... permanently protecting important open lands in partnership with landowners, in order to conserve agricultural, natural, and scenic open space resources ...
MLC IN THE NEWS
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Conservancy expands acreage Cortez Journal January 10th, 2007
Lottery preserves land Cortez Journal December 6th, 2007
Guest Column Cortez Journal December 1st, 2007
Easements protect river Cortez Journal March 27th, 2007
Conservancy expands acreage
Thursday, January 10th 2008 Cortez Journal
Montezuma Land Conservancy closed the last two conservation easements of the year during the week of Christmas.
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An additional 1,367 acres went into conservation easements this year, which brings Montezuma Land Conservancy’s total protected lands to 10,170 acres of historic ranches, family farms, wildlife habitat and scenery in Montezuma and Dolores counties, according to a statement from the conservancy. These lands are protected through partnerships between willing landowners and the conservancy.
Of particular conservation and wildlife interest is the protection of several adjacent properties along a 3-mile riparian corridor on the Mancos River, according to the conservancy. Riparian habitat is especially important. Although it constitutes only 3 percent of Colorado, up to 90 percent of our wildlife use it at some point in their life cycle.
Marilyn Colyer put the rest of The Colyer Ranch (also know as Hooten Holler) into conservation easement the day after Christmas. The Colyer Ranch is not only beautiful but is also part of an important wildlife migration corridor, according to the Montezuma Land Conservancy. Colyer is dedicated to preserving wildlife habitat and has kept wildlife records for the past 32 years, recording many unusual and significant sightings of birds, mammals, bats and insects.
Wendy Benjamin closed her conservation easement two days later. The Benjamin Ranch provides not only natural habitat for plants and animals but also has high agricultural value, according to the conservancy.
Other easements completed this year that protect riparian habitat are located in Trail Canyon and the West Fork of the Dolores River.
Conservation easements are voluntary agreements between landowners and land trusts that conserve farm and ranch land, scenic open space, and wildlife habitat by limiting development. Public access is not granted as part of a conservation easement, and landowners continue to own and manage their property. The lands remain in private ownership and landowners retain all other private property rights, including the right to sell, give, or transfer their property as they desire.
Financial benefits from donated conservation easements can include reduction in state, federal and estate taxes, and continued agricultural property tax status. In certain cases, landowners may receive cash for conserving their land.
“It is a great gift to work with local landowners who choose to give up valuable development rights to protect their lands for present and future generations,” Nina Williams, co-director of Montezuma Land Conservancy, said in the organization’s statement. “These lands are rich with cultural and natural heritage, and provide people opportunities to fish, hunt, farm, ranch and recreate. They are what make this area a great place to live and raise our families. Montezuma Land Conservancy is truly honored to provide the community service of protecting open space.”
Lottery preserves land
State funds help conserve open spaces in Montezuma County
Thursday, December 6th 2007
By Joe Hanel | Cortez Journal Denver Bureau
DENVER - Almost $4.4 million in lottery money is headed to Southwest Colorado to pay for land conservation along the San Juan Skyway.
A horse pushes through the snow looking for food Tuesday at the Redburn Ranch at Stoner. The ranch is part of the land conservancy program. |
An additional $4.2 million will pay for protection of two ranches on the Upper San Juan River in Archuleta and Mineral counties.
The awards are part of $75 million in grants announced Monday by Great Outdoors Colorado and Gov. Bill Ritter. GOCO distributes money raised by the state lottery to pay for parks and open space.
“We understand in this state we have something very special about the land, about the water, about the air,” Ritter said.
The San Juan Skyway grant will go to several local conservation organizations to continue their land preservation program along the 236-mile loop.
The grants will focus on three areas: the Mancos River valley, including the Thompson Park area in La Plata County; the Dolores River between Dolores and Rico, and the stretch of land between Ouray and Ridgway, said Nina Williams of the Montezuma Land Conservancy.
Three years ago, the groups received a $5.7 million GOCO grant and used it to preserve about 2,500 acres. This year’s grant will pay for conservation easements on another 1,331 acres on seven working ranches with riverside habitats.
Colorado’s conservation easement program pays ranchers to keep their lands undeveloped.
Land protection efforts along the Skyway began in 1998, when conservation groups began buying mining claims along Red Mountain Pass. This year’s grants continue the effort.
“We’re not there yet,” Williams said. “Our ability to achieve land conservation depends on the willingness of the landowners.”
The Archuleta County grant will go to a new program, one of the six new “Legacy Projects” established this year, said GOCO Chairwoman Norma Anderson.
“We are very excited to be able to help start six new efforts, all centered around one of the state’s most valuable assets — rivers,” Anderson said.
The other new projects are in the Front Range, the San Luis Valley and Pitkin County.
Also, Pagosa Springs will get $200,000 for improvements to its sports complex trail and parking area.
