Colorado Open Lands
Spanish Peaks CCA Projects
Big Wall Partners II, LLC
Cantrell Ranch
Cantrell Ranch II
Day Colorado Ranch
Forbes Trinchera Ranch
EP La Veta
2006
Cantrell Ranch II, Huerfano County, 195 acres (351 total acres protected)
Partners: Bruce and Joan Cantrell
Conservation Values: The Cantrells donated a second easement this year on their spectacular ranch located a few miles south of the town of La Veta in southern Huerfano County. The parcel lies directly adjacent to last year’s easement on its north boundary. The Cantrell property is surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the west, the Spanish Peaks to the southeast, and the San Isabel National Forest to the south.
The ranch lies adjacent to and is highly visible from Colorado State Highway 12, which is a designated Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway (a/k/a “Highway of Legends”). Preservation of the Cantrell Ranch continues to provide an opportunity for the general public to appreciate its scenic and open space values as they travel along the highway.
The ranch consists of a dynamic mix of vegetative communities including grasslands, meadows, woodlands, wetlands and riparian areas along the Cuchara River which flows across the middle of the property. In addition to the river, there are several ponds and natural springs that attract various wildlife species including elk, mule deer, black bear, mountain lion, bobcat, and wild turkey.
Kenyon II, Huerfano County, 64 acres (207 total acres protected)
Partners: Doug and Mary Lou Kenyon
Conservation Values: After purchasing the remaining 50% ownership of this small gem in the Wahatoya Valley, the Kenyons wanted to ensure its permanent protection before finding a new owner. Bounded by Wahatoya Creek on the west edge of the property and surrounded by other protected properties, this was one of the last parcels in this special valley that had not been permanently protected.
The Kenyon’s property is a haven for wildlife. The land contains grasslands, oak shrublands, and riparian areas that provide food, shelter, breeding ground, and migration corridors for numerous wildlife species such as mountain lion, elk, mule deer, wild turkey, and numerous songbirds and small mammals. Wahatoya Creek supports a deciduous riparian forest that is important habitat for neotropical migratory birds. There is also a 10-acre wetland in the south central portion of the property, and wetlands around the perimeter of a pond in the center of the property.
The property is also scenically striking, as it is almost completely visually accessible from County Road 360, which runs east of the Property. County Road 360 is a designated Tourist Route and provides access for recreationists on their way to San Isabel National Forest, less than two miles to the south. The Valley is one of the scenic gateways to the San Isabel National Forest and the Spanish Peaks Wilderness and is unique for its geology, particularly the exposed dike called the Big Wall that runs north from the Spanish Peaks.
2005
Cantrell Ranch, Huerfano County, 156 acres
Partners: Bruce and Joan Cantrell
Conservation Values: The Cantrell Ranch is a private ranch that lies a few miles south of the town of La Veta in southern Huerfano County. The property is surrounded by the Sangre De Cristo Mountains to the west, the Spanish Peaks to the southeast, and the San Isabel National Forest to the south.
The ranch lies adjacent to and is highly visible from Colorado State Highway 12, which is a designated Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway (a/k/a “Highway of Legends”) and is open to and actively utilized by residents of Huerfano County and the State of Colorado. Preservation of the Cantrell Ranch will continue to provide an opportunity for the general public to appreciate its scenic and open space values as they travel along the highway. The Cuchara River flows across the middle of the property and there are several ponds and natural springs that attract various wildlife species.
Day Colorado Ranch, Huerfano County, 120 acres
Partners: Corbin Day and Day Colorado Ranch, LLC
Conservation Values: After donating two conservation easements to Colorado Open Lands in previous years, Corbin Day decided it still wasn’t enough! So, after purchasing another 120 acres in 2005, he donated a third conservation easement, adjacent to his other two, all of them in the spectacular Wahatoya Valley in the Southern Rocky Mountains. The location of this easement adjacent to the other two is particularly significant because virtually all the properties in the Wahatoya Valley have also been protected with conservation easements, thereby enhancing the scenic, open space and wildlife values of the Valley.
South of La Veta less than five miles, this property contains grasslands, oak shrublands, and riparian areas that provide food, shelter, breeding ground, and migration corridors for numerous 
wildlife species. Wahatoya Creek, which runs through the property, supports a deciduous riparian forest that is important habitat for neotropical migratory birds. The property also includes potential habitat for rare, endangered or threatened species such as the northern leopard frog, American peregrine falcon, Townsend’s big-eared bat, and Brazilian free-tailed bat. Finally, the property contains a portion of the Big Wall, a remarkable volcanic dike radiating from the Spanish Peaks. This and similar dikes are among the most distinctive geologic and scenic features in south-central Colorado.
