FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS: Chris West, Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust, 303-225-8677, cwest@ccalt.org
Emily Davies, Great Outdoors Colorado, 303-226-4531, edavies@goco.org
DENVER— The Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) is pleased to announce the protection of the 1,000 acre Unaweep Rim Ranch. This is the statewide conservation group’s first large conservation acquisition in Mesa County. The ranch, homesteaded in the 1900s by a Glade Park family consists of more than 10,000 acres of private ranchland. The Unaweep Rim Ranch was protected with funding from Great Outdoors Colorado, along with an anonymous foundation.
Glade Park is unique in Colorado. It has a combination of agricultural land and wildlife habitat located just minutes from Grand Junction. The conservation of the Unaweep Rim Ranch adds to 50,000 acres of protected lands in Glade Park. “We are thrilled to complete this effort with this family and to work side by side with the Mesa Land Trust and Colorado Parks and Wildlife in this landscape,” said Chris West, CCALT Executive Director; about the successful conservation effort.
This traditional ranching family has stewarded this land for four generations. CCALT has been working with the family since 2009 and has protected 3,420 acres to date, including the 1,000 acre conservation easement completed this week.
“If our family had not chosen to protect the ranch with this conservation easement, we might have been forced to sell out for development. If there had been houses lining the Unaweep Rim, that would have broken our hearts. Now we know that will never happen,” said the owners, who have dedicated their lives to cattle ranching in Glade Park.
The sagebrush rangeland and aspen forest are habitat for several big game species. The protection of the ranch is critical to maintaining elk migration corridors. The property also provides habitat for mule deer, coyote, fox, bear, and mountain lion; adjacent to the Grand Mesa National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands.
The ranch overlooks the Unaweep Canyon and affords scenic views for travelers along the Unaweep-Tabeguache Scenic Byway and provides spectacular views of the northern San Juan Mountains, La Sal Mountains, Lone Cone, and the Sawtooths.
“This ranch and family are special and CCALT is honored to be entrusted with the long-term responsibility of permanently protecting this property. There isn’t any place like this in Colorado,” added Megan Knott, the CCALT staffer who has worked with the family for five years to see this project to completion.
Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust protects Colorado's agricultural land, heritage and families for future generations by conserving working rural landscapes. For more information visit www.ccalt.org.
Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces. GOCO’s independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts, and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Created by voters in 1992, GOCO has funded more than 3,500 projects in all 64 counties without any tax dollar support. The grants are funded by GOCO’s share of Colorado Lottery revenues, which are divided between GOCO, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Conservation Trust Fund and school construction. Visit goco.org for more information.
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