News & Updates

New easement protects ranch, Rio Grande
One of the most scenic and wildlife-rich ranches in the San Luis Valley will stay that way, thanks to a recently completed conservation easement. Click here to read the full article from the Pueblo Chieftian.

Conservation Success for Local Land Trust: Rio Oxbow Ranch Protected

Anyone who has driven the winding “Silver Thread Scenic Byway” along State Highway 149 above Creede has probably had their breath taken away. Not just by the high altitude, but also by the scenic beauty that opens when they round the bend to see the majestic Rio Grande meandering across the valley floor of Antelope Park. Six miles of the river flows through the wide curving oxbows that inspire the name of the spectacular Rio Oxbow Ranch. Across the broad valley, the Weminuche Wilderness rises on the far side and the views are indeed breath taking. The local Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust’s conservation efforts has now insured that this view is protected in perpetuity, with completion of the second phase of the conservation easement on the Rio Oxbow Ranch at the end of 2009. Click here to read the full press release. Photo by Rio de la Vista

The Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust is Certified!
RiGHT is excited to announce that we just received our official certification from the State of Colorado! This certification is part of a process Colorado is undertaking to ensure that land trusts in the state are doing quality conservation work that will stand the test of time.

Highlights from 2009
2009 was a great year for RiGHT and conservation in the San Luis Valley. We completed five conservation projects (including four on the Rio Grande) permanently conserving nearly 5,000 acres of agricultural land, wildlife habitat, and open space. This was RiGHT's most successful year to date. but we couldn't have done it without the landowners, our partners, funders, donors, and volunteers - a huge thanks to you all! You can read more about these projects and see photos here.

Land Trust Alliance Accreditation
(See the full story in our Spring 2009 Newsletter)
The accreditation program recognizes organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important
natural places and working lands forever. For accreditation, the Land Trust Alliance (LTA) will review RiGHT against a set of 12 Standards and 37 associated Practices that cover responsible governance, land transactions and stewardship, ethical operations, accountability to donors and the public, and more. In addition to this organizational review, LTA will also closely examine a selection of RiGHT’s conservation projects.

Update:
RiGHT successfully submitted our full application for accreditation and are in the middle of the review process with LTA. We recently had a conference call with LTA where we had the opportunity to share more of the details of our work. We feel confident in our work and hope to hear on the final status of our application sometime in March!

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