Colorado Open Lands

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In the past 5 years, we've protected over 123,900 acres with conservation easements valued at over $122 million dollars!

South Park CCA Projects

2007

Carey Ranch, Park County, 160 acres
Partners: James Carey, The Gabrielle Patricia Carey Trust, Deirdre White, and Cathleen Breidenbach, with funding from Park County
Conservation Values: The Carey Ranch is a private inholding within the Pike National Forest. Entirely surrounded by public lands, the property is an oasis for wildlife – a mixture of aspen forest, montane grassland, and riparian shrubland in a sea of conifers. The Carey Ranch is located in the Puma Hills between South Park and the Tarryall Creek Valley. Allan Creek and two other unnamed tributaries cross the property, with more than 1.6 miles of associated riparian habitat. The Carey Ranch supports more than 30 acres of wetlands, and a globally rare grassland community. Rocky outcrops on the property support a species of rare and imperiled fern.

Wahl Coleman Ranch III, Park County, 430 acres (1,611 total acres preserved)
Partners: JBS Family Enterprises, Lenz Family Partnership
Conservation Values: The third conservation easement on the Wahl Coleman Ranch protects scenic views from U.S. Highway 285 and encumbers the historic ranch headquarters. The buildings comprising the Ranch headquarters were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Consisting primarily of irrigated hay meadows, the conservation easement ensures that critical water rights will remain tied to the ranch in perpetuity, and that breathtaking South Park scenic entry views will be protected forever.

2006

Allen Creek Ranch II, Park County, 140 acres (300 total acres preserved)
Partners: Elmore Partners, LP, with funding from Park County, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the Hillsdale Fund, Inc, and Great Outdoors Colorado through the South Park Basin Legacy Project
Conservation Values: This highly scenic property is located along Park County Road 77 and abuts the Pike National Forest. Park County Road 77 accesses over 200,000 acres of public lands administered by the Pike National Forest, including the Lost Creek Wilderness, five public campgrounds and eight trailheads. As such, public use of Park County Road 77 is projected to increase 2% per year over the next 20 years. Preservation of the Ranch will continue to provide an opportunity for the general public to appreciate its scenic values, and will also contribute to the ecological viability of Pike National Forest and the Lost River Wilderness.

In addition to its scenic values, Allen Creek Ranch contains over a mile of Tarryall Creek and supports one of the best examples of globally imperiled montane riparian woodlands comprised of blue spruce and water birch. The Ranch also contains mixed conifer forest, grassland, willow thickets, and irrigated hay meadow.

The project also protects water rights from Tarryall Creek that irrigate a 40-acre hay meadow. Extensive stream restoration and fencing work was implemented on the property in 2005 to decrease erosion, increase riparian habitat and further enhance the high quality habitat for breeding mule deer, elk, waterfowl and songbirds that the Creek provides. Allen Creek Ranch is open to fee-based, limited public fishing on a reservation basis through the South Park Flyfishers program.

Gold Star Patent Group, Park County, 94 acres
Partners: Chiwawa Mines, Inc., with funding from Great Outdoors Colorado, Park County Land and Water Trust Fund and the Hillsdale Fund, Inc. through the South Park Basin Legacy Project
Conservation Values: The Gold Star Patent Group property consists of four patented mining parcels west of Alma that straddle Park County Road 8 in the Pike National Forest. The property is nestled at the foot of a scenic glacial valley, and the public road accesses the Kite Lake trailhead, which serves as a popular base camp for climbing three of Colorado’s “fourteeners.” Park County Road 8 also accesses the Bristlecone Pine Scenic Area, located atop nearby Windy Ridge.

Buckskin Creek tumbles through the property for three quarters of a mile, providing exceptional wildlife habitat. A number of mining relics exist on the property, which at one time supported several aerial trams to convey workers and tailings back and forth from mines placed high on the steep valley walls and cliffs. The conservation easement prohibits future mining on the property and preserves the historical context of the Paris Mill structure on the adjacent Paris Patent Group.

Johnson/Smith Ranch, Park County, 1818 acres
Partners: Flying Horse Ranch, LLC and Lenz Family Partnership, LLLP, with funding from Great Outdoors Colorado, Park County Land and Water Trust Fund, and the Hillsdale Fund, Inc. through the South Park Basin Legacy Project
Conservation Values: The Johnson/Smith Ranch is located in northeastern Park County near the town of Jefferson, and much of the property is visible from US 285 just west of Kenosha Pass. The project complements Colorado Open Lands’ conservation work on the adjacent Wahl Coleman Ranch, creating a combined conservation area of nearly 3,000 acres.

