Denver
They weren’t under your tree, but some wonderful conservation gifts were given to Coloradans in 2006, and it’s worth noting them as the year draws to a close.
Roberts Ranch: One of Colorado’s most fabled centennial ranches and an important piece of our cultural heritage was conserved when Catherine Roberts and The Nature Conservancy signed a voluntary agreement legally protecting the historic ranch. The Nature Conservancy will hold the easement, which was made possible through a partnership between Roberts, Great Outdoors Colorado, The Nature Conservancy and private community members. The ranch will continue as a working cattle ranch.
The effort to protect Roberts Ranch and other undeveloped areas in the Laramie foothills is part of the Mountains to Plains project, an ambitious effort to protect more than 55,000 acres of land rich in ecological, cultural, agricultural and recreational resources undertaken by local ranchers, the city of Fort Collins, Larimer County, Legacy Land Trust, GOCO and The Nature Conservancy.
Central Shortgrass Prairie Report: Private landowners and more than 30 academic, municipal, state and federal entities representing Colorado prairies are working to synchronize efforts to protect our vanishing prairies at a landscape-scale. The Shortgrass Prairie Partnership is bringing the best science to bear in order to create a blueprint for conservation action.
Sage grouse: Several conservation projects made important strides in protecting habitat for the Gunnison sage grouse, one of North America’s rarest bird species. The Mesa Land Trust, in partnership with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, signed a voluntary agreement with third-generation ranchers Dori and Jay Van Loan to conserve 1,865 acres of sage grouse habitat west of Grand Junction, near the Utah border. In the Gunnison area, the Gunnison Ranchland Conservation Legacy partnered with Colorado Open Lands and the GOCO Trust Fund to conserve more than 900 acres of sage grouse habitat.
Keystone Gorge: The Nature Conservancy conserved the crashing waterfalls and a meandering river corridor known as the Keystone Gorge. It is the only corridor between the Telluride Valley and Ilium Valley that can provide passage for deer, elk, cougar, bear and other native species. The falls provide water for the main fork of the San Miguel River, and are surrounded by a lush forest of cottonwoods, spruce and alder woodlands that provide habitat for migratory songbirds and rare native fish downstream.
Flaming Gorge: Public agencies and conservation groups celebrated an important victory for both native fish species and collaborative approaches to addressing Western water issues. Water from the Flaming Gorge Dam – one of the largest dams in the American Southwest – will now be released to better mimic natural flow patterns and temperatures. The re- operation of Flaming Gorge Dam is a win for the fish, including many endangered native species that depend on these flows, and an important benchmark for the collaborative process of the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program.
Front Range Fuels Partnership Roundtable: An unprecedented collaborative effort, including individuals representing 30 organizations, produced a comprehensive plan for protecting communities from the risks of wildfire and improving the health of forests across 10 counties along the Front Range of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. This plan, which was endorsed by Gov. Bill Owens, calls for forest- and fire-management activities on more than 1.5 million acres at a cost of about $15 million annually over the next 40 years. The group has already begun implementing the recommendations.
New federal and state laws have significantly improved the tax benefits available for conservation easements. If you own land with important natural resources, donating a voluntary conservation easement can be one of the smartest ways to conserve the land you love and protect America’s natural heritage while maintaining your private property rights.
Passage of the Salt Cedar and Russian Olive Control Assessment and Demonstration Act: Sen. Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar and Reps. Mark Udall and John Salazar played a critical role in passing this bill that will help restore wildlife in and along Colorado’s rivers and streams as well as control two invasive plant species that have severely damaged millions of acres across the country. The legislation authorizes $15 million a year for demonstration projects to control and eradicate these invasive weeds. Colorado is well-positioned to receive a portion of this funding.
One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is to protect our land, our water and our way of life for future generations, and these 2006 gifts do just that.
Charles E. Bedford is Colorado state director of The Nature Conservancy.
