Conservation Projects

As of January 2010, RiGHT has a portfolio of 22 conservation properties in the San Luis Valley totaling 16,107 acres. Of these, four are in Alamosa County, ten are in Rio Grande County, three are in Saguache County, three are in Mineral County, one is in Conejos County, and one is in Costilla County.

Below are a few featured profiles from our projects throughout the San Luis Valley.

Rio Oxbow Ranch: Stretching along the Silver Thread Scenic Byway, US Highway 149, above Creede in Mineral County, RiGHT conserved 1,070 acres of this historic ranch. The ranch encompasses six miles of the Upper Rio Grande and has an extensive boundary with the Rio Grande National Forest. The owners and managers of this ranch have been recognized for their excellent management of the riparian area, which supports abundant populations of elk, deer, moose, beaver, marmots and many other small mammals. For more details on this unique ranch, you can read our press release here.
Photo by Rio de la Vista

Jansen Ranch: This spectacular ranch lies just east of South Fork in Rio Grande County. Its 145-acres contain Gold Medal fishing, excellent wildlife habitat, and numerous wetlands - making it especially attractive for conservation. With development pressures in this area growing rapidly, RiGHT and the landowners are especially proud to protecting this beautiful area.

Photo by Mike Blakeman

The King Ranch: In November of 2007 RiGHT closed on the final phase of the King Ranch Preservation Project, protecting 5,158 acres.  This important project  adds a critical piece of protected private lands to the 275,000 acres of public and private land already protected at the base of the Sangre de Cristos. 

Protection for this ranch has been made possible with support from Great Outdoors Colorado, the ColoradoDivision of Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, and generous private donors.

Dunn Ranch: In 2005 RiGHT celebrated the protection of the the 1,240 acre Dunn Ranch in the La Garita Creek watershed. In addition to being a large and valuable agricultural property, this farm and ranching operation has important wetlands and wet meadows that supports a wide variety of waterfowl, marsh birds, passerines, and raptors. The ranch also includes significant water rights that are among the most senior in the Rio Grande Basin.

Protecting these water rights will supply important ground water recharge to the property, the San Luis Valley aquifer below it and La Garita Creek, making the Dunn Ranch an important component of a larger network of protected private and public lands. RiGHT partnered with the Trust for Public Land to complete this project, which received funding from Great Outdoors Colorado and the Farm and Ranch Lands Preservation Program under the USDA.

The Upper Wright’s Ranch: The historic Upper Wright’s Ranch was protected with a conservation easement in 2003 with the help of Great Outdoors Colorado, the Division of Wildlife’s Habitat Partnership Program, Mineral County, The Brown Foundation, the Rio Grande Conservation District and The Conservation Fund. Spanning the Rio Grande for 1 and ½ miles the ranch is the first working cattle ranch the river meets on its trip from the headwaters. The ranch is adjacent to the Weminuche Wilderness Area and is truly one of the gems of the Rio Grande basin.

The Haugen Ranch:  Protection of the Haugen Ranch was completed in 2006, as part of the Rock Creek Heritage Project.  The overall project seeks to create a broad land base of protected historically agricultural lands south of Monte Vista in the Rock Creek drainage.  To date, nearly 7,700 acres of land have been protected through conservation easements with The American Farmland Trust, Colorado Cattleman's Agricultural Land Trust, Ducks Unlimited and RiGHT.  This 327 acre ranch was particularly crucial for its location between the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge and BLM and Forest Service. 

Parma Ranch: RiGHT worked with the Trust for Public land to protect two portions of this historic ranch, one in 2003 and the other in 2009. Together, the parcels protect almost 700 acres of agriculturally productive land that creates an important buffer to the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge – a 14,800 acre complex established for wildlife habitat, particularly waterfowl.

Bonanza: This 450 acre ranch was RiGHT’s first conservation easement. We protected it under the tutelage of Colorado Open Lands. Preserved as open space, the ranch sits near the northern end of the San Luis Valley and helps preserve the Bonanza Creek drainage and spectacular views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.