The Johnson/Smith Ranch was one of the original priorities of the South Park Basin Legacy Project because of its scenic beauty and high quality wetland resources that exist on the property. Nearly five miles of Jefferson Creek meander through the Ranch, supporting an extensive willow carr community that serves as a critical elk calving area in the late spring. The property also comprises a significant portion of the Jefferson and Guernsey Creeks Potential Conservation Area as delineated by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, due to the presence of fifteen rare species and communities of interest, mostly related to the Ranch’s extensive wetlands.

Murphy Property, Park County, 20 acres
Partners: Marc and Rose Murphy
Conservation Values: The Murphy Property is located along Park County Road 77, roughly equidistant to the towns of Jefferson and Lake George. The property includes nearly ½ mile of Tarryall Creek, and as such, contributes substantially to Colorado Open Lands’ activities along the Tarryall Creek corridor.

A variety of natural plant communities exist on the property, including nearly nine acres of wetlands and occurrences of a rare fern vulnerable to extinction in Colorado. The Murphy property is included within the Tarryall Potential Conservation Area (PCA) as defined by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. The Tarryall PCA contains a rare river birch/Colorado blue spruce community.

The property also provides dramatic views of Tarryall Creek, the Pike National Forest, and Lost Creek Wilderness from Park County Road 77.

Paris Patent Group, Park County, 160 acres
Partners: Chiwawa Mines, Inc. with funding from Great Outdoors Colorado, Park County Land and Water Trust Fund, and the Hillsdale Fund, Inc. through the South Park Basin Legacy Project
Conservation Values: The Paris Patent Group consists of eighteen patented mining parcels adjacent to Park County Road 8, west of Alma, in the Pike National Forest. The conservation easement preserves dramatic scenic views from the public road and significant wetland habitat associated with Buckskin Creek.

It also prohibits the destruction of the Paris Mill, an historic ore mill built in 1894. The 2001 Park County Heritage Resource Study identified the Mill as the highest priority historic structure for preservation in the County and in 2004, the Paris Mill was recognized as one of Colorado’s Endangered Places by Colorado Preservation Inc.

Colorado Open Lands structured a conservation easement with the landowner, Chiwawa Mines Inc., which anticipates separate ownership of the Paris Mill itself, along with several acres of the property. Ultimately, it is the goal of the Park County Historic Advisory Commission that the Mill will be cataloged and recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, and it is likely that the structure will be renovated for heritage tourism purposes.

Puma Hills River Ranch, Park County, 200 acres
Partners: Steve Allard, with funding from Great Outdoors Colorado, Park County Land and Water Trust Fund, Colorado Division of Wildlife, and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Conservation Values: Puma Hills River Ranch is adjacent to, and visually accessible from, Park County Road 77 and Pike National Forest Road 211 north of Lake George. Park County Road 77 accesses over 200,000 acres of public lands administered by the Pike National Forest, including the Lost Creek Wilderness, five public campgrounds and eight trailheads. As such, public use of Park County Road 77 is projected to increase 2% per year over the next 20 years. Preservation of Puma Hills River Ranch will continue to provide an opportunity for the general public to appreciate its scenic values, and will also contribute to the ecological viability of the adjacent Pike National Forest and the Lost Creek Wilderness.

The Ranch also provides dramatic views of the Tarryall Range and the Lost Creek Wilderness, and contains more than 2.5 miles of Tarryall Creek. Featuring mixed conifer forest, grassland, irrigated hay meadow, and wetlands, the Ranch provides food, shelter, breeding ground, and migration corridors for several wildlife species. Tarryall Creek and its corresponding riparian plant community provide especially high quality habitat for mule deer, elk, waterfowl, and breeding songbirds. The Ranch will remain a working agricultural operation.

2005

Allen Creek Ranch, Park County, 160 acres
Partners: Elmore Partners, LP, with funding from the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Great Outdoors Colorado through the South Park Basin Legacy Project
Conservation Values: The Allen Ranch lies in the Tarryall Creek Valley between Jefferson and Lake George. Park County Road 77 winds through the property, offering dramatic views of the surrounding Tarryall Range and Pike National Forest. The ranch supports blue spruce and water birch, one of the best examples of globally imperiled montane riparian woodlands.

Nearly one mile of Tarryall Creek flows through the property, providing quality riparian habitat for a variety of wildlife, including big game, waterfowl, and other migratory birds. The conservation easement also protects irrigation water rights from Tarryall Creek. Extensive stream restoration and fencing work was done this year to decrease erosion and enhance riparian habitat.

