Kaplan Kirsch assisted a landowner with the donation of a significant conservation easement in Western Colorado to protect the Scenic Mesa Ranch. Our landowner client partnered with the Colorado West Land Trust to establish a conservation easement that will permanently protect over 7,400 acres of land south of Hotchkiss, near where the North Fork of the Gunnison River meets the mainstem. This strategic conservation effort preserves crucial wildlife habitat that borders the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area and helps connect lower-elevation public lands with the West Elk wilderness. The property is home to diverse wildlife including eagles, river otters, elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, and black bears.
The easement also protects senior water rights, ensuring continued agricultural productivity through livestock grazing, irrigated hay production, and dryland pastures. Future plans include collaboration on restoration projects to improve aquatic and upland habitats, including river restoration work with the Western Colorado Conservation Corps.
