Conservation Results Doubled

Transcription

1 April, 1999 A Periodic Report of the Yampa Valley Land Trust Issue No. 1 Board of Directors Bill Baldwin P Medora Fralick VP Linda Hamlin S Gary Cogswell T Kathe McCoy Russ Atha John Sherrill Bob Murtha Staff Susan Dorsey Otis Executive Director Diane Brower, Assistant Mission Statement The Yampa Valley Land Trust works to protect natural, scenic, historic, agricultural and open space resources in Northwest Colorado, with a focus on Yampa River Basin in Routt County. The Land Trust promotes responsible land stewardship through public education and technical assistance. PO Box Steamboat Springs Colorado (970) Conservation Results Doubled Over the last year, the Yampa Valley Land Trust accepted conservation easements on more than 7,300 acres of land in the Yampa Valley. The Land Trust now holds 23 conservation easements on over 14,500 acres. Our recent efforts more than doubled the Yampa Valley Land Trust s conservation holdings, said Susan Otis, executive director of the Yampa Valley Land Trust. It is always rewarding to work with landowners who are dedicated to preserving their land. New projects included: Green Creek Ranch: Elaine Gay and her family placed a As the culmination of over three decades of community debate and two years of intense work by the Yampa Valley Land Trust, the Trust accepted the donation of conservation easements on 3,296 acres of land at Lake Catamount in Pleasant Valley. These conservation easements effectively prevent a new ski resort from conservation easement on 920 acres of their ranch in Pleasant Valley, 12 miles south of Steamboat Springs. Parts of the Green Creek (Continued on page 2) being developed at the Lake Catamount property, once the proposed site for an intense ski resort community. The resort development included plans for over 3,700 dwelling units, 1,000 hotel rooms, two golf courses, 250,000 square feet of retail space, and a ski area which could accommodate up to 12,000 skiers a day. The US Forest Service issued the Your Conservation Dollars at Work! 6 1 The Yampa Valley Land Trust now holds conservation easements on over 14,500 acres! Catamount Property Protected Also in This Issue: Conservation Easements Leverage Conservation Efforts 2 Yampa Valley Land Trust Field Trips 3 Yampa Valley Land Trust Conservation Holdings 3 Pleasant Valley: Lake Catamount and Green Creek Ranch Photograph by Rita Donham ski area permit in The conservation easements reduce the development proposed for the property by 99 percent and allow for a lodge and forty homesites in a conservationoriented setting. Ranching operations will continue on the property.! Thank you for your support of the Yampa Valley Land Trust!

2 Conservation Easements Leverage Conservation Efforts The Yampa Valley Land Trust protects land through the use of conservation easements and other voluntary, incentive-based conservation tools. A conservation easement or conservation restriction is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust that permanently limits the uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values. With the conservation easement in place the landowner continues to own and manage the land. The landowner can sell the land or pass the land on to heirs. Future owners will be bound by the easement s terms, and the land trust is responsible for making sure the easement s terms are followed. A conservation easement provides public benefit by permanently protecting conservation resources such as wildlife habitat, open space, and scenic landscapes. We have found that landowners who want to preserve their land appreciate the voluntary, incentive-based conservation tools we utilize at the Yampa Valley Land Trust, said Bill Baldwin, Yampa Valley Land Trust president. When we accept a conservation easement, we take on the responsibility of monitoring the terms of the easement annually. Because the easements are held in perpetuity, we are making a long-term commitment which can only be accomplished with the support of our members and contributors. Stewardship is becoming a larger part of our mission, continued Baldwin.! Yam pa Rive r Hayden Conservation easements held by the Yampa Valley Land Trust. ROUTT COUNTY US 40 Oak Creek RC R 129 Steam boat Sp ring s CO 131 Elk R ive r Ya m p a R ive r Ya m p a Results of Conservation Efforts Doubled (continued) SAVE THE DATE SATURDAY June 12, 1999 for a PLEASANT Surprise! weather pending stay tuned... The productive hay meadows on Green Creek Ranch in Pleasant Valley (Continued from page 1) Ranch under easement are contiguous with the Lake Catamount conserved lands. (See related story on Page 1.) For nearly three decades, the Gay family spoke out against the proposed Catamount Ski Area. As a result of the conservation easements at Lake Catamount and the resolution to the intense ski-resort development, the Gay Family decided to protect their lands as well. The conservation easement recognizes the outstanding riparian habitat found along Green Creek and approximately one mile of the Yampa River, and permanently eliminates future development of the property. The conservation transaction on Green Creek Ranch was made possible by Great Outdoors Colorado through the Yampa River System Legacy Project, the Trappers Lake Sierra Club Group, and members and supporters of 2 Photograph by Chris West (Continued on page 5) Land, they don t make it any more... W. Rogers What We Do Acquire conservation easements Provide information on conservation options to landowners Work in partnership with public and private agencies on conservation projects Facilitate transactions between conservation buyers and sellers Steward the conservation easements that we accept Raise funds to make conservation in the Yampa Valley a reality