Arrowhead Ranch V, Park County, 170 acres (910 total acres preserved)
Partners: Arrowhead Preserve LLC and The Nature Conservancy, with funding from the Park County Land and Water Trust Fund and Great Outdoors Colorado through the South Park Basin Legacy Project
Conservation Values: For years the Arrowhead Preserve, LLC has worked with The Nature Conservancy and Colorado Open Lands to preserve the Arrowhead Ranch in phases along the South Fork of the South Platte River south of Fairplay. The fifth phase of the project effectively “puts a bow” on what has been a rewarding partnership, protecting a majority of the Ranch.

The 2005 conservation easement protects a one-mile reach of stream and riparian habitat and upland grasslands, including a wetland supporting rare pale blue-eyed grass. This year’s easement also protects well-known striking scenic views from U.S. Highway 285 to the Mosquito Range and Buffalo Peaks. The protection of the Arrowhead Ranch is a crucial component of Colorado Open Lands’ program to preserve the agricultural and natural heritage and scenic beauty of the South Fork of the South Platte River Valley.

Bumgarner Ranch, Park County, 404 acres
Partners: Keith and Charlotte Bumgarner
Conservation Values: Four generations of the Bumgarner family have relied upon the Bumgarner Ranch for their livelihood. Homesteaded in 1923 by Grandfather George Bumgarner, the Ranch is located between the hamlet of Guffey in southern Park County and the Teller County line.

Since the 1920s, private lands surrounding the Ranch have slowly converted to residential and second home use. In 2002, the American Farmland Trust identified the area where the Ranch is located as being “at-risk” of being converted to low-density residential development by 2020. Charlotte and Keith Bumgarner, who have spent most of their lives working the Ranch, stated:

“Over time, we have seen the surrounding country split up in to ten and twenty-acre lots. We feel a real need to protect a small piece of our family heritage and to prevent more land from being subdivided, and our daughters wholeheartedly agree. It is important that some of us begin to step up to the plate for future generations."

The Bumgarner Ranch provides dramatic views of Pikes Peak from Park County Road 102, and contains a variety wildlife habitat types, including wetland and riparian areas, and mature ponderosa pine forests interspersed with montane grasslands. The Bumgarner Ranch provides habitat for elk, mule-deer, coyote, fox, and a variety of migratory songbirds.

Holmestead Ranch II, Park County, 200 acres (360 acres total)
Partners: River Ranch Restoration Company, LLC
Conservation Values: This amendment added 200 acres of highly visible scenic wetlands and pasture, including more than a quarter of a mile of the Middle Fork of the South Platte River, to our existing 160-acre easement. Most of the property, an extensive floodplain and riparian area, has been recognized for its biological diversity by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program.

Law Ranch, Park County, 640 acres
Partners: J&L Ranch Investments, LLLP
Conservation Values: The Law Ranch sits at the base of Thirty-nine-Mile Mountain at the south end of South Park. Sharing over a mile of common boundary with the Pike National Forest, the Ranch provides excellent lower elevation habitat for elk, mule-deer, and other forest species, and scenic views of South Park from public roads on National Forest lands.

The property is hilly and covered with a mosaic of ponderosa-pine dominated forest, grassland, and sub-irrigated montane meadow. “Whether we like it or not, in Colorado we are facing an influx of people who change the nature of the state with their presence” said Jean Law, general partner of J&L Ranch Investments, LLLP. “Conservation easements are a means of blending value systems to protect large chunks of private lands from future development.” The Law Ranch blends complementary values through its use primarily as a family retreat, and grazing leases during the growing season.

Lazy River Ranch II, Park County, 69 acres (140 total acres preserved)
Partners: Philip & Sheila Halstead, with funding from the Park County Land and Water Trust Fund and Great Outdoors Colorado through the South Park Basin Legacy Project
Conservation Values: The Lazy River Ranch lies in the Tarryall Creek valley between Jefferson and Lake George in Park County. This highly scenic property is located along Park County Road 77 and abuts the Pike National Forest on three sides.

It is comprised of forest lands, grassland, irrigated hay meadow, and wetlands that provide food, shelter, breeding ground, and migration corridors for a variety wildlife species. Containing nearly a mile of Tarryall Creek, this part of the Lazy River Ranch provides especially high quality habitat for breeding mule deer, elk, waterfowl, and songbirds. The amendment and restatement of the conservation easement completes the protection of the Lazy River Ranch.

