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    Gaining Ground

    Colorado

    3,456,478

    Acres Protected

    That’s about 2,618,544 football fields!

    Land trusts have already conserved 61 million acres of private land across the nation — more than all of the national parks combined. Help us conserve another 60 million acres by the end of the decade.

    Together, let’s keep Gaining Ground.

    Visitors to Land Trust Properties

    3.6 million

    Visitors in 2020, more than double that of 2015.

    Percent of Land Trusts That Provide Public Access to Their Lands

    100%

    Land trusts provide opportunities to recreate and recharge.

    Number of People Served

    17,829

    Land trusts provide programs and activities to get people outside and learn about the land.

    Miles of Trails

    335

    Walking, hiking and other outdoor recreation improve people's health and well-being.

    Miles With Universal Access

    32

    Universal access trails are designed to be used by all people, regardless of ability.

    Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Community Engagement in the Last Five Years

    89%

    Land Trusts Are Deepening Relationships With:

    • People from various racial and ethnic backgrounds

    • Older adults or those living in retirement communities

    • People who identify as LGBTQ+

    • People living with disabilities

    • Veterans

    Land Trusts Are Helping Address Community Needs, Including:

    • Youth education and development

    • Community and economic development

    • Food security and agriculture

    • Health and wellness

    • Social and environmental justice

    Demographics

    Every land trust is as unique as the community it serves.

    Colorado land trusts are community-led and supported and protect lands and waters that help the entire state.

    Active Land Trusts

    23

    A land trust is a nonprofit that conserves land by acquiring and stewarding land or conservation easements.

    Learn more about land trusts
    Alliance Member Land Trusts

    21

    Land Trust Alliance members commit to adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices as their guiding principles.

    Learn about the land trust alliance
    Accredited Land Trusts

    18

    Accredited land trusts undergo a thorough review of their practices in governance, finance, transactions and stewardship.

    Learn about land trust accreditation

    People

    • 24,298

    • 910

    • 123

    • 41

    • 269

    Land Trust Longevity

    • 57 years old (1967)

    • 23 years old (2001)

    • 32 years old

    State Association
    Keep It Colorado
    View website
    State Association
    Partnership of Rangeland Trusts
    View website
    Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Focus on Climate Change in the Last Five Years

    72%

    Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

    17%

    Land Protected

    There has been a 43% increase in Colorado land protected by land trusts since 2010.

    Acre by acre, land trusts are helping to conserve Colorado lands, waters and ways of life.

    2010
    2015
    2020
    Total acres protected
    2,410,669
    2,841,722
    3,456,478
    +43%
    Under easement
    1,510,260
    2,012,718
    2,503,665
    +66%
    Owned
    202,207
    272,010
    231,040
    +14%
    Acquired and reconveyed
    408,225
    358,794
    484,134
    +19%
    Protected by other means
    289,977
    323,134
    237,640
    0%

    Disclaimer: Land trusts conserve land in many different ways and every project is unique. Category totals may change depending on how acres are reported by survey respondents to reflect the most current data and minimize double-counting. In some instances, the total may be greater than the sum of the separate categories due to organizations that provided total acres not broken down by category.

    Percent of Land Owned and Under Easement Held by an Accredited Land Trust

    91%

    Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

    Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

    $2.2 billion

    Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

    Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

    42,100

    Source: NRCS - Natural Resources Inventory

    This information reflects data collected in the National Land Trust Census, the longest-running comprehensive survey of private land conservation in America. Learn more about the Census and see which land trusts participated in the 2020 National Land Trust Census.

    Making a Difference

    Colorado land trusts are gaining ground.

    Land trusts across the state are helping find solutions to some of Colorado's most pressing issues.

    • Tackling climate change: As aquifers around the country dry up from climate change and overuse, the accredited Colorado Open Lands is pioneering an effort to sustain water supplies with groundwater conservation easements.