3 Yampa Valley Land Trust Conservation Holdings The Yampa Valley Land Trust was founded in 1992 and now holds conservation easements on over 14,500 acres. The conservation successes of the Yampa Valley Land Trust are a result of the generosity and caring of a number of land owners who have made the commitment to protect the scenic, working landscapes upon which our heritage is built, as well as the contributions and support of our members whose contributions fund our operations costs associated with the land transactions. Our conservation efforts are rewarded when neighbors agree to protect their lands together. We can create lar- ger conservation areas which increase the likelihood that they will be kept viable ranching operations and used by wildlife as migration corridors, said Susan Otis, executive director of the Yampa Valley Land Trust.! Elk River Valley 1995 Slivon Property 1996 Snow Mountain Ranch 1997 S-Bar-S Ranch 1997 Day Creek Ranch 1997 Farley Property 1998 Alpine Zephyr Ranch 1998 Big Creek Ranch West Routt County 1996 Carpenter Ranch 1996 Hereford Haven Ranch Steamboat Springs Vicinity 1995 Williams Preserve 1996 Emerald Mountain 1996 Gunn Creek 1999 Baxter Property South of Steamboat and South Routt County 1996 Rossi Ranches (2) 1997 Summer Ranch 1997 Storm Mountain Ranch 1998 Lake Catamount (3) 1998 Catamount Ranch 1999 Green Creek Ranch Jackson County 1995 Buffalo Pass Ranch THANK YOU MEMBERS, SUPPORTERS AND CONSERVATORS! Thank You Also to Great Outdoors Colorado for Supporting Our Conservation Efforts! Yampa Valley Land Trust Offers Field Trips - Sign up Early! The Lake Catamount property owners have generously offered the use of their property to the Yampa Valley Land Trust for two field trips. These trips are for members who want to learn more about the work of the Land Trust and how conservation easements protect the agricultural, scenic, open space and historic values of the Yampa Valley. The field trips will take place at Lake Catamount and will be available on a lim- Join us and learn more about the Yampa Valley Land Trust: Saturday, June 5 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 10 3:30 p.m. to dusk ited basis (ten on each trip, maximum.) Please register early if you are interested in attending. Participants should bring their own binoculars, beverages and food. P l e a s e be prepared for inclement weather and wear sturdy hiking shoes. As this is a working ranch, please no dogs. To register, please call the Yampa Valley Land Trust office at ! LOCAL BEEF CREATES ECONOMIC INCENTIVE FOR CONSERVATION Yampa Valley Beef, a creative new program designed to create an economic incentive for local ranchers to stay in agriculture and to conserve their land, is selling well in local restaurants and food markets. The premium beef, which is raised, processed, and marketed locally, costs approximately twenty-five percent more than the grocery store variety. Yampa Valley Beef is the result of a collaborative, community-wide project that creates an opportunity for local ranchers to directly market their highquality beef in the resort economy of Steamboat Springs. By receiving a premium for their beef, local ranchers may be able to continue ranching, and thereby compliment local conservation efforts. At least twenty-five percent of the cattle used in the program must be grazed on conserved lands. During this pilot year, the premium beef is raised by the Carpenter Ranch near Hayden and R&R Livestock near Yampa. Yampa Valley Beef is supported by the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association, The Nature Conservancy, Colorado State University Cooperative 3 Extension, the Colorado Department of Agriculture, and the local cattle producer associations. The beef is available at local restaurants, through select retail outlets, and by direct sales. To further the goal of preserving western landscapes, Yampa Valley Beef will donate a percentage of its profits to the Yampa Valley Land Trust in The remaining profits will support agricultural producers in the Yampa Valley. For additional information, contact Mike Tetreault, Yampa River Program Manager for The Nature Conservancy, at or the CSU Extension Agent CJ Mucklow at !

