history and mergers

Colorado Conservation Trust

In 2013, Colorado Open Lands merged with Colorado Conservation Trust (CCT), which operated like a community foundation to support and advance the land trust industry. CCT was founded on the idea that rapid growth strained Colorado’s quality of life, and accordingly injected money and expertise into the industry to counteract that growth. Colorado Open Lands has adopted Colorado Conservation Trust’s entrepreneurial spirit and mission of offering assistance and leadership to partner conservation organizations throughout Colorado.

Legacy Land Trust

In 2016, Colorado Open Lands joined forces with Legacy Land Trust (LLT), operating out of Fort Collins. In its 23-year history, LLT had protected nearly 43,000 acres in Colorado’s northern Front Range, including in Weld, Larimer, Jackson, and Washington counties. Colorado Open Lands continues to have dedicated staff working to protect additional lands in this landscape, which is rich in agriculture and recreation opportunities.

Continental Divide Land Trust

In 2019, Colorado Open Lands completed its third merger, with Continental Divide Land Trust (CDLT). CDLT had a particular focus on lands with public access, which are deeply cherished by the Summit County Community. Operating at the local scale, CDLT had been in business for 25 years, and had conserved 16 properties, both public and private, with many offering recreation opportunities to Summit County residents and visitors. To continue local conservation work and maintain community relations, COL engages with community members through the Summit County Advisory Committee.  This committee consists of: Lynn Amstutz, Clint Giberson, Peter Grosshuesch, Brian Lorch, Laura Rossetter, and MJ Wurster.

Clear Creek Land Conservancy

After nearly 35 years of working to protect the land and water of the Clear Creek watershed between Loveland Pass and Golden, Clear Creek Land Conservancy (CCLC) joined forces with Colorado Open Lands through a formal merger to expand joint conservation work in this region. The merger was official on October 30, 2020. A local advisory committee was established to continue building relationships with landowners and community organizations, as well as advance conservation in the region. The Clear Creek Advisory Committee consists of: Greg Holden, Rock Pring, Jeff Bogard, Michelle Poolet, Patrick Ciganer, Janice Smith, and Jamen Tyler.

Southwest Land Alliance

On the last day of 2020, Colorado Open Lands merged with Southwest Land Alliance (SLA).  Based in Archuleta County, SLA served the south-central part of the state for nearly 40 years, and had successfully conserved 44 separate properties on over 26,000 acres with numerous partners. These include some of the most iconic properties in southern Colorado. The group faithfully fulfilled its mission of “preserving and protecting in perpetuity the biologically, agriculturally, and historically important land in our region while there remains an opportunity to do so,” and COL is excited to continue this work.

San isabel Land protection Trust

San Isabel Land Protection Trust (SILPT) was founded in 1995 by a group of Custer County residents concerned about increasing development pressures and the potential loss of agricultural lands, scenic vistas, and wildlife habitat. Since that time, SILPT had permanently protected 42,434 acres in Custer, Fremont, Huerfano, and Pueblo counties through partnerships with more than 120 landowners and families. Since our December 2021 merger, we have pursued new conservation projects in the landscape. Alongside keeping staff and an office in Westcliffe, CO, COL established a local advisory committee in the region to provide area expertise and community connection going forward. The San Isabel Advisory Committee consists of: Bill Donley, Peg Kavookjian, Pari Morse, Dave Huber, Christy Wyckoff, Bob Steimle, Annie Overlin, John Rice, and Woody Beardsley.