Lone Rock Ranch LLC, Park County, 840 acres
Partners: Lone Rock Ranch, LLC
Conservation Values: The Lone Rock Formation is a signature sight along US Highway 285 and Park County Road 43, and most of the Ranch is also visible to the public from these roads. With six natural plant communities on the property – mixed montane forest, Douglas-fir forest, successional aspen forest, lower montane grassland, lower montane willow carr, and wet montane meadow – the Ranch provides habitat for wide-ranging wildlife species such as mountain lion, elk, mule deer and black bear that prefer low levels of human occupation. Lone Rock Ranch also includes a 1 ½ mile stretch of Deer Creek providing a home to aquatic species, including a trout fishery.

Neukirch III, Park County, 760 acres (2400 total acres preserved)
Partners: David & Carol Neukirch and The Nature Conservancy, with funding from the Park County Land and Water Trust Fund and Great Outdoors Colorado through the South Park Basin Legacy Project
Conservation Values: Over the past three years, Dave and Carol Neukirch have quietly and incrementally preserved their long-held family ranch south of Fairplay. Their vision to preserve the Neukirch Ranch benefits imperiled Mountain Plovers that breed and nest there, protects the underground hydrology that feeds wetlands at The Nature Conservancy’s High Creek Fen Preserve, and preserves stunning views of the Mosquito Range and Buffalo Peaks from U.S. Highway 285.

The third and final Neukirch Ranch conservation easement abuts lands owned by the State of Colorado that are enrolled in the State Land Stewardship Trust program. These Stewardship Trust lands protect a variety of habitat types, including riparian habitat along Sheep Creek and ponderosa pine and spruce-fir woodlands at the base of Black Mountain. Taken with adjoining conservation projects and public lands, the final phase of the Neukirch Ranch contributes to a protected area of over 6,500 contiguous acres on the western flank of South Park.

Santa Maria Ranch II, Park County, 1,480 acres (2,560 total acres protected)
Partners: George Meyers & Merrill Wilson, with funding from Ames Construction, Inc, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, The Hillsdale Fund, Inc., and Great Outdoors Colorado through the South Park Basin Legacy Project
Conservation Values: The amendment and restatement of the Santa Maria Ranch conservation easement completes the protection of the Ranch, a National Historic District containing more than ten historical buildings representing over 100 years of ranching heritage in South Park (1859-1959).

The Santa Maria Ranch is bordered by the Tomahawk and Badger Basin State Wildlife Areas, which are popular for fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing throughout the summer and fall. The ranch also lies within one mile of Reinecker Ridge State Wildlife Area, an area of critical habitat for mountain plover, elk, and antelope.

The portion of the Santa Maria Ranch protected this year consists primarily of short-statured grasslands, and includes important communities such as a playa lake and several hundred acres of emergent wetlands, a declining wetland type. The completion of this project ensures that the historical and biological resources of the Santa Maria Ranch will be preserved and that users of adjacent public lands will benefit from the scenic and open space values of the ranch.

Wahl Coleman Ranch II, Park County, 475 acres
Partners: JBS Family Enterprises
Conservation Values: This year’s conservation easement protects critical irrigated hay meadows lying between land protected in a conservation easement in 2004, and Highway 285. This conservation easement ensures the permanent protection of productive hay fields, along with the field’s associated water rights. The water rights are a critical component to the long-term viability of the hay fields, which in turn are an integral part of the ranch. Also permanently protected are important wildlife habitat and the beautiful scenic views that are provided by the ranch to those traveling along Highway 285.

2004

Arrowhead Ranch IV, Park County, 260 acres (740 total acres conserved)
Partners: The Nature Conservancy and funded by Great Outdoors Colorado and the Park County Land and Water Trust Fund
Conservation Values: Containing a combination of montane palustrine wetlands along the river, and mixed montane forest and lower montane grasslands on the uplands, the ranch is critical to the overall protection of the South Fork of the South Platte River corridor. The preservation of the entire Arrowhead Ranch is a multi-year effort being led by The Nature Conservancy that will take several years to accomplish.

Hart Ranch II, Park County, 549 acres, (1,042 total acres preserved)
Partners: Landowners Don and Jane Hart of Crawford, with funding from Great Outdoors Colorado, The Nature Conservancy, The Park County Land and Water Trust Fund, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Conservation Values: The final phase of the Hart Ranch project preserved an additional mile of Fourmile Creek. The first phase of the Hart Ranch project preserved more than a mile of Fourmile Creek, tributary to the South Fork of the South Platte River, an exceedingly rare wetland community, and nearly 100 acres of breeding and nesting habitat for Mountain Plover, a declining grassland bird species. The project also protects views of Pike’s Peak and the Mosquito Range along U.S. 285, south of Fairplay.