4 GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING The future of the Yampa Valley Land Trust depends to a large degree on the foresight and generosity of today s visionaries members like you who are willing to consider new ways to make gifts. Gifts may be applied to support general operations or to a designated project. Here are a few suggested methods to leverage your gift: Gifts of Appreciated Securities Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or index funds provide great opportunities to leverage your gifts. You can transfer shares to the Yampa Valley Land Trust and (1) receive a charitable deduction for the current appreciated value of such shares, and (2) reduce or possibly avoid paying the capital gains tax if you had sold those shares. Make Your Gift Grow Many companies will match monthly or payroll deduction gifts as well as annual gifts. Inquire with your personnel office to learn if they have a matching gift program. If available, complete the application form and return a copy to the Yampa Valley Land Trust office. Leverage Foundation and Supporter Challenge Grants! Make a three-year pledge to support our operations and help us match any three-year escalating challenge grants that we usually have in the works from foundations and supporters of the Yampa Valley Land Trust. Or provide the Yampa Valley Land Trust with a challenge grant of your own!! Yampa Valley Land Trust Endowment Fund With this fund your full donation remains intact while a portion of the interest income from the fund supports the Trust s conservation missions. Making a gift to the endowment ensures the long-term success of the Land Trust. Charitable Remainder Trusts/Charitable Lead Trusts Provide the Yampa Valley Land Trust or yourself with a steady income stream, and with a remainder trust, leave a significant future gift to the Yampa Valley Land Trust. Both arrangements entitle you to considerable tax savings. Bequests Name the Yampa Valley Land Trust in your will and make a lasting contribution to the Land Trust and to land protection in the Yampa Valley. Together we can work to protect Northwest Colorado and the Yampa Valley acre by acre. Call the Yampa Valley Land Trust for additional information on any of the above gifts, including current challenge grants. SAVING LAND ISN T EXPENSIVE... IT S PRICELESS! Yes, You Can Help, Too! The Yampa Valley Land Trust has over 550 members who share an interest in preserving the unique natural and rural heritage of the Yampa Valley. By becoming a member and supporter, you can be a part of this effort too. Individual memberships start at $25 and family memberships start at $40. Any additional contributions help to advance our land conservation efforts. Memberships and contributions support the Yampa Valley Land Trust s operational costs associated with conservation transactions. In addition to cash gifts, the Yampa Valley Land Trust can accept appreciated securities. YVLT is a 501(c)3 and membership dues and gifts to the Land Trust are tax deductible as allowed by law. Memberships and contributions can be sent to: PO Box Steamboat Springs, CO Or call: The Yampa Valley Land Trust is extremely grateful for the tremendous support we receive from all of our members. Supporting conservation is an investment in our community. Thank you!!! 4 You can help by: supporting with your membership contribution supporting with additional contributions of either cash or appreciated securities including YVLT in your estate plans inviting YVLT to make a presentation to the groups with which you are involved volunteering your time and talent providing referrals to interested friends and landowners

5 Results of Conservation Efforts Doubled (continued) (Continued from page 2) the Yampa Valley Land Trust. Alpine Zephyr Ranch: Keith and Colleen Poole made a very generous donation of a conservation easement on 807 acres of their ranch in the Elk River Valley. The ranch s beautiful backdrop is created by Round Mountain to the southwest and Rim Rocks in the northwest. Smith and Day creeks, both tributaries of the Elk River, run through the ranch. The riparian corridor along Smith Creek is a nesting area for the greater sandhill crane. Committed conservationists and ranch owners, the Pooles have worked extensively over the past several years planting evergreens on the ranch to improve the overall forest health on the property. The conservation easement assures that the ranch will forever remain in its natural, forest, agricultural, scenic, and open space condition. The Alpine Zephyr Ranch is directly north of the Day Creek Ranch on which a conservation easement is also held by the Yampa Valley Land Trust. Upper meadow on Alpine Zephyr Ranch Photograph by Anne Muhme Big Creek Ranch: A conservation easement was donated on 1,980 acres of Big Creek Ranch located in the Elk River Valley. Three and one quarter miles of Big Creek, a trout-filled tributary of the Elk River, runs through the ranch forming a beautiful hidden valley and with fertile hay meadows, evergreen forests, aspen stands and scrub oak uplands. Elk winter in the scrub oak uplands on the ranch which also supports habitat for mule deer, black bear, coyote, red fox, badger, and other wildlife species. The Colombian sharp-tailed grouse, a candidate for federal listing as a threatened or endangered species, utilize the lower portions of the ranch. The owners of Big Creek Ranch are committed to agriculture and will continue ranching on the property. The Yampa Valley is becoming a model for conservation Big Creek Valley Photograph by Robert Rossette Baxter Property: This 75-acre parcel was purchased by the City of Steamboat Springs in 1998 and is adjacent to the City s holdings on Emerald Mountain. The City donated a conservation easement to the Yampa Valley Land Trust to protect the open space values of the property. There are currently trails which connect to the Howelsen Hill recreation facility for hiking, mountain biking, dog walking, cross country skiing, and equestrian uses. Great Outdoors Colorado awarded funds through an open space grant prepared by the City for the purchase of the property. Both Great Outdoors Colorado and the Yampa Valley Community Foundation awarded grants to the Land Trust that made this transaction possible. The Yampa Valley Land Trust is very grateful for the donation of this conservation easement and for all of the support we receive from our partners, including the City of Steamboat Springs and Routt County. The Land Trust works to meet the identified community goal of protecting open lands. We are fortunate to have found common ground in our efforts to preserve our rural way of life. A view of Steamboat Springs from the Baxter Property Photograph by Chris West efforts in the West, said Susan Otis. We work cooperatively with land owners to protect the valuable land resources of the area. Of the 20,448 acres protected by conservation organizations in the Yampa Valley, the Yampa Valley Land Trust holds easements on over 14,500 acres of land.! 5

6 Bulk Mail U.S. Postage Paid Steamboat Springs Colorado Permit No. 21 PO Box Steamboat Springs, CO SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE YAMPA VALLEY ACRE BY ACRE Conservation is a Community Investment Total Acres Under Conservation Easement with Yampa Valley Land Trust to date Your Conservation Dollars at Work! 6