Montezuma Land Conservancy received a total of $125,000 in funding from Keep It Colorado for two new conservation easements in Montezuma County, totaling 1,020 acres combined, according to a news release on June 24.

The first project will be on Hackley Ranch, located in the Mancos River watershed. The ranch is 720 acres and has “excellent water rights; prime soils; productive meadows; healthy ponderosa pine forests; and 17 acres of wetlands and riparian habitat,” according to the release.

Half of Hackley Ranch is within San Juan National Forest, which helps snow accumulation and produces “moderate spring runoff,” the release said.

The second project is the Sturdevant Project along the west fork of the Dolores River. It will “permanently conserve 300 acres along nearly 2 miles of the West Fork of the Dolores River that are surrounded on all sides by San Juan National Forest,” the release said.

With help from another easement and Forest Service land, a 5.1-mile stretch of the river corridor, riparian habitat and wetlands will be uninterrupted. The landowner will also work to “improve aquatic habitat for the four species of trout that reside in the river,” the release said.

“These two projects represent huge wins for the preservation of historic ranchlands in the Mancos Valley, and landscape scale conservation efforts of preserving riparian and wildlife corridors along the West Fork of the Dolores River,” said Austin Easter, Conservation Director for Montezuma Land Conservancy. “The Sturdevant easement is a once in a generation conservation project that will permanently protect nearly two miles of river corridor along the West Fork from development and for focused restoration projects along the river.”

“More than ever before, we’re able to really move the needle on conservation across the state by supporting land trusts and their partnerships with landowners,” said Amy Beatie, executive director for Keep It Colorado.

The Walton Family Foundation has given additional funding for the Sturdevant project. The Montezuma Land Conservancy was one of nine other land trusts across the state to receive funding from Keep It Colorado. Great Outdoors Colorado and Ducks Unlimited also had a hand in funding the awards given.

More information is available on the Montezuma Land Conservancy’s website at https://montezumaland.org/.