Celebrating The Nature Conservancy’s Legacy in Colorado
For 60 years, we’ve helped protect the lands and waters on which all life depends—in Colorado and beyond.
It started with a small property near Crested Butte. In the 1960s, scientists from the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory were exploring a series of linked ponds in glacially created shelves on the side of Galena Mountain. They found unlimited opportunities for aquatic research with the diversity of plants, animals and amphibians living in and around the wetlands. They knew the property needed protection and contacted The Nature Conservancy for help.
The Nature Conservancy purchased that property, Mexican Cut, in 1966, and with this acquisition, TNC formed its Colorado chapter. Now, in our 60th year in Colorado, we’re looking back at some of our favorite conservation successes throughout the state.
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Protecting Parks for People
We’ve played a role in creating some of the state’s most beloved parks, opening the door for people of all backgrounds to enjoy and connect with nature.
In 2004, TNC worked with local community members, the National Park Service and elected officials to develop legislation to designate Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Connected with two ranches protected by TNC, it’s one of the most biologically significant landscapes in the state, with rare insects found nowhere else in the world and an abundance of habitat for native wildlife.
More Than 55 Years of Conservation in Colorado
1966
The Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy was established.
The Nature Conservancy protected its first preserve in Colorado, Mexican Cut. Located in the Elk Mountains near Crested Butte, Mexican Cut is an ideal outdoor laboratory.
The Nature Conservancy helped establish the Colorado Natural Heritage Program to identify and describe areas of statewide and global conservation significance and to educate decision makers.
TNC protected Phantom Canyon in the Laramie Foothills. Phantom Canyon Preserve is a spectacular 1,700-acre, roadless canyon encompassing six miles of the North Fork of the Cache la Poudre River.
Phantom Canyon1991
The Colorado Chapter made significant progress for conservation by acquiring more property around the state and working with policy makers.
TNC protected the Yampa River Preserve. Seventeen miles west of Steamboat Springs, the Yampa River drops through a narrow gap before flowing onto one of the broadest floodplains in western Colorado.
Yampa River Preserve
TNC protects High Creek Fen. The preserve is the most ecologically diverse, floristically rich fen known to exist in the Southern Rocky Mountains.
High Creek Fen
TNC worked with the Great Outdoors Colorado Citizens Committee to establish a trust fund that invested in the outdoors. This initiative was approved through a ballot measure which directed lottery money to the fund.
TNC acquired the Aiken Canyon Preserve. Aiken Canyon is one of the best known remaining examples of shrubland and woodland communities that once dominated the foothills of the Front Range.
Aiken Canyon1996
TNC purchased the Carpenter Ranch adjacent to the Yampa River Preserve. By keeping the property as a working ranch and education center, TNC hoped to learn how conservation and agriculture worked in tandem.
TNC acquired the 14,070-acre Fox Ranch. This property is a meeting ground for bird species from the eastern and western U.S. The Arickaree River flows through the ranch and may be CO's last free-flowing plains river.
Fox Ranch
TNC acquired the Medano & Zapata Ranches located in the San Luis Valley. Totaling 100,000 acres, the ranches along with Great Sand Dunes National Park constitute the most biologically significant landscape in the state.
Medano-Zapata Ranch2004
TNC worked to establish Great Sand Dunes National Park. Participating in discussions with residents of the San Luis Valley, National Park Service staff and elected officials, the group came up with a plan for legislation that would designate the park.
TNC helped launch the Colorado River Program. This program was created to address the multitude of threats and demands on the Colorado River that cross state and national lines.
CO River Program_4000x2200.jpg?crop=533%2C0%2C2933%2C2200&wid=800&hei=600&scl=3.6666666666666665)
TNC purchased the 50K-acre JE Canyon Ranch in southeastern Colorado. The acquisition was part of a larger effort to protect more than 500K acres of Colorado’s prairie to create one of the largest conserved grasslands.
2015
Colorado issued its first statewide water plan. For more than eight years, TNC staff members provided science and conservation expertise to Basin Roundtables to identify and prioritize environmental needs.
TNC launched an Urban Conservation Program in Colorado to catalyze nature-based community resilience, urban habitat connectivity, and equitable climate action.
Cities and Nature
TNC helped establish the Yampa River Fund, a sustainable, voluntary funding source for the Yampa River.
Yampa River Fund
Governor Polis opened Fishers Peak State Park, a project that The Nature Conservancy helped spearhead with partners at Trust for Public Land, GOCO, the City of Trinidad and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Fishers Peak
TNC dove into a new strategic plan with a focus on tackling climate change and protecting biodiversity while elevating diversity, equity, inclusion and justice throughout our work.
