Conservation easement protects 8,690 acres

Posted by egable on September 26th, 2008 filed in Forests, Land conservation

The owners of the Catspaw Ranch in Archuleta County have reached an agreement wit the state and federal agencies that will protect 8,690 acres through a Forest Legacy Program conservation easement.

The easement complements other ongoing conservation efforts conducted by many different organizations and individuals in the Navajo River watershed. The Navajo River, one of Colorado’s most wild and remote rivers, rises in the rugged South San Juan Wilderness in the area south of Wolf Creek Pass. The river’s watershed borders existing protected lands and is highly valued because it is intact and pristine.

The Forest Legacy Program is a federally funded voluntary program that partners with individual states to support and protect environmentally sensitive forest lands. To maximize public benefits, the program focuses on the acquisition of portions of privately owned forest lands. It accomplishes this by purchasing conservation easements without removing the property from private ownership. Most of the easements restrict development, require sustainable forestry practices and protect other values at risk.

Colorado began participating in the Forest Legacy Program in 2000 when then-Gov. Bill Owens (R) petitioned the Forest Service to be included in the Forest Legacy Program, while designating the Colorado State Forest Service as the lead agency.

Projects must provide at least a 25-percent match to qualify for Forest Legacy funds, and Great Outdoors Colorado was an important source of matching dollars for the Catspaw Ranch project.