Conservation and Stewardship

The Land Trust protects land through two primary mechanisms. The first is the acquisition of conservation easements in partnership with private landowners. Easements are unique to each property, and the Land Trust works with families and individuals on the specific terms of every easement. Some lands are protected for ranching with no public access, and others provide critical wildlife habitat or perhaps an important recreational connection. No two easements are identical yet they all protect land forever.

The second way the Crested Butte Land Trust conserves land is through fee title acquisitions. The Land Trust has purchased hundreds of strategically important acres in the Gunnison Valley for the purpose of protecting a variety of conservation values. Fee acquisition projects have protected important community assets including Long Lake, the Lower Loop and the Lupine Trails, Gunsight Bridge, and critical wetlands along the Slate River. 

The Crested Butte Land Trust doesn’t just work to conserve land for today. Once conserved, lands must be monitored and maintained for generations to come. Through our stewardship program, Land Trust staff and volunteers take the best possible care of our lands.

Caring for land is a constant and ever-changing task. Our process begins with annual monitoring of every private conservation easement and Land Trust fee owned parcel. Annual monitoring ensures that the terms of easements are being met and provides support for landowners who want to improve the conservation values on their property. The better we take care of our land today, the more the next generation will experience the Gunnison Valley we know and love for years to come. Stewardship is an investment for our future’s clean air and water, wildlife, and natural world.