James and Lindsey Paine Ranch consists of 857 acres in Conejos County northwest of the town of Antonito. The ranch is owned by a young couple beginning their journey of land ownership, farming, and ranching. James Paine recently acquired about half of the ranch from family, then was able to buy a contiguous property to double the size of the ranch. James and his wife, Lindsey, are pleased to have the land conserved and the water rights protected from the threat of export to far off municipalities.
Habitat is provided for big game species including elk, mule deer, and pronghorn. Habitat for local birds is incredible, including the federally endangered southwestern willow flycatcher, federally threatened yellow-billed cuckoo, as well as 50 additional bird species of concern that are listed with Partners in Flight, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Migratory Bird Program, Intermountain West Joint Venture Priority Bird List, North American Waterbird and Shorebird Conservation Plans, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife State Wildlife Action Plan. Habitat is also provided for two Colorado Species of Concern, the tiger salamander and northern leopard frog.
The ranch is grazed for cattle and features rangeland and fields of barley, oats, and alfalfa. Water rights from three different ditch systems support irrigation on the property. The ranch has beautiful views of Los Mogotes, a Bureau of Land Management Area of Critical Environmental Concern, to the west and the southern Sangre de Cristo mountains to the east, and it is nearby numerous additional conservation easements.
Project partners include Natural Resource Conservation Service, Gates Family Foundation, and Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust.