Colorado Ranch & Land Blog

A 160-acre property in Colorado near the town of Saguache known as the Laughlin Gulch Property has been granted permanent protection by The Nature Conservancy and the Colorado Cattleman’s Agricultural Land Trust. This special Colorado ranch property lies on the historic Laughlin Stock Driveway which is a route used for over a century by ranchers to drive cattle to and from high country range in the San Juan Mountains. Protection of this property will allow ranchers to continue working cattle, while providing a protected environment for wildlife in the area such as elk, mule deer and bighorn sheep. The Laughlin Gulch property in Colorado is also surrounded by thousands of acres of federal and state land and is considered an important parcel in the scenic San Luis Valley. Known as one of the state’s most biologically significant regions, the Valley contains a variety of sand dunes, wetlands and forests. The Laughlin Gulch easement will help the state protect this valuable land for future generations.

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Thanks to citizens of Arapahoe County, over 12,000 stunning acres of ranch land in Colorado has been granted protection under a conservation easement. The Middle Bijou Creek Ranch south of Deer Trail, Colorado has recently become the largest easement ever granted in either Arapahoe or Elbert County as well as the largest easement granted nationally in the history of the Colorado Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program. This ranch land in Colorado will serve to protect 93 native plant species, four stream systems and the habitat of the western burrowing owl, a species that is currently threatened in the state of Colorado. The easement on this land in Colorado will allow the owners to continue working the ranch and provide a protected future for agriculture, wildlife habitat and scenic views in the area. With building steadily increasing along the I-70 corridor, this conservation easement will also protect precious short grass prairie habitat essential to wildlife in the area.

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The Roan Plateau, covering a 200 square mile area of land in Colorado and Utah from the western Rockies in Colorado to the Utah border is a favorite hunting site for sportsman in Colorado. However, the wildlife in this area is threatened by the increasing population of drilling rigs, oil & gas vehicles, and roads required to maintain them. Local hunters have formed an alliance with fishing and conservation groups to stop the process of opening up part of the Roan Plateau previously off limits to drilling. In 2007, the BLM began offering drilling leases on 70% of the Roan Plateau – approximately 73,000 acres of wilderness, in an attempt at energy extraction. The Plateau is well known by hunters and fisherman as a hotspot for a wide variety of wildlife, and drilling may drastically reduce those wildlife populations. It is the hope of the alliance that their intimate knowledge of the land will help influence a ban on drilling on the Roan Plateau to preserve this area into the future.

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In an effort to educate the public more about land in Colorado as well as the wildlife contained here, the CDW is encouraging people to become volunteers in their CDW Volunteer Program. Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn about Colorado’s diverse wildlife, flora and fauna while receiving the benefit of participating in and learning about wildlife management on Colorado Land. Also, the volunteer program gives people a chance to see what the Division of Wildlife does firsthand. Volunteer hopefuls must be aware of the proper procedures before becoming a volunteer for the CDW. Candidates must properly register, which will include completing a volunteer application form and background check authorization waiver, which is available online or through a volunteer coordinator. Also, people are required to attend a volunteer orientation or complete a self-quiz based on the handbook. Although some work is required, volunteers can expect to receive a fulfilling and enriching experience while helping care for Colorado’s wildlife and land.

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The Brunot land area in southern Colorado is an area of land in Colorado located on the Ute Reservation, covering an area from US 160 on the south to the southern boundaries of Montrose and Gunnison counties, as well as Mineral and Cortez. This land was designated in 1874 when congress approved an agreement between certain Ute Indian tribes and the United States to cede certain land to the United States, but reserve a right for the Utes to hunt certain Colorado land The Brunot agreement will help foster sound wildlife management between the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the southern Ute Indian tribe. Until recently, the Ute tribe has not exercised its rights to hunt and fish these lands, but has been operating a professional wildlife management plan of its own. With the induction of the Brunot agreement, the tribe will adopt rules for hunting and fishing by tribal members within the area in a manner consistent with existing practices.

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In an attempt to combat the negative effects of bark beetles on lodgepole pin, the State of Colorado has adopted a multi-year strategy to address the impacts of the beetle on forest and range land in Colorado. The plan will focus its efforts on wildlife hazard reduction, forest vegetation management and prevention and mitigation actions for recreation and public infrastructure. Included in the plan are activities such as hazard tree reduction, forest health and spraying, hazardous fuel reduction and timber salvage sales. Projects for the upcoming years will be defined as the project develops to ensure that necessary changes are made and that the plan continues to run smoothly. The main areas of focus will include national forest land in Summit, Eagle, Grand, Jackson and Routt counties in the state. This will enable the plan to focus on the most severe areas of attack first. Insect epidemics in other counties will be addressed as the plan progresses.

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Through a diversity of season structures in Colorado this year, waterfowl hunters can expect ample opportunities and liberal bag limits. However, that experience may vary according the when and what they hunt. Early season hunting land in Colorado for native ducks and geese is plentiful thanks to a wet spring, but drought conditions in the high plains and southern Canada may provide fewer migratory animals to the region. Studies by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service showed that waterfowl populations in the state have decreased by 37% this year, with duck populations decreasing by 9% from last year. Cold weather systems will be more likely to push migratory animals south, and hunters should plan their trips accordingly. Unlike duck, however, Canada geese populations remain high and Colorado is expected to receive large numbers to provide excellent late season shooting, liberal bag limits and extended hunting seasons.

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The State of Colorado is currently seeking input from state citizens on their plan to adopt the Colorado Roadless Rule, a plan designed to manage approximately four million roadless acres of national forest systems in Colorado. Colorado Land designated as roadless is generally undeveloped land at least 5,000 acres in size or is adjacent to congressionally designated wilderness. Roadless acreage provides prohibitions on construction and tree cutting in those designated areas. The goal of the citizen input is to refine the proposed rule to best meet the needs of the Colorado land and its citizens. The 90-day comment period, which ends October 23, 2008 allows citizens to voice concerns and comments which will be taken into consideration regarding the plan’s direction. Responses to public comments will be included in the plan’s index and final rule preamble, which is subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget and relevant federal agencies, and a final copy will be available in early 2009.

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The BLM currently has a program that manages wild horses and burros on public range land in Colorado. This program allows the animal range to roam and when overpopulation exists, the BLM will hold an adoption to find homes for the animals. Adoptions are held at the East Canon City correctional Facility outside Canon City two Fridays per month. The minimum fee for adoption is $125 per animal, and there are normally over 400 animals to choose from. Individuals must be a pre-approved adopter in order to make an appointments, and appointments must be scheduled by the Tuesday before the Friday adoption. There are several ways to obtain more information regarding adoption of wild horses and burros from public land in Colorado. The BLM can be contacted at (719) 269-8539 or emails may be sent to Lona Lossnar at lkossnar@blm.gov.

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