This past week, two events occurred that will have a significant long term impact on the protection of open space and natural resources in the Upper Arkansas Valley.
The first was the hiring of the first executive director of the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas. LTUA was founded in 2001 with the intention of assisting landowners to help preserve rural character, viewscapes, wildlife habitat and natural resources throughout Western Fremont, Chaffee and Lake Counties. Until now, LTUA has been an all volunteer organization, holding 22 conservation easements totaling some 1400 acres in Chaffee County. Two years ago, LTUA conducted a needs assessment with the help and guidance of Colorado Conservation Trust who provided mentoring and matching grant funds. With this help, LTUA was able to establish an office in downtown Salida at 132 E. First Street. We also hired Brita Sugaski as part time office manager which has brought the organization to a level of sustainability making the hiring of an ED a reality.
Following months of advertising and interviews, LTUA hired Andrew Mackie as Executive Director. Andrew comes to us from the east coast, with a Masters in Environmental Management from Yale University. He brings 16 years of experience working in environmental non-profits, including the Audubon Society and Great Land Trust in Alaska. The next big challenge for LTUA is to achieve national accreditation within the next two years. This is mandated by new state and federal policy, and Andrew’s skill set and experience will be vital to achieving this goal.
The second milestone was the closing of the final stage of the Moyer Ranch easement in Lake County. This project has been over five years in the making and is the culmination of cooperative efforts between several generations of the Moyer family, LTUA and the Division of Wildlife. The ranch encompasses some 3600 acres and includes over one mile of the Arkansas River, one of Lake County’s most senior water rights, and prime elk habitat. The terms of the easement allow for public access to some parts of the ranch for fishing and hunting purposes. The Moyers had multiple offers from people and entities interested in purchasing the ranch for development purposes, but felt the best thing they could do was to leave the ranch in its natural state for the benefit of future generations.
These two events now position LTUA to become a major player in the land conservation movement in Colorado. We are currently in partnership on several other projects with local land owners and land conservation heavyweights such as Trust For Public Land, The Nature Conservancy and Great Outdoors Colorado. Many studies point to the economic and social benefits to rural communities who place a high degree of importance in the protection of their natural resources. The citizens of our valley can feel assured that in LTUA they have a credible organization working towards these goals.
Hayden is vice president of the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas.
Thanks for the great article. I applaud everyone who has decided to put their land into a conservation easement. The Moyer’s incredible foresight will be appreciated for generations to come.