TNC bought and conserved a new property near Walsenburg: Silver Mountain. This working ranch provides important habitat for a wonderful diversity of wildlife, such as elk, mountain lion and pronghorn.
Silver Mountain
In the new Southern High Plains Initiative, TNC is working across five states and 71 million acres to conserve lands and waters to boost climate resilience, preserve biodiversity, and support sustainable communities.
Southern High Plains
TNC Colorado welcomes our first Tribal leader, Lorelei Cloud from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe to our Board of Trustees. In 2023, we welcomed Ernest House, Jr. from the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
TNC is working with partners to conserve high-priority wildlife habitat, open spaces and agricultural landscapes that support critical military installations in Colorado Springs.
SOAR Initiative
TNC Colorado joined the Sagebrush Sea collaborative, a seven-state effort which is united by a vision for to protect this threatened landscape.
After improving Colorado forests for decades, TNC in Colorado is now part of the Western Dry Forests Program that spans 11 states. Our team brings science, partnerships and resources to the program.
Farmers, recreators and conservationists came together to upgrade the Maybell diversion in NW Colorado to help improve the Yampa River, water delivery to agricultural lands and boat passage.
TNC helped deliver a significant victory for public lands by defeating several proposals in Congress to sell off public lands. Supporters like you helped send 100,000 messages to federal lawmakers.
TNC Colorado helped launch Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy to support conservation, outdoor recreation and climate resilience.
More recently, TNC was integral to creating a state park in southeast Colorado: Fishers Peak. TNC, along with the Trust for Public Land, purchased the property in 2019 with our partners the City of Trinidad, Great Outdoors Colorado and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. After a comprehensive planning process, the 19,200-acre park began welcoming visitors in October 2020. Since that time, the project has also catalyzed innovative work with Tribal partners at the Park and inspired the City of Raton and State of New Mexico to work with TNC and TPL to expand Sugarite State Park just over the border, creating nearly 64 square miles of a connected and conserved area.
Keeping Rivers Flowing
Our efforts to conserve water for rivers, native species and people goes back to 1983, when TNC helped purchase a water right for Boulder Creek. This transaction was the first time in Colorado that a water right was dedicated to an instream flow, benefitting the river and surrounding habitat.
Since then, we’ve expanded our toolbox to meet the water needs of both people and nature. In the Upper Colorado River Basin, we worked with partners to form the Upper Colorado Endangered Fish Recovery Program, which protects habitat and ensures there is enough water for four federally listed endangered or threatened fish species: humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker.
In southwest Colorado, our work centers on water, wildlife and people. With partners, we launched the Dolores River Restoration Partnership in 2009, which removed invasive species such as tamarisk and restored native habitat along 175 miles of the Dolores River. We also worked for nearly a decade on a plan to release a surge of water from the McPhee Reservoir on the Dolores River to mimic spring flows on the river and restore native habitat—this surge was implemented in 2023 after a high snowpack year, leading to extensive recovery of native willows.
In northwest Colorado, we also helped launch the Yampa River Fund in 2019. This unique funding source invests in projects to enhance water security, boost river flows and restore river ecosystems for the Yampa River in northwest Colorado.
More recently, TNC in Colorado and partners rehabilitated the century-old Maybell Ditch water diversion and modernized the associated headgate, which supports 18 agricultural producers across 2,500 acres along the Yampa River, west of Craig. The project modernizes irrigation infrastructure, supports threatened fish and improves passage for boats and paddlers.
We hit a milestone in 2015, when the state of Colorado created its first-ever water plan. For more than eight years leading up to this plan, TNC staff provided science, policy and conservation expertise, which directly informed strategy for the final plan.
Protecting Resilient Lands
Private land protection has always been central to TNC’s work. Over the past 60 years we have helped protect 1.5 million acres of land throughout the state, from our first preserve at Mexican Cut near Gothic to our most recent acquisition of Huerfano River Ranch near Walsenburg. Our team of protection specialists and stewards use creative tools to protect and manage a robust portfolio of lands across Colorado with an eye on building and maintaining connectivity across the vast landscapes of the western U.S.
Over the years, our land protection efforts have evolved from conserving small individual parcels to building connected landscapes that are resilient to our changing climate. In 1996, for example, TNC acquired the Carpenter Ranch in northwest Colorado’s Yampa River Valley. This unique property quickly became the cornerstone of a much larger conservation initiative. Working with landowners, local land trusts and many others, we subsequently protected a network of lands in this region that provides habitat for many iconic Colorado species, including elk, bear, greater sage grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, mule deer, pronghorn and more, while also supporting rural livelihoods for generations of ranching families.
