PUEBLO, Colo.—Pronghorn race along a grassy landscape dotted with cholla cactus between watering holes surrounded by trees.
A hawk swoops down and comes up with a snake in its talons.
A coyote kicks up its heels.
And that’s just what you can see through the windshield at the Chico Basin Ranch, an 87,000-acre chunk of state land carved out of the path of development in the 1990s by the State Land Board to preserve the prairie landscape.
Three-quarters of the ranch lies in northern Pueblo County east of Interstate 25, west of the Transportation Test Center and north of the airport.
Duke Phillips, 53, whose family’s 25-year lease with the state began a decade ago, is happy to stop and talk about the wildlife on the ranch, but pointedly educates visitors about the importance cattle ranching plays.
In his mind, you don’t get one without the other.
The state lease allows Phillips to run cattle on the ranch, but also requires opportunities for recreation, demonstration of wise land use and education.
“I feel we’ve gone way beyond that,” Phillips said, resting an arm on the tailgate of his parked GMC pickup truck. “In order to preserve ranching for the future, you have to build bridges with the people from town.”
Up to 2,000 people visit the ranch each year, coming in a variety of ways: horse riders, hunters, fishermen, cyclists, birders, photographers, schools, universities.
The ranch offers hunting clubs, ranch adventures, vacation packages and classroom activities, as well as hosting special events. Information is available on the Chico Basin Ranch Web site.
Even more critters stop by.
“Any time you get a little water out here, you have an oasis,” said Michael Trujillo, area wildlife manager for the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
As an area open to contract hunting, Chico Basin rates very highly. In fact, the ranch received the Division of Wildlife’s Landowner of the Year award this year.
“There is almost a duty (for ranchers who allow private hunting) to pay attention to wildlife, so hunters have a good experience,” said wildlife officer Jeremiah Johnson.
Phillips sees the wildlife as part of a landscape he is working to protect, using principles that were in place long before man set foot on the ground.
“We try to take wildlife, domestic animals, people, neighbors and the land all into consideration,” Phillips said.
About 1,400 head of cattle are run on the ranch, and the number is low for a reason.
Phillips draws a compelling image of the American West when bison roamed the land.
“On arid land, the bison would graze, knocking the old dry matter down as mulch as they went, helping the land,” Phillips said.
He runs his ranch in a way that mimics that, never allowing the cattle to graze too long in one area in order to give the land time to recover. That creates a wealth of habitat for wild species, and the ranch is rich with pronghorn, deer, birds and other animals as a result.
“Responsible grazing enhances the health of the land, and all ranchers want that,” Phillips said. “Drought and bad economics sometimes force ranchers to push too hard.”
The ranch has a variety of landscapes, ranging from sand hills in the northeast corner to a string of five small lakes to numerous springs and patches of riparian environment. It’s a patchwork that encourages species diversity.
The ranch has a scattered collection of buildings, including a ranch house that serves as headquarters and an old school house.
The land was put together with State Land Board parcels and the purchase of the Box T Ranch in 1993. Before that, there were proposals for large developments on the land. Other ranches in the area are still being eyed for development.
The Phillips family was chosen for the lease from a variety of proposals made in 1999.
In managing the ranch, Phillips works with groups like the Nature Conservancy, Native Plant Society, Audubon, Sierra Club and the Quivira Coalition, a group devoted to solving rangeland conflicts.
At first, Phillips found it daunting, because groups like that might raise questions about how the ranch was being run.
“I was wondering if people would start pointing fingers,” he said.
Instead, Phillips has found all advice to be helpful and directed toward reinforcing his vision of a working ranch that preserves the land while providing education.
“I’ve been working in ranches my whole life, and this was the opportunity to have my own operation. I’m living my dream,” Phillips said. “The part of me that wants to save the world and share that knowledge is what I do here.”
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