2004
Forbes Trinchera Ranch, Costilla County, 81,400 acres
Partners: Forbes Trinchera, Inc. – a subsidiary of Forbes, Inc.
Conservation Values: The spectacular Trinchera property comprises the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains between the towns of La Veta and Fort Garland, south of Highway 160. This conservation easement is the largest donated easement in Colorado history and confines any future development on the property in perpetuity.
The ranch includes Harrison, Napoleon, Trinchera and Cuatro Peaks and is drained by the upper seven miles of Trinchera Creek. The ranch’s size, elevation and climate contain a rich diversity of ecotypes, from alpine tundra to subalpine forests with piñon-juniper, cottonwood riparian systems, and forbs and grasses as well. Wildlife, particularly big-game species, are abundant, including elk, big-horn sheep, mule deer, black bear and lion. Bald and Golden eagles frequent the property and trout populate the drainages.
The Forbes Trinchera Ranch is the largest remaining undeveloped land parcel within the historic Sangre de Cristo land grant, which dates to 1843. Purchased by the late Malcolm Forbes in 1969 as a family retreat, the property has been managed since that time to maintain and enhance its ecological values.
2003
EP La Veta, Huerfano County, 50 acres
Partners: Eric and Paula Moskowitz
Conservation Values: The property contains a wide variety of agricultural, ecological, open space, riparian and wildlife values and is a significant component of the Wahatoya Valley’s natural habitat and agricultural history. Not only does the property contain seasonal grazing areas for livestock, but it also contains significant riparian habitat and provides grazing and cover for local deer and elk populations. In addition, the property provides habitat for local populations of black bear, coyote, fox, and other species of wildlife.
Its location is particularly significant because it is adjacent to other lands that have already been protected with conservation easements held by the Grantee. Complementary protection like this enhances the scenic, open space and wildlife values of this property as well as adjacent lands, including the San Isabel National Forest.
Henson, Huerfano County, 70 acres
Partners: Jerry and Elizabeth Henson
Conservation Values: The Henson property contains a wide variety of conservation values, including agricultural, ecological, open space, and wildlife values that are of great importance to the people of Huerfano County. Specifically, the property is a significant component of the Wahatoya Valley’s natural habitat and agricultural history, as well as containing seasonal grazing areas for livestock.
In addition, the property provides habitat for local populations of mule deer, elk, black bear, coyote, fox, and other species of wildlife. The property is also adjacent to other lands that have been protected by conservation easements held by Colorado Open Lands, thereby enhancing the scenic, open space and wildlife values of the property and adjacent lands.
2002
Big Wall Partners, LLC, Huerfano County, 80 acres
Partners: Corbin Day, Big Wall Partners LLC, Ralph Jones, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Conservation Values: This property consists of mixed mountain shrub (piñon-juniper/oak woodland), montane grasslands, “improved” meadows and riparian woodlands that will remain in a natural or agricultural, and largely undeveloped condition. Approximately one-quarter mile of Wahatoya Creek runs through the property. Wahatoya Creek is a tributary of the Cuchara River, which, in turn, is located within the headwaters of the Arkansas River.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife has identified the property as part of the winter, severe winter, and overall range for American elk (Cervus elaphus) and Mule deer (Oedicoleus hemionus) in the area. Continued development pressures on the south side of the Spanish Peaks has caused a shift in the range of the local elk herd, and for this reason, preservation of the Wahatoya Valley has been a priority for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Colorado Open Lands. This property contributes regionally to the largely scenic, open, and agricultural landscape of the Wahatoya Valley.
Big Wall Partners II, LLC, Huerfano County, 130 acres
Partners: Big Wall Partners II LLC, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Conservation Values: The Big Wall partners II LLC conservation easement protects a significant component of the Wahatoya Valley’s natural habitat and agricultural history. Specifically, the property contains significant riparian habitat and provides important wildlife habitat for a variety of species including elk, mule deer, black bear, mountain lion, wild turkey, as well as numerous species of small mammals and birds.
