Conservation
The San Luis Valley has a long heritage of conserving its land and natural resources. From the Great Sand Dunes National Park to the stunning vistas encountered over La Veta Pass to the pristine, undeveloped lands that are being preserved and managed to benefit wildlife and the natural environment, the area is a treasure to behold and is something worth protecting.
The Valley is home to the largest conserved piece of property in Colorado, Trinchera Ranch. Nearly half of the 172,000 acre Trinchera Ranch is protected by a land conservation easement held by Colorado Open Lands. The plan is to protect even more of the ranch in the future. There are also countless other private properties in the region that are being conserved.
Trinchera sits at the nexus of public and private lands that have the potential to form a magnificent, carefully managed natural corridor from the Great Sand Dunes National Park south to New Mexico.
The U.S. Department of the Interior has selected the San Luis Valley as one of three regions to receive federal focus under the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. The goal of this effort is to develop a 21st Century conservation and recreation agenda for the country.
The utilities’ proposal threatens this area and would significantly hamper any future plans for conservation. Numerous individuals and organizations are fearful of the negative impact the project would have on conservation in the Valley.