      Read more

    • Addressing community needs: How often do you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, feeling anxious or cranky? For high school students in Montezuma Land Conservancy's summer Agriculture Immersion Program in Colorado, our daily morning "circle up" time provides a chance to voice those feelings in a safe, supportive environment.

      Read more

    • Saving family farms and ranches: Colorado Open Lands partnered with Poudre Valley Community Farms, a grassroots co-operative founded by local residents to protect the future of local food production. In 2021, the partnership permanently protected The Dixon Station in Wellington, Colorado, helping to provide fresh local foods to the community.

      Read more

    Land Trusts Working in Colorado

    Land Trust Alliance member land trusts, listed below, commit to adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices as their guiding principles.

    Access Fund
    Access Fund
    Boulder, CO
    115 acres protected in CO
    American Farmland Trust
    American Farmland Trust
    Northampton, MA
    16,199 acres protected in CO
    Aspen Valley Land Trust
    Aspen Valley Land Trust
    Carbondale, CO
    46,641 acres protected in CO
    Central Colorado Conservancy
    Central Colorado Conservancy
    Salida, CO
    5,216 acres protected in CO
    Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust
    Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust
    Denver, CO
    766,758 acres protected in CO
    Colorado Headwaters Land Trust
    Colorado Headwaters Land Trust
    Granby, CO
    18,371 acres protected in CO
    Colorado Open Lands
    Colorado Open Lands
    Lakewood, CO
    658,149 acres protected in CO
    Colorado West Land Trust
    Colorado West Land Trust
    Grand Junction, CO
    124,527 acres protected in CO
    Crested Butte Land Trust
    Crested Butte Land Trust
    Crested Butte, CO
    6,000 acres protected in CO
    Douglas Land Conservancy
    Douglas Land Conservancy
    Castle Rock, CO
    26,757 acres protected in CO
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Memphis, TN
    24,360 acres protected in CO
    Eagle Valley Land Trust
    Eagle Valley Land Trust
    Edwards, CO
    13,160 acres protected in CO
    Estes Valley Land Trust
    Estes Valley Land Trust
    Estes Park, CO
    9,921 acres protected in CO
    La Plata Open Space Conservancy
    La Plata Open Space Conservancy
    Durango, CO
    21,275 acres protected in CO
    Montezuma Land Conservancy
    Montezuma Land Conservancy
    Cortez, CO
    46,102 acres protected in CO
    Mountain Area Land Trust
    Mountain Area Land Trust
    Evergreen, CO
    32,653 acres protected in CO
    National Park Trust
    National Park Trust
    Rockville, MD
    23 acres protected in CO
    Orient Land Trust
    Orient Land Trust
    Villa Grove, CO
    2,260 acres protected in CO
    Palmer Land Conservancy
    Palmer Land Conservancy
    Colorado Springs, CO
    138,474 acres protected in CO
    Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust
    Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust
    del Norte, CO
    31,952 acres protected in CO
    Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
    Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
    Missoula, MT
    179,049 acres protected in CO
    San Miguel Conservation Foundation
    San Miguel Conservation Foundation
    Telluride, CO
    8,162 acres protected in CO
    South Metro Land Conservancy
    South Metro Land Conservancy
    Littleton, CO
    72 acres protected in CO
    Southern Plains Land Trust
    Southern Plains Land Trust
    Lamar, CO
    56,366 acres protected in CO
    The Conservation Fund
    The Conservation Fund
    Arlington, VA
    214,974 acres protected in CO
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    Washington, DC
    518 acres protected in CO
    The Nature Conservancy
    The Nature Conservancy
    Arlington, VA
    1,028,771 acres protected in CO
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    San Francisco, CA
    100,947 acres protected in CO
    The Wilderness Land Trust
    The Wilderness Land Trust
    Helena, MT
    6,121 acres protected in CO
    Western Rivers Conservancy
    Western Rivers Conservancy
    Portland, OR
    21,252 acres protected in CO