What do good partnerships look like in the conservation space? This was the focus of a virtual panel discussion Keep It Colorado hosted on May 18. The panel featured four land trusts and four local public agencies, who shared what it takes to build successful partnerships. The dialogue centered on strategies, experiences and lessons learned - and we celebrated the incredible conservation projects that have been the fruit of these partnership efforts!

“Sharing about conservation deals not only allows us to learn from each other and see new ways to be successful, but also is beneficial to community-building with Keep It Colorado.”

— Panel attendee

Topics and Speakers

COFFMAN RANCH

Aspen Valley Land Trust (AVLT) and Pitkin County Open Space and Trails have a long and productive relationship. The land trust was instrumental in helping establish this almost 30-year-old open space program, and since then the two organizations have partnered to conserve over 7,000 acres on many projects. Typically, when Pitkin County buys property that uses Great Outdoors Colorado funding, AVLT will hold the conservation easement; on several projects they co-hold easements.

In 2021, for the first time, AVLT bought a ranch in Carbondale – the Coffman Ranch – for $6.5 million. Pitkin County purchased the conservation easement and public access easement for $2 million. In turn, this helped to fund the purchase of the land. This was an especially innovative partnership since the ranch is located in Garfield County, where there is no public funding mechanism to help fund projects like this, so Pitkin County’s role was pivotal to the success of the project.

Panelists: 1) Suzanne Stephens, Executive Director, Aspen Valley Land Trust, 2) Dale Will, Director, Pitkin County Open Space & Trails

THUMB OPEN SPACE

The Town of Estes Park and the Estes Valley Land Trust have a long history of working together to preserve land and provide public access at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. In 2021, the two entities partnered to save a historic climbing area. This presentation will cover the historic use of the property, confusion about public access and other challenges, amendment of four conservation easements to enhance the conservation values, and the Town of Estes Park’s ultimate ownership and management of the property.

Panelists: 1) Jeffrey Boring, Executive Director, Estes Valley Land Trust, 2) Travis Machalek, Town Administrator, Town of Estes Park

Sandstone Ranch. Photo: Douglas Land Conservancy

SANDSTONE RANCH OPEN SPACE & TRAIL

Sandstone Ranch is a 2,038-acre property owned by Douglas County and protected by a conservation easement held by Douglas Land Conservancy. Located in Larkspur, the ranch is adjacent to the Pike National Forest. The eastern portion of the ranch is open to the public, and the western portion has limited public access due to sensitive ecosystems and Chatfield Reservoir Mitigation Company (CRMC) restricted riparian habitat. The property is also adjacent to the scenic Highway 105, which was once used as the main road between Denver and Colorado Springs, before I-25 was built. Funding to purchase the property came from Douglas County Open Space sales tax funds, Great Outdoors Colorado and CRMC.

Panelists: 1) Patti Hostetler, Executive Director, Douglas Land Conservancy, 2) Melinda Beck, Shareholder, Otten Johnson, 3) Scott McEldowney, Interim Director, Douglas County Open Space and Natural Resources

Slate River. Photo: Crested Butte Land Trust

SLATE RIVER WORKING GROUP

For decades, the Crested Butte community worked to increase multi-season tourism as the region transitioned from a "ski town" to a year-round destination. We are a product of our own success with thousands of summer and winter visitors each year – which puts pressure on local resources. The explosion of stand-up paddle boards on local rivers caused conflicts between recreationists, wildlife, ranching, private property owners, and land management agencies along the Slate River, which runs through the heart of the community. The Slate River Working Group, co-convened by the Crested Butte Land Trust and the Town of Crested Butte, was created in 2017 as a collaboration with stakeholders. The group represents diverse interests and opposing views about how to solve the problem, and remains intact today.

Panelists: 1) Jake Jones, Executive Director, Crested Butte Land Trust 2) Janna Hansen, Director of Park, Rec, Open Space and Trails, Town of Crested Butte