement to the Larimer Land Trust on the eastern 70 acres of the property.
The Parrish Ranch supports a rich variety of vegetation, and subsequently serves as excellent wildlife habitat for large and small mammals, songbirds, raptors, butterflies and fish. The Ranch includes a mile of ridgeline that is prominent in the mountain backdrop west of Berthoud and serves as the foreground for the view of Longs Peak and Mount Meeker from the Town of Berthoud, US Highway 287, and Interstate 25. Preventing the development of ridgeline homes on this land has preserved this trademark view.
The western portion of the ranch also supports a high quality occurrence of Bell’s Twinpod, a plant found only in Colorado. Finally, with development already encroaching from the north, the protection of the J. Parrish Ranch provides an additional buffer to Boulder County’s existing Rabbit Mountain Open Space from further development.