Kahtanka Ranch, Park County, 1,400 acres
Partners: Colorado Open Lands and The Nature Conservancy worked closely to preserve the Ranch, the final conservation easement acquisition project funded through Colorado Open Land’s 1 million dollar North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant, received in 2002. Additional funding was provided from Great Outdoors Colorado through the South Park Basin Legacy Project.
Conservation Values: The Kahtanka Ranch is located in an area of South Park known as “The Basin,” an expansive grassland known for supporting large numbers of elk and pronghorn today and American Bison in the past. The lower portion of the property contains over 1,000 acres of breeding and nesting habitat for Mountain Plover, a declining grassland bird species.

The dominant feature of the Kahtanka Ranch is a large natural amphitheater ringed with aspen and bristlecone pine overlooking the grassland. Geologically, the property is an extension of the Reinecker Ridge complex, a 50,000-acre natural area largely owned by The Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management.

Lazy River Ranch, Park County, 70 acres
Partners: Philip and Sheila Halstead of Lake George, with funding from Great Outdoors Colorado, the Park County Land and Water Trust Fund, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Conservation Values: Tarryall Creek is tributary to the South Platte River, and its meandering valley provides some of the most scenic views in Park County. More than a mile of Tarryall Creek winds through the protected property, supporting a superb trout fishery and high quality riparian and wetland habitat.

The property is highly visible from Park County Road 77 and buffers Pike National Forest on three sides. Protection of the property will ensure that these habitats and scenic views are protected, while allowing for continued agricultural production.

Neukirch II, Park County, 840 acres (1,640 total acres preserved)
Partners: Dave and Carol Neukirch, Park County, with funding from Great Outdoors Colorado and the South Park Basin Legacy Program
Conservation Values: For years, Dave and Carol Neukirch have worked with The Nature Conservancy to develop a land protection plan for their ranch that will ensure the preservation of its high quality Mountain Plover breeding and nesting habitat and protect the subsurface hydrology that feeds The Nature Conservancy’s High Creek Fen Preserve. The open nature of the Ranch provides spectacular views of the Mosquito Range and Black Mountain.

This fourth generation ranching family relies upon their long-held land for their livelihood and felt that preserving the ranch was both an acknowledgement of their past and a gift to future generations.

Salt Works Ranch, Park County, 550 acres
Partners: The Fanning Family and Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust, with funding from Great Outdoors Colorado and the Park County Land and Water Trust Fund through the South Park Basin Legacy Project
Conservation Values: The Salt Works Ranch has been designated as a Colorado Centennial Ranch by the Colorado Historical Society, having been operated continuously by one family for over 140 years. The ranch, homesteaded in 1862, derives its name from saline springs present on the property.

During the 1860’s, the Salt Works commercially processed salt for use in mining and ranching and was one of a few sources of salt in what was to become the state of Colorado. The salt-processing facility and the ranch headquarters are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The ranch has more than 400 acres of hay ground with senior water rights from Salt Creek and is highly scenic. The ranch is entirely surrounded by public lands and supports elk, pronghorn, and mountain plover.

Santa Maria Ranch, Park County, 1,080 acres
Partners: George Meyers and Merrill Wilson of Conifer, with funding from Great Outdoors Colorado, the Park County Land and Water Trust Fund, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Conservation Values: The 2,560-acre Ranch is a National Historic Landmark that contains roughly 1¼ miles of the Middle Fork of the South Platte River, including substantial wetland and riparian habitat supporting globally imperiled plant species. The property contains more than ten historical buildings representing over 100 years of ranching heritage in South Park (1859-1959).

The ranch is bordered up and downstream by the Tomahawk and Badger Basin State Wildlife Areas, which are popular for fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing throughout the summer and fall. The Middle Fork of the South Platte River that bisects the Santa Maria Ranch is designated as Gold Medal trout water.

During the mid-1990s, CDOW reported that this section of the Middle Fork contained “more trout biomass per mile of stream than any other river in Colorado.” This segment also supports populations of deer, elk, antelope, black bear, and a variety of migratory waterfowl. The ranch also lies within one mile of Reinecker Ridge State Wildlife Area, an area of critical habitat for mountain plover, elk, and antelope.

This conservation project ensures that the historical and biological resources of the Santa Maria Ranch will be preserved and that users of adjacent public lands will benefit from scenic and open space values of the ranch.

