Protecting the Heart and Heritage of Colorado
The Nature Conservancy has acquired the 10,300 acre-Huerfano River Canyon Ranch in southeast Colorado to protect vital land and waters for our future.
The Nature Conservancy in Colorado is celebrating a win for land, water, and wildlife with the recent acquisition of the 10,300 acre-Huerfano River Canyon Ranch in southeast Colorado. The ranch encompasses vital habitat for wildlife and provides critical connection to other protected lands designed to support imperiled grasslands.
Ecologically, Huerfano is especially important for its 11-mile section of the Huerfano River, lined with cottonwood woodlands and intact marshes, and encircled by pinyon-juniper cliffs and canyons. This expansive and varied landscape allows black bear, pronghorn, and abundant elk populations to find food, fresh water, and seasonal habitat. The Colorado triploid checkered whiptail lizard—found only in southeast Colorado—lives in Huerfano’s rocky canyons and hillsides, along with many other species of conservation concern.
“I spent many summers as a child in the upper reaches of the Huerfano River, so this moment feels particularly celebratory for me. I look forward to collaborating with our partners and community on the conservation of Huerfano River Canyon Ranch and the many other special places like it across the Southern High Plains,” said Galen Guerrero-Murphy, Colorado Land Program Director.
“I am thrilled to see Huerfano join the interconnected network of lands in TNC’s Southern High Plains Initiative that spans five states, forever protecting our valuable grasslands from conversion or development” says Matt Moorhead, Business & Partnership Development Advisor. “This place embodies the diverse landscapes that make Colorado so special.”
Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas are part of the grasslands protection network that will permanently protect two million acres to support biodiversity by offering plant and animal species new places to call home as climate change intensifies.
Southern High Plains Initiative
Learn more about one of the largest opportunities for grassland conservation in the U.S.
Continue learningTNC will protect the property with a conservation easement while land management—including a focus on regenerative agriculture with community partners—is underway.
TNC plans to sell the protected Huerfano River Canyon Ranch to a conservation-minded buyer who will carry on the work to support conservation and livelihoods.
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The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 81 countries and territories (40 by direct conservation impact and 41 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on X.
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