January, 2012
Secretary Salazar Unveils Conservation Vision for San Luis Valley
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012Trinchera Ranch included as part of landscape to be protected
United States Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar last week announced several initiatives aimed at protecting and promoting a vast range of historic and geographic sites located in the San Luis Valley, specifically including Trinchera Ranch in the area deserving protection. Governor John Hickenlooper and United States Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet were also on hand to support the initiatives.
A recently released report on the San Luis Valley and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which was commissioned by the Secretary, makes three recommendations:
- Request Congressional authorization to study and evaluate means to protect historic sites;
- Conduct an updated resource study of Vermejo Park Ranch;
- Create a corridor of conservation easements consisting of public and private lands.
The corridor of conservation, as outlined in the report, would include private properties along the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in New Mexico and Colorado, including the 172,000-acre Trinchera Ranch. The corridor would protect an iconic landscape and important wildlife habitat, but keep property in private ownership. Trinchera Ranch was lauded by the Secretary for its outstanding commitment to conservation and improvement of wildlife habitat over several decades.
The initiatives were announced as part of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative.
To read the news articles from the event, as well as the Secretary’s report, please visit the links below.
The Denver Post: Salazar, Colorado leaders push to preserve much of San Luis Valley
Alamosa Valley Courier: San Luis Valley heritage study underway
Pueblo Chieftain: Salazar proposes to preserve history of San Luis Valley’s past
Report: San Luis Valley and Central Sangre de Cristo Mountains Reconnaissance Survey