The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Valley bottom view from mesa. © Chris Pague/TNC

The property is or will be encumbered by a conservation easement as described below.

The property is located in Las Animas County, Colorado, between the towns of Kim and La Junta and was formerly known as the Maverick Ranch. There are two ranch headquarters, corrals and outbuildings. There is also state lease land totaling 4,803 acres which will be assigned to the buyer.

Primary Conservation Objective

The project is within the Lower Purgatoire Conservation Area which includes the largest and most intact area of prairie in the Central Shortgrass Prairie Ecoregion. A conservation project in the area would add to the existing protected lands and form a large-scale core property on which to build conservation success.

Biodiversity Highlights

Conservation of the property will benefit declining grassland birds such as the long-billed curlew, Cassin’s sparrow, ferruginous hawk and vesper sparrow, and will protect significant acreage of cliff and canyon, pinon-juniper woodland, cholla shrublands, shortgrass grassland, ponderosa pine sand barrens, and prairie streams and associated wetland and riparian areas.

Easements and Restrictions

The ranch will be sold with an obligation to place a conservation easement on the property after the sale. Key terms of the easement prohibit conversion to crop agriculture, subdivision, and the construction of buildings outside of approved building envelopes and roads without prior approval. Cattle grazing and hunting and outfitting are permitted in accordance with the terms of the conservation easement and management plan. Copies of both documents are available upon request.