Wahl Coleman Ranch, Park County, 701 acres
Partners: JBS Family Enterprises
Conservation Values: The Coleman Ranch dominates the magnificent view when descending the Pass from the east. Surrounded by the peaks along the Continental Divide, the ranch has a lush beauty and a landscape marked by extensive meadows, forested slopes, and upland grassland.

An extreme rich fen, a very rare plant community, supports two globally rare and eight state-rare species. In addition, the ranch provides diverse wildlife habitat, including a very large wintering elk herd, numerous migratory waterfowl, deer, antelope, blue grouse, and raptors.

2003

Arrowhead Ranch III, Park County, 160 acres
Partners: This project is the fifth easement that has been directly funded through Colorado Open Land’s North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Grant. This diverse public/private partnership began taking shape in 1998 and has been building momentum ever since. At the core, the South Park partnership includes Park County, Colorado Open Lands, The Nature Conservancy and the South Park Wetlands Focus Area Committee (SPWFAC). The SPWFAC includes representatives from the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the US Forest Service, the Natural Resource Conservation Services, The Colorado Natural Heritage Program, the Upper South Platte Watershed Coalition, the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, several private resource specialists, and many key private landowners. Colorado Open Lands’ success in South Park would not have been possible without the support and guidance of this partnership and the commitment of the private landowners.
Conservation Values: Containing a combination of montane palustrine wetlands along the river, and mixed montane forest and lower montane grasslands on the uplands, the 160 acres is critical to the overall protection of the South Fork of the South Platte River corridor. The preservation of the entire Arrowhead Ranch is a multi-year effort being led by The Nature Conservancy that will take several years to accomplish.

DM Ranch II, Park County, 247 acres (612 total acres preserved)
Partners: Landowner Mick Buyer, with funding from Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund Board, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), the Colorado Wetlands Initiative Program, Park County Land and Water Trust Fund Board, The Nature Conservancy, and Park County
Conservation Values: Colorado Open Lands successfully closed on the second and final conservation easement on the DM Ranch. The second conservation easement protects another key segment of the South Fork of the South Platte River. The ranch was identified early in 2000 as one of several priority ranches in the South Park because of its significant ecological and open space values. (See description of DM Ranch in 2002.)

Farrar Ranch, Park County, 212 acres
Partners: Landowners Pete and Katherine Spahn
Conservation Values: Due to the Spahn’s generosity, Colorado Open Lands has continued to successfully preserve significant portions of the South Fork of the South Platte River. The property contains nearly three-quarters of a mile of the South Fork. In combination with the Sweetwater Ranch conservation easement acquisition, which borders the Farrar Ranch to the north, these landowners have created a protected area encompassing more than a mile of stream corridor and wetland and riparian habitat.

Story: Pete and Katherine Spahn worked with Colorado Open Lands and the Palmer Foundation in the eighties to preserve their ranch near Black Forest, Colorado. When the Spahns learned of Colorado Open Lands efforts to preserve unfragmented portions of the South Fork of the South Platte River in South Park, they knew that they could contribute to the endeavor.

The Spahns had held a family property along the South Fork for years. Utilized mainly as a family retreat, the Spahns felt that the donation of a conservation easement was consistent with their long-term vision for the property.

Hart Ranch I, Park County, 493 acres
Partners: Landowners Don and Jane Hart, with funding from Great Outdoors Colorado, The Nature Conservancy, The Park County Land and Water Trust Fund, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Conservation Values: The first phase of the Hart Ranch project preserves more than a mile of Fourmile Creek, tributary to the South Fork of the South Platte River, an exceedingly rare wetland community, and nearly 100 acres of breeding and nesting habitat for Mountain Plover, a declining grassland bird species. The project also protects views of Pike’s Peak and the Mosquito Range along U.S. 285, south of Fairplay.

Story: This is the first conservation easement closed funded by Great Outdoors Colorado’s South Park Basin Legacy Project. A partnership between Park County, Colorado Open Lands, The Nature Conservancy, and the South Park Wetlands Focus Area committee, the South Park Basin Legacy is a three year project that will protect over 13,000 acres of private lands in South Park, including over 30 miles of riparian stream corridor.

Meyer Property, Park County, 102 acres
Partners: The Meyer Family
Conservation Values: The conservation easement protects an important inholding within the Pike/San Isabel National Forest, including wildlife habitat and productive irrigated hay meadows.

