Our Land Our Water Our Future COLORADO OPEN L ANDSCAPES A NEWSLETTER OF COLORADO OPEN LANDS The Southern Sangres contain layer upon layer of conservation values in their rich history, outstanding natural habitat, and unforgettable scenic views. The Southern Sangre de Cristo Landscape What’s Inside —Developing a Community Vision of Conservation President’s Letter At Uptop Ghost Town, you will not only get a sense of Colorado in the late Page 3 1800s and early 1900s, but on a clear day you’ll enjoy a stunning view of the Spanish Peaks and you may even spot a Bald Eagle flying overhead or a bobcat foraging in Stewardship Corner the woods. If you’re really lucky, you may also get to meet two of the most energetic Page 5 Two landowners and historians/conservationists in Southern Colorado. their management teams receive Sisters Deborah Lathrop and Dianne (Sam) Lathrop Law moved to Colorado in awards for managing their ranches 2001 and fell in love with the ghost town and forest lands located on Old La Veta Pass sustainably. in Huerfano County. The sisters bought the property, named the ghost town ‘Uptop’, and set about restoring and uncovering the history of the 1877 train depot and the Board Spotlight 1920s chapel, dance hall/tavern, school house, lumber mill and outbuildings. Ruth Wright Their greatest concern was that one day someone might purchase the property Page 6 Board member Ruth who would be more interested in its potential for large summer homes or an RV park— Wright shares her enthusiasm for the fate of many of the neighboring lands. In 2010, Deb and Sam generously donated protecting the best of Colorado. OPEN LANDS a conservation easement on their property to Colorado Open Lands, fulfilling their goal of “saving a small piece of paradise for others to enjoy in the future.” Celebrating the The Lathrop property, which they lovingly refer to as the Moon Mountain Ranch, Peterson Ranch is a perfect symbol of Colorado Open Lands’ Southern Sangre de Cristo Community Conservation Area (CCA)—which contains layer upon layer of conservation values in Page 7 Donating a conservation easement and reinvesting in its rich history, outstanding natural habitat, and unforgettable scenic views. the ranch infrastructure builds a In 2008, the Colorado Conservation Partnership designated the Southern Sangre stronger ranch! de Cristo landscape as a priority area for conservation in Colorado. Colorado Open Lands (COL) became the lead organization in the partnership, developing a long-term vision of conservation in this large landscape, which encompasses parts of Costilla, Huerfano and Las Animas counties. COLORADO To invest in the kind of on-the-ground partnerships that lead to long-term conservation success, COL applied for a Conservation Excellence grant from Great Spring 2012 Continued on pg.2 Volume 12, Number 1 Developing a Community’s Vision of Conservation Continued Located in the center of the Sangre de Cristo Range, Blanca Peak (14,345 ft) marks the common boundary of Huerfano, Costilla and Alamosa counties. Outdoors Colorado to devote a full-time staff member to near San Luis. Colorado Open Lands is excited to help work in the Southern Sangre de Cristo CCA. With GOCO’s unveil the draft this coming May in a series of community support and with a substantial commitment from the feedback sessions. Trinchera and Tercio Foundation, COL has been able to We are even more excited to begin implementing the bring conservation capacity and expertise to a traditionally priority projects identified in the plan, knowing that these underserved part of our state. projects are truly a reflection of local values. In fact, we are Our capacity has made a particularly notable contribution currently working on three conservation easements that, if in Costilla County. Costilla County contains Colorado’s oldest successful, will protect just under 4,000 acres of land along town and oldest water right. It also has one of two commons with critical senior water rights. These three projects will left in the United States. Unlike the Boston Commons, La conserve agricultural viability, scenic views, a portion of the Vega is still used for cattle grazing. Old Spanish National Historic Trail, and important habitat The County is part of the Congressionally-designated for elk and Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout. Stay tuned! q Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area because of its contribution to the story of the American West. Uniquely, its rich heritage is more than a collection of sites, it is a living What is an Acequia? The original settlers of Southern history. Centuries-old traditions including art, agricultural Colorado brought with them their irrigation practices practices, and religion still flourish in Costilla County and based on a community ditch called an acequia. This some residents still speak a version of 17th Century Spanish. system, which traces back to the Spanish Moors, treats However, the County also faces significant challenges. It water as a community resource to