OURAY, Jan. 2, 8:13 a.m. – A “great opportunity” in the form of a $ 1.8 million Great Outdoors Colorado, or GOCO, grant will be available to contribute to the preservation of some working ranches in Ouray County. The money will be provided to the Northern San Juans Initiative, a non-profit which is helping to acquire conservation easements, according to Director Brandon Hatter.

In Ouray County, the funds will be used to work with willing landowners to preserve the county’s ranching and agricultural heritage, along with important scenic view sheds and wildlife habitat.

“This could be a great opportunity for interested landowners to receive some equity to keep their ranch land and could be an aid for younger generations to keep their ranch in the family,” Hatter said.

The $1.8 million is part of $4.4 million awarded to the San Juan Skyway Project, which is affiliated with the Northern San Juans Initiative. The San Juan Skyway Project is one of 15 projects to be awarded $57 million by the GOCO Board.

The San Juan Skyway Project is located in Ouray, Montezuma and La Plata counties; conservation easements will be acquired on seven working riparian ranches totaling 1,331 acres. Each ranch easement will provide connectivity to protected lands and build upon conservation accomplishments that protect crucial riparian habitat in southwestern Colorado.

“This is an incredible investment in southwest Colorado,” said Colorado State Senator Jim Isgar. “We will be working with willing landowners to preserve working ranches; this not only protects our heritage, but also ensures maintenance of the region’s agricultural and tourism economies. The lands also provide open space, wildlife habitat and scenic beauty so important to the state of Colorado.”

The Black Canyon Land Trust sponsored the application and partners in the project are the Montezuma Land Conservancy, the La Plata Open Space Conservancy, the Colorado Conservation Trust, and Fort Lewis College. Black Canyon Land Trust is based in Montrose and serves the counties of Ouray, Delta, Montrose, and portions of Gunnison and San Miguel counties.

The San Juan Skyway Project received its first grant in 2004 and this new grant brings the total the project has received to $10.1 million. Legacy grants were first awarded by GOCO in 1996 and have been offered periodically as GOCO’s Lottery cash flow allows, according to a news release.

GOCO’s mission is to “help preserve, protect, enhance and manage the state’s wildlife, park, river, trail and open space heritage.”

The purpose of the Northern San Juans Initiative is to gain support for ranchland conservation while promoting education and understanding of conservation practices and tools. It aims to achieve these goals through landowner outreach, informational workshops and community events. 

The goals of the San Juan Skyway Project are to enhance capacity to achieve private land conservation and stewardship; implement efficient and effective strategies to protect at least 5,000 priority privately owned acres between Montrose and Telluride by year-end 2008, and to build public support for private land conservation and recognition of its benefits to local communities.