The sweeping open spaces and striking mountain landscapes of Colorado are a haven for wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts alike. The Fund and its partners have already protected more than 196,000 acres here, including more than 33,000 acres of breathtaking vistas and wildlife habitat along Colorado’s I-25 corridor.

Recent Projects

Snow Mountain Ranch

Each year, YMCA of the Rockies’ spectacular Snow Mountain Ranch reconnects thousands of kids with nature through environmental education programs and other outdoor activities. With the Colorado State Forest Service, U.S. Forest Service and Great Outdoors Colorado, we placed a conservation easement on 2,800 acres at the ranch. The easement safeguards habitat for a variety of wildlife species, including the federally-threatened and state-endangered Canada lynx and the state-sensitive Northern goshawk. The protected land also establishes the foundation for the next generation of healthy forests in an area devastated by beetle damage, while maintaining the water quality of Pole Creek, a source of water for Snow Mountain Ranch, the town of Granby and the region. Preserving this land allows Snow Mountain Ranch to continue its long-standing tradition of providing year-round access to more than 50 miles of world-class hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, horseback riding and biking trails.

Canyon of the Ancients

In November 2009, we helped protect one of the Bureau of Land Management's top priorities by adding 4,573 acres to the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. The property accounts for about 25 percent of the private lands inside the monument and contains 25 documented sites of cultural importance, including Jackson’s Castle (photographed by Willian Henry Jackson in 1874) and the Skywatcher Site, a 1,000-year old Ancestral Puebloan solstice marker. In addition, the monument contains possibly the highest density of cultural resource sites in the nation, with an estimated 700 undocumented sites.

Past Projects

Catspaw Ranch and the Navajo River Watershed

Over the past eight years, we and our partners have protected nearly 30,000 acres within the Navajo River watershed through conservation easements on privately owned ranches. In 2008, we made significant gains, protecting 8,690 acres on the Catspaw Ranch, including the entire East Fork of the Navajo River, thanks to significant funding from the federal Forest Legacy Program. Our efforts continue, as we seek to conserve an additional 40,000 acres in this watershed.

Click here to learn more about this project.

Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park is home to the historic cliff dwellings and other archaeological treasures left by the Ancestral Puebloans who once built a community inside this stark canyon. With bipartisan support from Colorado's congressional delegation, in 2007 we assisted the National Park Service in adding 324 acres to the park, ensuring that visitors to Mesa Verde will enter the park through preserved and scenic land.

The cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park. Photo: Alex E. Promios/Flickr

Antelope Creek

In partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, we acquired the 1,772-acre Antelope Creek natural area to protect habitat for the imperiled Gunnison sage grouse. We transferred the land to the Bureau for inclusion in the agency’s Gunnison Basin Critical Wildlife Area. A 2.5-mile stretch of Antelope Creek runs through the property, forming important riparian areas for sage grouse and other wildlife.

Bair Family Ranch

The Conservation Fund is committed to working with ranching families to protect the rugged expanses that support rural economies, protect wildlife habitat, and preserve a uniquely American way of life.

Like many ranchers across the West, Craig Bair and his brother LeGrande were at a crossroads. Seeking relief from drought and soaring property taxes, the family debated for years whether to sell their historic sheep ranch to developers. The land was valued at more than $20 million.

Click here to learn why the Bair family chose to stay and how we were able to protect their ranchland as working land, recreational space, and a wild haven.

The Pinnacles

Dramatic rock formations called the Pinnacles define a 1,480-acre inholding that, back in 2003, we protected in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and Gunnison County, and with tremendous support from the National Park Service. Situated above the Blue Mesa Reservoir and adjoining the Gunnison National Forest, the lands provide a scenic backdrop for the Curecanti National Recreation Area, home to bighorn sheep, elk and Gunnison sage grouse.

Blue Mountain Conservation Area

The Blue Mountain Conservation Area, flanking the Front Range in the north-central part of the state, is home to elk, mountain lion and black bear. Culminating a six-year effort to protect open space and wildlife habitat here, the Fund collaborated with Larimer County and Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District to acquire 3,400 acres from Hewlett Packard Company. With assistance from the Great Outdoors Colorado program, the county will manage a portion of the property known as Chimney Hollow for outdoor recreation. The remainder will serve as a much-needed water reservoir in one of the state's fastest growing regions.