COLORADO
Fishers Peak—a 9,633-foot tabletop mountain in southern Colorado—towers over 30 square miles that are set to become Colorado’s 42nd state park in early 2021. The terrain is a prime site for outdoor recreation, and its diverse forest teems with wildlife such as elk, black bears and ringtails.
The Nature Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land, supported by the City of Trinidad, will eventually transfer the property to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Meanwhile, Chris Pague, a TNC senior conservation ecologist, and a 30-member team are inventorying the property’s biodiversity to guide future uses that will promote its continuing vitality. Chris says, “Our job is to use objective science to show which are the most sensitive areas, and which areas will be best for recreation. We are committed to both outcomes while providing a voice for nature.”
MAINE
In early summer, as the hovering mist dissipates over the Spring River in Maine’s Downeast region, you might see wood ducks swimming in an eddy or anglers seeking trout. The river provides the healthy aquatic habitat needed by native brook trout, Atlantic salmon and other sea-run fish.
Later this year, The Nature Conservancy will acquire the nearly 14,000-acre Spring River-Narraguagus Forest property, which is adjacent to TNC’s existing Spring River Preserve. This project will safeguard forestland, interior tributary streams and shorelands along Narraguagus Lake, Spring River and the West Branch Narraguagus River. Stewarding the property will improve the resilience of its wetlands, lakes and rivers, connect habitat for wide-ranging wildlife, and allow space for species to move in response to a changing climate.
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