The property affords spectacular views of Mount Mestas and Silver Mountain to the northeast, the Wet Mountains to the north, the East and West Spanish Peaks to the Southeast and South, and the Big Wall and Sangre de Cristos Range to the southwest. Furthermore, the property contains a portion of the “Big Wall,” a 100-foot granite dike that extends for three miles from the base of the Spanish Peaks like a great rampart. Preservation of the Big Wall parcel clearly enhances the scenic, open space, and wildlife values of the adjacent protected lands and the Wahatoya Valley.
Lein Ranch, Huerfano County, 74 acres
Partners: Landowner Stephen Lein, his sister Sandra Bozony, and friends Bill and Leslie Gust
Conservation Values: Stephen Lein was a unique individual. He spoke five languages, the result of a legacy of nine years in the Peace Corps and teaching abroad on three continents. However, while his formal training was as an educator, his love was nature. When he returned to the United States, he settled outside Walsenberg on 80 acres he grew to know better than any of his languages.
His dying wish was to see the land protected in perpetuity, and cared for by his close friends, Bill and Leslie Gust. Stephen’s sister, Sandra Bozony, fulfilled his wish by having his estate grant a 
conservation easement to Colorado Open Lands, and deed the remaining interest to the Gusts.
The property’s varying terrain includes piñon-juniper woodlands, a riparian area in Walsen Arroyo, and dramatic rock outcroppings. Together these habitats form a biologically rich area containing a high number of plant and animal species. Springs on the Arroyo are very important to local wildlife populations, and provide one of the best mountain wetland communities in the area.
2001
Kenyon, Huerfano County, 143 acres
Partners: Ronald and Marilyn Whitney, Corbin Day, Ralph Jones
Conservation Values: When this parcel suddenly came up for sale, Ralph Jones, a local landowner and land protection advocate, approached Colorado Open Lands about collaborating on what was to be one of Colorado Open Lands’ most complex deals to date in the valley.
Jones convinced his neighbors, Ron and Marilyn Whitney and Corbin Day, to purchase the subject property, place a conservation easement on it and then sell the protected property to a conservation buyer. The prospective buyer, Doug Kenyon, agreed to purchase the property subject to an easement that would allow for one reserved homesite in a location that would not significantly impact the conservation values on the property.
In the end, all parties involved benefited from the transaction. In exchange for their donation of the easement to Colorado Open Lands, the Whitneys and Day were eligible for a mix of federal tax deductions and state tax credits. More importantly, the Whitneys, Day, and Jones all benefited from restricting development rights on a significant piece of property in the immediate vicinity of other lands they owned. Finally, the new owner, Doug Kenyon, was able to acquire a property at a lower price (due to the easement) he could afford and, through his purchase, contribute to the on-going protection of the valley.
1999
Indian Creek, Huerfano County, 878 acres
Partners: Joe and Sheryl Branney
Conservation Values: Just west of La Veta and the Wahatoya Valley, Joe and Sheryl Branney’s generous donation of a conservation easement on Indian Creek Ranch permanently protects nearly 900 acres, including over two miles of Indian Creek and 200 acres of irrigated hay meadows.
Developers had slated Indian Creek Ranch for a residential development and two golf courses. Instead, elk will continue to have an important migratory path to the San Isabel National Forest, waterfowl will continue to use two large ponds on the ranch, and unspoiled views of Mt. Maestas, Goemmer Butte, and the Spanish Peaks will be preserved.
Meng, Huerfano County, 166 acres
Partners: Bill and Betsy Meng
Conservation Values: The Meng property is a significant component of the Wahatoya Valleys natural and protected habitat. By protecting their land, Bill and Betsy Meng have ensured that the eastern ridgeline of Wahatoya Valley running through their property is safe from residential development.
Their conservation easement also ensures that important wildlife habitat remains undisturbed. The property and the intended uses are complementary to, and consistent with, the nearby San Isabel National Forest, and adjacent private property which is also held subject to conservation easements.
Whitney, Huerfano County, 197 acres
Partners: Ron and Marilyn Whitney and Eremitic, LLC
Conservation Values: Because of Ron and Marilyn Whitney’s foresight and generosity, nearly one mile of the Wahatoya Creek, a portion of the ‘Big Wall’, a renowned geologic feature, as well as irrigated hay meadows and important historical structures are all permanently protected from development now.
In addition to protecting their own land, Ron Whitney has been instrumental in helping Colorado Open Lands develop conservation easements with neighboring landowners that now cover almost the entire valley. His passion for wildlife and habitat protection has truly been a gift to Colorado Open Lands