GUEST COLUMN
By Dave Nichols & Nina Williams
Saturday, December 1st, 2007 Cortez Journal
C O M M E N T A R Y
Saving irreplaceable lands responsibly
Recent coverage of Colorado’s conservation easement tax credit has raised questions about this important program that is helping to conserve irreplaceable lands in Colorado. No one is more concerned about possible abuses of the tax-credit program than the Montezuma Land Conservancy (MLC) and other responsible land trusts. Colorado’s land trusts must demonstrate that we are using conservation easements for real public benefit. That is why we are working to ensure that tax benefits go only to worthy transactions.
A conservation easement is a voluntary but legally binding agreement that restricts development on a piece of land. By limiting future uses, conservation easements protect important conservation values of public benefit including agricultural land, scenic open space and wildlife habitat. In doing so, they typically reduce the value of the land. Colorado offers a transferable tax credit for qualifying conservation easements to help offset this lost value, often offering landowners a way to continue farming or ranching traditions. MLC has worked with several local landowners who have sold the tax credit to pay down debt and enable them to keep land in agricultural use, rather than selling it for subdivision.
Colorado’s tax incentives for landowners who donate a conservation easement have provided substantial benefit to Colorado citizens, making the state a national leader in conserving its agricultural land and open space. Hundreds of strong conservation easements throughout Colorado protect farms and ranchland, scenic and historic areas, wildlife habitat, and unique natural areas that otherwise could have been lost forever to development.
MLC has partnered with more than 40 local families to conserve over 9,000 acres of land. The majority of this land is in active farm or ranch use, supporting our local agricultural economy. The land in these easements retains its rural character, contributing to the appeal that attracts tourists to the area and to the quality of life for our residents.
Land conservation tax credits do carry a cost to the state but we believe that protecting agriculture and natural heritage is worth the investment. These tax incentives may have attracted a small handful of promoters who do not guarantee that their conservation easements provide significant conservation and public benefit. We support current state efforts to crack down on any abuses.
The Montezuma Land Conservancy and the vast majority of Colorado land trusts are committed to respecting the spirit and letter of conservation law. Earlier this year we supported a new law (HR 1361) that increased standards and accountability for the state’s conservation easement program.
MLC is participating in the Colorado Conservation Easement Tax Credit Task Force convened by Sen. Jim Isgar and Rep. Alice Madden to recommend further reform of this program. Sen. Isgar, who has been a strong leader on this issue, said “We recognize the problem and are committed to saving this important program.” MLC will work together with these leaders to ensure that we can continue to partner with local landowners to conserve important open lands in Montezuma and Dolores counties.
Nina Williams and Dave Nichols are co-executive directors of the Montezuma Land Conservancy.
Easements protect river
Property owners, conservancy help maintain wildlife habitat
Tuesday, March 27th 2007
By Shannon Livick | Cortez Journal Staff Writer
After living on her Mancos farm for 42 years, Marilyn Colyer is happy the land she has grown to love will stay the way it is today - forever.
The property, which is bisected by the Mancos River, will remain a home for deer, turkeys, hawks, frogs and the countless number of other wildlife that make their homes in the property’s 105 acres of canyons, pastures and riparian habitat.
Dick White and his wife, Pat Johnson, take a walk along the Mancos River recently with their dog Sunshine. The couple has added their land bordering the historic Alamo Ranch to the Montezuma Land Conservancy’s list of conservation easements. |
“That makes me feel pretty good,” Colyer said.
Colyer is one several landowners along the Mancos River who have given up the right to develop their land and entered into conservation easements with the Montezuma Land Conservancy.
Over the years, Colyer has developed an eye for spotting wildlife on her property. She has seen bobcats, mountain lions, the occasional elk, the occasional bear and even a pine marten.
“It’s quite secluded,” she said.
In addition to Colyer’s Hooten Holler Ranch, 167 acres along the Mancos River will stay undeveloped following a recent conservation easement by the Montezuma Land Conservancy.
The conservancy added the Lazy FW Ranch, which sits in the lower Mancos Valley. The ranch, owned by Dick White and Pat Johnson, brings the amount of acreage protected from development along the Mancos River to 1,500.
“I put it in the conservation easement to preserve the scenic value of the property along the river and to maintain it as a viable ranch,” White said.
The conservation easements stretch along five miles of the Mancos River.
“That these landowners have the foresight and generosity to give up their right to develop some of the most valuable land in Montezuma County is a blessing,” said Nina Williams, co-executive director of the Montezuma Land Conservancy. “They are preserving our agricultural heritage and important resources for future generations to enjoy.”
White has lived in the Mancos valley for 27 years and said that he is happy to preserve their stretch of land.
“I treasure viewing the La Plata Mountains and hearing the sound of the river as I start each day,” White said in a press release.
White added that he is working with the Mancos Conservation District to restore the river property as a healthy riparian habitat as well as a viable ranch operation.
The easement was made possible by grants from Great Outdoors Colorado, the USDA Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the Montelores Habitat Partnership Program and donations from the community.
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