Sep 30, 2026
Bergen Tjossem
Trust Our Land
Permanently conserving land and wildlife habitat is difficult. It’s technically complex, it takes years and the ground is always shifting. Laws change, land values climb, landowners’ needs evolve and challenges like wildfire risk, drought, and community growth add dynamic layers that organizations like the Eagle Valley Land Trust must navigate to get the work done.
Thankfully, we’re not in it alone. The Eagle Valley Land Trust is one of about 480 accredited land trusts nationwide, each meeting national standards for ethics, sound finances and lasting stewardship. Along with many partner organizations, we’re all working with landowners and trying new conservation tools. Each year, hundreds of conservationists gather at the Land Trust Alliance Rally, the country’s largest conference for conservation professionals. This year’s event was in the heart of downtown Denver where our mighty team of six staff and several of our board members joined in.
With Rally in our backyard, Colorado had a chance to show off. More than 35 Coloradans, including land trust staff, partners and Tribal leaders, took the stage as speakers. Our team attended sessions on conservation easement monitoring (making sure protected land stays protected, year after year), communications and community outreach, new mapping techniques, project finance and many other topics. We also engaged with peers testing innovative strategies to protect land, water and wildlife. We came home with plenty of ideas worth borrowing and stacks of notes on how we can continue to improve and grow our local impact.
Conservation In Colorado
Keep It Colorado, our statewide network of land trusts, helped welcome the hundreds of conservation leaders from across the country. Most land trusts like Eagle Valley Land Trust have small teams, and big projects happen when many partners work together. Keep It Colorado helps land trusts of every size share resources, train staff and advance the policies that make conservation possible.
Compared to many states, Colorado has significant conservation funding advantages. Great Outdoors Colorado, or GOCO, was created by voters in 1992 to invest a portion of state lottery proceeds in parks, trails, wildlife and open space, including projects right here in Eagle County, like the Brush Creek Valley Ranch and Open Space in Eagle.
Colorado also offers a Conservation Easement Tax Credit for landowners who permanently protect their land. This year, the legislature, led by Western Slope sponsors Rep. Elizabeth Velasco and Sen. Dylan Roberts, extended the tax credit through 2036 with bipartisan support.
Conservation on the ballot
Voters will see Proposition 137 on the ballot this year, which would change how some conservation funding is generated.
Colorado already collects sales tax on sporting goods purchases and rentals. Proposition 137 wouldn’t raise that tax or change prices. Instead, it would set aside an equal amount for the outdoors, estimated at about $175 million a year.
Most would be split evenly between GOCO’s conservation, parks, and trails work as well as wildfire risk reduction and forest and watershed health. Smaller amounts would help youth and families get outside and support outdoor jobs. The money would flow through existing state programs, including grants to local governments and land trusts.
There are tradeoffs. Because this money wouldn’t count toward the state’s TABOR limit, it could mean smaller TABOR refunds in some years. And because it changes state law rather than the constitution, lawmakers could adjust the funding later.
To learn more, read the state’s nonpartisan voter guide, the Blue Book, at leg.colorado.gov/ballot.
Join the conversation
On Monday, Oct. 19, Keep It Colorado, Aspen Valley Land Trust, Eagle Valley Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy will host Conservation in Action: Celebrating Policy Champions and Shaping What’s Next at EVLT’s Conservation Center in Edwards.
We’ll recognize Re. Velasco and Sen. Roberts and hear from The Nature Conservancy about what Proposition 137 could mean for conservation. We’ll also hear about other local conservation funding efforts. The event is free and open to the public but requires registration. Learn more at evlt.org.
Walking out of Rally, I was once again refreshed and inspired by the work land trusts like Eagle Valley Land Trust are doing around the country. Protecting land is a big job. With more than a dozen active projects on our plate, we’re thrilled to be collaborating with peers, partners, landowners, and supporters to keep this work moving forward.
Bergen Tjossem is the Eagle Valley Land Trust’s deputy director and can be reached at bergen@evlt.org. Eagle Valley Land Trust conserves land and open spaces in our region forever, for all. Learn more at evlt.org.
This opinion piece was originally published in the Vail Daily: https://www.vaildaily.com/opinion/opinion-trust-our-land-conservation-is-a-team-sport/