be allocated based is the second-poorest county in Colorado and it is not only upon equity and need rather than priority of appropriation 99% privately-owned, but is the most densely subdivided (as with Western US water law). Acequias are primarily county in the state. Additionally, there is no local land trust gravity-fed ditches that irrigate long lots, which run or County Open Space Program to serve county residents. perpendicular to the stream to maximize the number of Consequently, COL initiated discussions with the County landowners that can directly access the water. Commissioners and Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust They are operated on a one landowner—one vote about a conservation vision centered on land and water system and require that maintenance is performed by preservation and that linked conservation to preservation all of the irrigators (typically during the annual limpia de of heritage, recreation opportunities, and economic acequias). Today, acequias are only found in Southern development. Costilla County had the drive, but lacked the Colorado and Northern New Mexico. In Costilla capacity to pursue these ideas. County, 73 acequias irrigate approximately 14,000 In 2010, Colorado Open Lands successfully assisted acres of farmland and support 270 families. the County in securing funding and technical assistance Colorado Open Lands is partnering with the Sangre for an inclusive county-wide Trails, Recreation, and Open de Cristo Acequia Association to organize the first Space Planning Process facilitated by the National Park Congreso de Acequias—a meeting of all acequia Service. This planning process has been characterized by a farmers in the state. Highest on the agenda will be how diverse working group that includes conservation interests, to protect these special water rights and how to ensure county and town leaders, agricultural interests, cultural that a new generation of acequia farmers keeps these organizations, health and human services officials, and farming traditions alive. The Congreso will be held local youth. October 19-21st in San Luis. If you are interested in The draft Trails, Recreation, and Open Space Plan was attending, please contact Sarah (McDonald) Parmar or informed by community open houses, a mail-in survey and go to www.sangreacequias.org. a delicious community event christened “Get Outdoors Costilla County!” that was held on a county-owned property 2 Spring 2012 | ColoradoOpenLands.org On Being Coloradan President’s Letter People can come up with statistics to prove anything. Forty percent of all people know that. —Homer Simpson Good news has been hard to come by lately. However, the February 19th Denver Post carried an upbeat editorial entitled “Coloradans’ support for conservation remains strong.” The editorial was based on a January Colorado College survey which reported that 67% of Coloradans identify themselves as conservationists—a number that holds up across ethnic, political, and urban/rural lines. The Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget forecasts continued high unemployment (7.5+%) in Colorado at least through 2013, with the underemployment number—which includes part-time workers seeking full-time work—at over 15%. The Colorado College survey then would seem to defy the conventional wisdom that says in hard times people care about the economy, and in good times they care about quality of life. But I think Coloradans see beyond the cliché. While conservation’s role in establishing a Gquality of life is obvious to most, people recognize it also plays an important economic role. Conservation’s economic impact on tourism, agriculture, recreation and attracting business to Colorado is significant, and Coloradans “even with state get that. A whopping 78% of survey respondents said we can protect budget problems, land and water and have a strong economy at the same time. This shouldn’t come as a surprise really. Conservation has always we should still find been high on Coloradans’ agenda. It’s been a hundred years since money to protect the City of Denver acquired its first mountain park (Genesee). It’s been 75 years since the legislature created the State Parks Board. It’s and maintain been forty years since Jefferson County created one of the country’s Colorado’s land, first local government open space programs. The list goes on: the dedication of statewide lottery funds; aggressive conservation tax water and wildlife.” benefits; numerous local government open space programs and a vibrant land trust community have all expressed Coloradans’ commitment to conservation. The economic downturn has created well-documented budget crises at all levels of government. This has brought with it several attempts at the legislature to reduce, eliminate, or divert conservation funding. In 2010, the legislature capped the conservation easement tax credit, a program that had protected nearly $4 of land for every $1 of public expenditure. More recently, assaults on Great Outdoors Colorado funding have been proposed.