Between 2010 and 2020, Durango’s population increased by about 13 percent, and that pattern of growth is only expected to continue. It puts great pressure on the natural landscapes. It’s also what inspires Jennifer Thurston to act. “You can see how Durango is growing. Conserving this place is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; it will never happen again. So, it’s now or never,” she said.

Jennifer lives and works at Weaselskin, so named after a Southern Ute Tribe family clan that once resided there. Piñon-junipers feature prominently, and the natural habitat is home to wildlife ranging from swift fox, bear and mountain lion to elk and deer. A sod farm has been in operation there since the 1950s.

La Plata Open Space Conservancy helped conserve Weaselskin thanks in part to a Transaction Cost Assistance grant from Keep It Colorado.

About the project: In southwest Colorado, the town of Durango features a beautiful combination of scenic views, abundant wildlife, an outdoor-recreation wonderland, a local farming and ranching legacy, and tribal lands rich with historical and cultural artifacts and stories. But, like other Colorado gems, Durango’s popularity, combined with the effects of climate change, has significantly altered the landscape. Jennifer Thurston has seen the changes intensify over the decades. Today, she is getting help from La Plata Open Space Conservancy to protect an area that, without any action, would be at risk of disappearing. With a dream to protect the property from development, honor its past and support the community in the future, Jennifer’s strategy is to conserve Weaselskin in perpetuity.

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In the larger San Luis Valley, more than 50 percent of the population is Hispanic. When Josie approached Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust to help conserve her family's ranch, it was a chance to protect this unique piece of land, and also build more relationships and trust with a community that is often overlooked in the conservation arena.

And Josie was driven: "You can always use money, but you will never have the land again. They're not making any more land. We need to do what we can to protect it.”

Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust conserved the Ruybal Fox Creek Ranch thanks in part to a Transaction Cost Assistance grant from Keep It Colorado.

About the project: Fox Creek is a multi-faceted landscape close to Colorado's border with New Mexico. Situated in a dramatic canyon in the foothills of the South San Juan Mountains, Fox Creek is surrounded on three sides by public lands. It’s also near the Conejos River, a fly-fishing paradise. Conservation of this property protects the rich and diverse plant life, the 40+ species of wildlife and 68 bird species who call this place home, and the region’s unique cultural landscape.

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The Mt. Harris ranch is nestled in 17,000 acres of conserved land within Routt County, Colorado. Just 18 miles west of Steamboat Springs and bordered by the Yampa River, the ranch is an outstanding wildlife habitat. Greater Sandhill Cranes and bald eagles forage here. Both are species of Special Concern, and preserving freshwater wetlands, including marshes, wet grasslands and river basins for these birds ensures their survival.

Threats to sandhill cranes include habitat loss, wetland loss and development, which is why conservation of land is critical to their survival. Sandhill cranes are the only crane species found in Colorado and have been part of Colorado's ecology for all of known history!

Sandhills most often eat plants and grains, but also dine on invertebrates and even small mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Their nest sites are almost always closely associated with water and always on the ground. Routt County is a primary nesting site in Colorado, and the Yampa River Valley serves as a resting and feeding area for sandhill cranes during migration season.

These beauties have an interesting and distinctive call: both the males and females make a rattling "kar-r-r-r- o-o-o" sound. In keeping with the calls of the sandhill cranes we say, "Thank y- o-o-o-o u for your support!"

Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust conserved the Mt. Harris ranch thanks in part to a Transaction Cost Assistance grant from Keep It Colorado.

About the project: Located along the Yampa River in Routt County, the Mt. Harris property is located in a former coal production area, and today is an important wetland and riparian habitat corridor. It is home to and provides safe passage for numerous wildlife including elk, mule deer, black bear, moose and mountain lion, as well as range habitat for sandhill crane and bald eagle. Conservation will remove all subdivision rights; limit the total number of permitted residences and residential square footage; and permanently protect a vital segment of the Yampa River corridor.

Read the full story here.

Photo Credit: Michael Menefee

Northwest of Glen Haven in the Estes Valley, the Cheley Colorado Camp's boys' overnight camp sits in a scenic outdoor wonderland. During the summer months kids enjoy educational activities here, and hike along backcountry trails as they take in undisturbed views of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Nearby, a public trail, the Bulwark Ridge Trail, connects to the Comanche Peak Wilderness and Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest where hikers, hunters, backpackers and wildlife watchers alike are living the Colorado dream.

The ponderosa woodlands, spruce-fir forests, open meadows and rock outcroppings that characterize these landscapes are home to wildlife such as elk, bear, mountain lion and lynx.

Permanently protecting these areas at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park is a high conservation priority for Estes Valley Land Trust.

Estes Valley Land Trust is conserving the Cheley I area thanks in part to a Transaction Cost Assistance grant from Keep It Colorado.

About the project: This Larimer County property is adjacent to a Cheley Colorado camp and the Comanche Peak Wilderness. Conservation of this area will protect and enhance scenic open space near Rocky Mountain National Park; significant habitat for wildlife species including elk, bear, mountain lion and lynx; and outdoor recreation and education opportunities – including connected public trails used by hikers, hunters, backpackers and wildlife watchers.

The La Jara Cañon Creek ranch in Capulin, Colorado has 840 acres of working ranchlands and provides public fishing access to local residents, many of whom are underserved or low-income community members. The creek is a gold medal fishing spot, especially for brown trout. Like most fish, the brown trout cannot regulate body temperature, so they need cold waters to survive. The cold waters of La Jara Creek furnish a perfect home for the "brownies."

The ranch also provides excellent wildlife habitat. All 840 acres are mapped as a winter concentration area and severe winter range for elk, and the sensitive riparian corridor is potential habitat for the federally endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher. The floodplain and stream also provide late and early open water habitat for migratory birds, especially teal, pintail and mallards, because La Jara Creek typically does not freeze. This habitat type is rare and limited in the very cold San Luis Valley.

Perpetual conservation of this area protects the habitat, keeps the multi-generational ranch in production, and continues safe fishing access for this poorer region while protecting the streambank.

Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust is conserving the La Jara Cañon Creek ranch thanks in part to a Transaction Cost Assistance grant from Keep It Colorado.

About the project: This working ranchland straddles La Jara Creek near the village of Capulin, one of the poorest communities in Colorado. The property is a critical part of a multi-generational ranch family’s operation in Conejos County, where agriculture provides 26 percent of all jobs. Primarily used for livestock grazing, the ranchlands feature a high-quality trout stream; rich elk and migratory bird habitat; and riparian corridor. Conservation will protect this property and provide public fishing access while protecting the streambank.

Photo: Colorado Parks and Wildlife