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County approves conservation easement on 2,416-acre Lone Pine Ranch to protect wildlife, water and views
Summary
The Larimer County Board approved acquisition of a conservation easement on the Lone Pine Livestock Ranch to protect 2,416 acres including Lone Pine Creek habitat, with a closing scheduled next week and county open-space funds contributing millions.
Larimer County commissioners on Jan. 28 approved acquisition of a conservation easement on the Lone Pine Livestock Ranch in the Livermore priority area, a 2,416-acre working ranch that county staff said will protect wildlife habitat, wetlands and scenic views.
Natural Resources staff said the conservation easement will preserve grazing and agricultural uses while protecting about a half-mile of Lone Pine Creek and associated riparian habitat that supports the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse, a species of conservation concern. The easement will also protect Mount Mahogany shrubland communities that county staff said are regionally rare outside Larimer County.
Justin Kors, senior land agent, said the appraised value of the conservation-easement interest is about $7.5 million. Funding for the project includes contributions from the City of Fort Collins, The Nature Conservancy, a private donor, Friends of Larimer County Natural Resources and grants from Great Outdoors Colorado and the Gates Family Foundation; Larimer County’s share is $5,164,000 drawn from the county’s Help Preserve Open Space sales tax fund, county staff said. Staff said the county’s open-space sales tax is authorized through 2043 and that municipal partners share proceeds on a 50/50 basis with the county.
The easement allows limited, clustered building envelopes (four were described) and ties senior water rights associated with Lone Pine Creek to the conservation easement to keep those rights available to support conservation values and agricultural uses. Staff said a closing on the easement is scheduled the week after the meeting.
Commissioners and staff highlighted the project’s role in connecting existing conserved lands in the Laramie Foothills Mountains-to-Plains region, buffering public lands and preserving scenic views from County Road 74E and surrounding corridors. Commissioner Jody Shattuck McNally moved approval of the resolution to acquire the easement and accept a donation related to the property; the motion passed 3-0.
The county will hold the conservation easement once the transaction closes, officials said.