Story: The Meyer Family had searched long and hard throughout central and southern Colorado to identify a property suitable for preservation. In the summer of 2003, while returning from a weekend scouting trip, they found it. Driving along a national forest access road, the family soon found themselves at the top of a beautiful, secluded valley. As they drove down the valley they soon encountered a ranch headquarters and realized that they had unknowingly entered onto private land.

Eager to announce themselves and to explain the mix-up, they learned from the landowners that the valley was threatened by small-lot residential development. The property had been platted into six lots in the early 1900’s, and having few other assets, the landowners were selling them one at a time. The Meyers purchased the property and placed it under a conservation easement, restricting further residential development.

Neukirch I, Park County, 800 acres
Partners: Landowners, Dave & Carol Neukirch, The Nature Conservancy, Colorado Open Lands, Park County
Conservation Values: For years, Dave and Carol Neukirch have collaborated with The Nature Conservancy to develop a land protection plan for their ranch that will ensure the preservation of its high quality Mountain Plover breeding and nesting habitat and protect the subsurface hydrology that feeds TNC’s High Creek Fen Preserve.

This fourth generation ranching family relies upon their long-held land for their livelihood, and as such felt that preserving the ranch was both an acknowledgement to their past and a gift to future generations. In 2003, the Neukirchs donated a conservation easement to TNC on 800 acres of their 3000-acre ranch. Colorado Open Lands and Park County were able to aid the Neukirchs in their donation by providing limited funding through the South Park Basin Legacy Program.

Sweetwater Ranch, Park County, 262 acres
Partners: Landowners, Bill Gordon and Susan Baker, Colorado Open Lands, the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund, the Park County Land and Water Trust Fund, and the national Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Conservation Values: The Sweetwater Ranch is highly visible from U.S. Hwy 285, south of Fairplay and abuts the Colorado Division of Wildlife’s Knight-Imler State Wildlife Area on two sides. The property encompasses a short stretch of the South Fork of the South Platte River and contains several extreme rich fen wetland plant associations, in addition to ponds and spring seeps.

Gordon and Baker have pursued several habitat improvement projects in the past, including the creation of shallow emergent wetlands for waterfowl breeding, riparian fencing and adaptive management, and stream channel restoration. The two intend to continue to use the property for cattle ranching, horse boarding, wildlife watching, and other recreational uses.

The preservation of the Sweetwater Ranch builds upon Colorado Open Lands past accomplishments along the South Fork of the South Platte River, including the DM Ranch and Arrowhead Ranch conservation easement acquisitions. The Sweetwater Ranch also abuts the recently preserved Farrar Ranch, creating a protected area totaling roughly 475 acres, bounded up and downstream by the Knight-Imler and 63 Ranch State Wildlife Areas.

2002

Arrowhead Ranch II, Park County, 160 acres
Partners: The Nature Conservancy, Colorado Open Lands, Landowners with funding from North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grant
Conservation Values: Situated directly downstream from the DM Ranch, the easement will contribute to the ecological integrity of the South Fork of the South Platte River and conserve significant natural habitat for wildlife and plants.

Containing a combination of montane palustrine wetlands along the river, and mixed montane forest and lower montane grasslands on the uplands, the 160 acres is critical to the overall protection of the river corridor. Preservation of the stream corridor and associated uplands on the Arrowhead Ranch directly compliments the easement Colorado Open Lands closed on the DM Ranch a month earlier.

The preservation of the entire Arrowhead Ranch is a multi-year effort being lead by The Nature Conservancy that will take several years to accomplish.

DM Ranch, Park County, 365 acres
Partners: Landowner Mick Buyer, Park County Trust Fund, North American Wetlands Conservation Act
Conservation Values: In terms of natural and biological values, this easement possesses agricultural, riparian, ecological, open space, scenic, and wildlife values. Specifically, the property contains large contiguous tracts of meadows, hay, and grass pastures suitable for the production of livestock and hay crops.

It also has an important riparian corridor with attendant wetlands, which provide for substantial biodiversity, including a globally rare extreme rich fen. The easement has large tracts of open space comprised of montane grassland, willow shrub, and various tree species; and relatively natural habitat with a variety of wildlife species, including elk, mule deer, red fox, mountain lion, black bear, migratory songbirds, and waterfowl.

Hartsel Springs Ranch, Althusen Parcel, Park County, 3,508 acres
Partners: Landowner, Park County, and Great Outdoors Colorado
Conservation Values: This conservation easement represents the second project that Colorado Open Lands has completed on Hartsel Springs Ranch and this easement will strongly compliment other ongoing land protection efforts in the immediate area. The lower portions of the property contain large contiguous tracts of meadows, hay and grass pastures suitable for the production of livestock and hay and includes the riparian corridor and the attendant wetlands.

