Mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, and fishing are a few of the many activities that attract people to the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado. It is very scenic area, with the Rio Grande River running through the middle of the valley. Adding to the beauty are two iconic mountain ranges that border the valley on each side, the San Juan to the west and the Sangre de Cristo to the east.
The area is also home to very diverse wildlife. Within the San Luis Valley there is a large diversity of migratory birds, endangered species, threatened species, and species of special concern, including the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, the Sandhill Crane, the Northern Leopard frog, the Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout, and Gunnison’s Prairie Dog. Increasing residential and energy development in the area has prompted a proposal to establish the San Luis Valley Conservation Area by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
In addition to wildlife, the San Luis Valley also houses a large agricultural community, which is the basis of the economy. Conservation areas are commonly viewed as bad news for farmers and ranchers. Thankfully, we do not have to choose between agriculture and wildlife in this region.
This conservation area would consist entirely of the acquisition of conservation easements, which means the receipt of payment or donation of the right for further development on a plot of land. By selling conservation easements to the USFWS, these lands are retained within private ownership and any type of management that was occurring at the time of the sale of the easement can continue, including agriculture. These easements will be critical for halting future development, most notably urban and energy development, and to allow the USFWS to work with the landowners to manage the land for the conservation of fish and wildlife under the National Wildlife Refuge System.
But the question remains: Why go through the hassle to sell conservation easements to the government?
Conservation is more than saving species because of their innate worth, though that is one part of it. This conservation area will preserve the valley’s biodiversity, which in this case is most important due to the ecosystem services (services to people that are provided by nature) and ecotourism. When species in an area are lost, so are the services they provide either directly or indirectly.
In an agricultural region, this includes natural pollination and pest control. In addition, this diversity of wildlife brings in thousands of visitors a year through ecotourism. A prime example of this is the Monte Vista Crane Festival, which celebrates the biannual migration of some 25,000 sandhill cranes with incredible viewing opportunities. By protecting the crane’s habitat, we ensure the return of these beautiful creatures each year, along with the conservation funds raised from those lucky enough to witness the event.
This formation of the conservation area is now well underway. Landowner Louis Bacon donated 170,000 acres in the form of conservation easements to the Sangre de Cristo Conservation area, a 250,000-acre subset of the larger 533,000 San Luis Valley Conservation Area, kick-starting the proposed conservation area in 2012. .
Those within the valley have the opportunity to be a part of one of the largest conservation areas in the United States, preserving a unique set of habitat types and the diverse species which live there. Being a part of the San Luis Valley Conservation Area would allow the protection of this beautiful area for many years to come — which is truly a worthwhile investment.
Cat de Vlaming is a third-year student at Colorado State University studying Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. She specializes in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences with emphasis on conservation. The San Luis Valley Conservation Area plan
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