In 2017, we began catalyzing one of the largest efforts for grassland conservation in the country. Through the Southern High Plains Initiative, we’re working with conservation, agricultural and Tribal partners across five western states to boost climate resilience, preserve biodiversity and support local communities by conserving important lands and waters. Since its launch, the initiative has directly conserved well over 250,000 acres and is changing the narrative around the importance of underappreciated grassland ecosystems.
The land that TNC conserves, manages and/or owns does more than protect biodiversity. Our preserves and other conservation lands provide places for people to reconnect to nature, whether walking the trails of Aiken Canyon near Colorado Springs, viewing the wide-open spaces of the Roberts Ranch conservation easement near Fort Collins or accessing Fisher’s Peak State Park near Trinidad. TNC continues to build corridors of conserved lands that will support people and nature long into the future.
Silver Mountain Ranch
Open Landscape: The preserve is part of a larger vision to create a resilient and connected network of conserved land along the Huerfano Valley foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. © Jason Houston
Sustainable Grazing: This 14,000-acre working cattle and bison ranch has a broad range of habitats and wildlife, such as elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep and black bear. © Jason Houston
Wildlife: A herd of elk roam the snowy property of Silver Mountain Preserve. © Chris Pague/TNC
Silver Mountain Ranch: Drone photograph looking west along the north edge of Silver Mountain Ranch. © Jason Houston
Nature-based Solutions for Forests and Watersheds
We focus on creating the enabling conditions for this important work by engaging with decision makers to advance policy and funding solutions, by partnering with agencies, academic institutions and other NGOs to train and bolster the workforce needed to carry out forest and fire management on the ground, and by collaborating with our science and research partners to strengthen the science foundations for forest management.
In the wake of the fire’s unprecedented scale and impact—due to hotter, drier weather and an excessive amount of dry vegetation in the forest—land managers and local stakeholders, including TNC in Colorado, created the Front Range Roundtable. The regional partnership established a shared vision for restoration of our Front Range ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forests, while also developing the science basis for forest restoration and addressing policy and land management barriers.
In addition to fostering collaboration around forest science and management, TNC placed a particular emphasis on increasing the use of prescribed fire as an important tool for forest management. Beneficial fire helps remove excess undergrowth and dead vegetation that can fuel severe wildfires under the wrong conditions. Low- and medium-intensity fire support healthy forests by reducing competition for resources and enabling trees and understory plants to regenerate.
Today, we continue to focus on increasing the pace and scale of forest restoration with the goal of reducing wildfire risk, safeguarding our water supplies, fostering resilience to climate change and promoting overall forest and watershed health. We focus on creating the enabling conditions for this important work by engaging with decision makers to bring policy and funding solutions to bear, agency partners and other NGOs to train and bolster the workforce needed to carry out the work on the ground, and our science and research partners to provide the science basis for forest management.
We work at the local scale through forest collaboratives such as the Upper South Platte Partnership, which we helped to establish in 2015. This partnership brings together numerous federal, state and local agencies with a goal of advancing ecologically based forest thinning and prescribed fire within the Upper South Platte watershed southwest of Denver. Ten years running now, this partnership has accomplished more than 35,000 acres of on-the-ground forest management and has become a model throughout Colorado for how to work collaboratively across agencies and organizations in improving forest health and protecting water resources within the watershed.
Increasingly, we are thinking about forest management at the watershed scale, which includes incorporating stream and wetland restoration to improve overall climate resilience and reduce wildfire risks. Colorado is part of a seven-state grassroots movement designed to revitalize rivers and streams across the West using Low-Tech Process Based Restoration (LTPBR) techniques. Through this strategy, restoration crews use simple, natural materials – wood, rocks, and elbow grease – to build structures that slow water from snowmelt and summer rains and capture sediments. By doing this, managers are able to combat the impacts of drought and climate change and increase overall landscape resilience. In addition to benefiting ecosystems and wildlife, these practices help to buffer communities from wildfire, support farmers and ranchers, and provide local jobs through a restoration economy.
LTPBR also supports wildlife and livestock and helps buffer communities from wildfires and floods. Additionally, materials are sourced from the rural areas where work is happening, boosting local communities.
Growing the Power of Nature in Cities
Launched in 2017, The Nature Conservancy’s Cities program in Colorado has emerged as a leader in bringing the benefits of nature into urban communities—ensuring both people and nature can thrive. Working alongside community partners in Denver’s Globeville, Elyria-Swansea (GES) neighborhoods, the program has planted and stewarded more than 500 trees while helping develop a shared vision for a cooler, healthier, and more shaded future for GES.
