None The Nature Conservancy in Colorado Press Releases Search All Press Releases Christine Broda-Bahm Phone: (720) 974-7002 Cell: (303) 910-5427 E-mail: cbrodabahm@tnc.org

"Heart of the Laramie Foothills" Protected by Final Agreement with Centennial Front Range Ranching Family

Deal closes today

Fort Collins, CO—May 31, 2006—One of Colorado’s most fabled centennial ranches was conserved  when Catherine Roberts and The Nature Conservancy signed a voluntary agreement legally protecting the entire historic Roberts Ranch.  Located in the Laramie Foothills between Fort Collins and Laramie, Wyoming, the ranch is  “one of the most beautiful places in the world,” said Catherine Roberts, who, like her late husband’s ancestors, loved this land and cared for it through generations.

“The pioneer Roberts family and their descendents, have all had a burning desire to keep this land in its natural state. The economics of our day makes that difficult, and so I am grateful for the chance to work on this conservation easement with so many other individuals dedicated to keeping a portion of this great land open, just as it was when the first ranchers saw it,” said Roberts.

The Nature Conservancy will hold the easement which was made possible through a partnership between the landowner, GOCO, The Nature Conservancy and private community members. The Nature Conservancy has been working with the Roberts’ family for over a decade to help them realize their dream of conserving the legacy of the Ranch. “This is a great project that has been driven by a local vision and input.  We are proud to be a part of bringing this vision to life,” said John Swartout, Executive Director of GOCO.

Gratitude for the Roberts family continues to pour in from many places.  “It’s an extraordinary achievement to conserve that Ranch – it’s one of the most beautiful places in Northern Colorado, and now it’s protected into the future forever,” said John Stokes, Director of the City of Fort Collins Natural Resources Department.  “It sounds like hyperbole, but it’s absolutely true,” he continued.

Front Range development has pushed land values to new highs, and native grasslands continue to topple in their wake.  But because of this agreement, the Roberts Ranch will continue to be a working cattle ranch. The effort to protect Roberts Ranch and other undeveloped areas is part of the Mountains to Plains project, an ambitious effort to protect over 55,000 acres of land rich in ecological, cultural, agricultural and recreational resources undertaken by local ranchers, The Nature Conservancy, the City of Fort Collins, Larimer County, Legacy Land Trust and GOCO.

The Roberts Ranch captures our rich natural heritage; healthy grasslands, shrublands, woodlands and riparian habitats abound on the ranch. Native wildlife species will find refuge on the Roberts Ranch including golden eagles, pronghorn, Rocky Mountain elk, black bear, mountain lion, bobcat, numerous songbirds, all back dropped amongst spectacular displays of wildflowers. Conservation of the Roberts Ranch ensures our rich cultural heritage will remain on the land, preserving for example historic engravings along the Overland trail and earlier traces of human history including tipi rings and folsom points.

Charles Bedford, Director of The Nature Conservancy’s Colorado chapter said that “this is another spectacular example of how GOCO, TNC, public agencies and local landowners can truly affect the patterns of growth that will determine the future of Colorado. This is a very hopeful day.”