While portions of the property have been overgrazed, Colorado Open Lands is planning on working with the landowners to develop appropriate grazing practices that will help restore the grasslands. The uplands possess montane grasslands, willow shrub and various trees and which provide natural habitat for a variety of wildlife species.

2001

Arrowhead Ranch, Park County, 160 acres
Partners: Colorado Open Lands, The Nature Conservancy, Park County, South Park Wetlands Focus Area Committee (SPWFAC). The SPWFAC includes representatives from the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the US Forest Service, the Natural Resource Conservation Services, The Colorado Natural Heritage Program, the Upper South Platte Watershed Coalition, the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, several private resource specialists, and many key private landowners.
Conservation Values: The easement will contribute to the ecological integrity of the South Fork of the South Platte River and conserve significant natural habitat for wildlife and plants. Containing a combination of montane palustrine wetlands along the river, and mixed montane forest and lower montane grasslands on the uplands, the 160 acres is critical to the overall protection of the river corridor. Preservation of the stream corridor and associated uplands on the Arrowhead Ranch directly compliments the easement COLORADO OPEN LANDS closed on the DM Ranch a month earlier.

Holmestead Ranch, Park County, 160 acres
Partners: Landowner Don Holmes
Conservation Values: For Don Holmes, the donation of a conservation easement on his property was the culmination of years of work. Don searched long and hard throughout the Rocky Mountain Region to locate a satisfactory recreational fishing property that was suitable for long-term protection. After four years of searching, the Douglas County resident found the 160-acre property practically in his own backyard.

Under his ownership, a mile-long stretch of the Middle Fork of the South Platte River has undergone extensive habitat restoration, enhancing the wildlife values of the property. The property also contains natural wetlands, upland grasses, and forest.

Through the donation of conservation easement to Colorado Open Lands, he has ensured that these values will be protected in perpetuity. Don said, “I recognize that the resale value of the property may be significantly diminished. However, I genuinely believe that it’s more important to preserve open lands and rivers for their natural beauty and to provide habitat for wildlife of all kinds, particularly trout.”

2000

Hartsel Springs Ranch, Park County, 705 acres
Just south of Hartsel in South Park, is Hartsel Springs Ranch, a development of some numerous residential homesites. Colorado Open Lands agreed to hold a conservation easement on two parcels within the development.

Hartsel Springs Ranch Site A, consisting of 295 acres of essentially agricultural, land lies to the south of State Highway 9 east of Hartsel. As a condition of the easement, the landowners will apply to Park County to vacate four residential subdivision roads formerly graded into the landscape.

Site B, a 410-acre parcel, also lies next to State Highway 9, but spans a portion of the South Fork of the South Platte. This drainage supports significant biological communities and performs essential water quality functions and provides irreplaceable habitat for many species of wildlife, especially birds. Both sites are very visible to the traveling public.

Warm Springs Ranch, Park County, 355 acres
Partners: Landowners Don & Jane Hart, The Nature Conservancy, Great Outdoors Colorado, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
Conservation Values: One of the special treasures in South Park is High Creek Fen. To preserve this biologically significant wetland, the water sources feeding the fen had to be protected. The landowners, Don and Jane Hart, first donated a conservation easement to Colorado Open Lands on their land and subsequently sold the ranch and its associated water rights to TNC.

As Don Hart put it, “My family and I are delighted this land can forever remain as we have known it. This project will demonstrate that water conservation, endangered species habitat management and agricultural grazing can not only coexist, they can be mutually beneficial.”

This easement not only furthers Colorado Open Lands’ community conservation efforts in South Park, but also meets the objectives of The Nature Conservancy, Great Outdoors Colorado, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

1997

Indian Mountain, Park County, 400 acres
Conservation Values: Thanks to the generosity of a farsighted landowner, a very small community will be built on a 400-acre parcel in Park County using an approach that recognizes the intrinsic relationship of people, nature, and technology.

Indian Mountain A conservation easement, donated to Colorado Open Lands, will ensure that 90% of this spectacular property remains undeveloped. The donor wanted the property to be used for “education, promotion, development or demonstration of opportunities to appreciate and improve environmental quality, energy efficiency, and use of renewable resources leading towards sustainable communities.” Working with students from his classes at the University of Colorado, Gregory Franta, FAIA, of Ensar Group in Boulder, is leading the effort to create this special community which will take many years to complete.