Building on this on-the-ground work, TNC played a foundational role in developing and implementing the City of Denver’s first-ever Urban Forest Strategic Plan, announced in 2025. This landmark roadmap sets a clear path toward cooler, more resilient neighborhoods that support community health and well-being across the city. TNC has also catalyzed innovation in Denver’s urban forest—investing in cutting-edge urban tree technology at the Populus Hotel to help trees reach maturity and deliver maximum benefits downtown and establishing the first pocket forest of its kind in the Rocky Mountain region.
A cornerstone of the Cities program’s impact has been its leadership in launching and advancing the Metro Denver Nature Alliance and developing the Regional Conservation Assessment. Spanning 6,200 square miles, this assessment guides regional planning to protect and connect habitats while expanding equitable access to nature for millions of Front Range residents. Complementing this work, TNC supported the creation of 14 Regional Vision Demonstration Projects that showcase diverse landscapes, communities and conservation priorities across metro Denver.
The program has also played a pivotal role in advancing policy solutions. By helping lead efforts such as Denver’s Parks Legacy Fund and Climate Protection Fund, TNC has contributed to the passage of measures that have unlocked hundreds of millions of dollars for parks and open space acquisition, stewardship and climate adaptation—delivering lasting benefits for both people and nature.
Tribal and Indigenous Engagement
The increased authority and capacity of Indigenous Peoples to steward their lands and waters is critical for the future of healthy ecosystems and communities. TNC in Colorado began partnering with Tribal Nations over a decade ago with a goal of supporting Tribal water rights and management priorities across the Colorado River Basin. In 2020, we elevated Tribal and Indigenous Engagement as an overarching priority and began working to build cultural humility, establish meaningful and trusting relationships, and identify appropriate ways to integrate Tribal engagement across our conservation portfolio. In 2022, we were honored to welcome our first Tribal leader, Lorelei Cloud, a citizen of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, to our Board of Trustees. The next year, Ernest House Jr., a citizen of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, also became a trustee.
Izabella Ruffino joined the Colorado team as the first Tribal and Indigenous Engagement Program Manager in 2024. As a liaison to Tribal Nations and Indigenous Communities, Ruffino guides TNC Colorado’s efforts to foster cultural awareness and meaningful collaboration in conservation work. Our current priorities center around continued support for Tribal water rights and management in the Colorado River Basin and leveraging our conservation lands to support Tribal, Indigenous and local community engagement in unique landscapes such as the San Luis and Yampa Valleys.
At our Zapata Ranch Preserve, for example, Ruffino has been listening and learning from Tribal and Indigenous partners to understand how this unique property in the San Luis Valley can support their connection to buffalo and ancestral homelands with a goal of creating a living model of culturally grounded conservation.
Building on that commitment, TNC in Colorado signed an agreement with the International Tribal Buffalo Council (ITBC) to help guide the buffalo herd management with Indigenous knowledge in order to reflect Tribal and Indigenous priorities to support bison restoration and rematriation efforts.
This agreement is an extension of TNC’s broader partnership with ITBC to return buffalo from TNC-managed herds to Tribal Nations. Since 2020, TNC, the ITBC and Tanka Fund have facilitated the return of more than 2,300 buffalo from TNC preserves in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Oklahoma to Indigenous communities.
Policy Wins
Armed with science, a proven track record and a non-partisan and solutions-oriented approach, TNC has helped to usher in several landmark state and federal policy wins. We are proud to have supported wins including the Great American Outdoors Act—a law that invests in preserving America’s public lands—the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Farm Bill and much more.
The TNC Colorado team was also a key partner in the creation and launch of Great Outdoors Colorado and the development of various other conservation funding and incentive programs to protect and conserve lands, waters and forests in Colorado.
In 2025, TNC was a key partner in the creation and launch of Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy, a collaborative vision uniting public and private partners and stakeholders to advance conservation, outdoor recreation and climate resilience. We have also worked to accelerate smart renewable energy siting and championed efforts to keep public lands in public hands.
Working across Borders to Have Greater Impact
With intensifying climate change and biodiversity loss, we must continue to think outside the box to address the challenges we face. To that end, TNC is working across western state borders to improve critical lands and waters including the Sagebrush Sea, Western Dry Forests and the Colorado River. We’ve also worked to share our science and expertise to support the launch of many TNC global programs including Argentina and Mongolia.
Since 1966, The Nature Conservancy has been working in Colorado toward the one future we envision: one with a livable climate, healthy communities and thriving nature. Thank you for being on this journey with us and for all of your support that makes our work possible.
Support Conservation in Colorado
Colorado’s challenges require far-sighted solutions that combine science and creativity. By working together, we can chart Colorado’s future and inspire people to take action.
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