Conservationists have released a plan to protect key lands and waters in Colorado that people and nature need to survive and thrive in a changing climate. “Conserving Colorado: A 10-year Roadmap for the Future of Private Land Conservation” calls for doubling the number of acres protected over the next 10 years, from 3.3 million to 6.6 million acres. Comments from Linda Lidov, interim executive director, Keep It Colorado.
Keep It Colorado will award $840,000 in assistance to 10 nonprofit Colorado land trusts, which will support landowners who have volunteered to protect their properties through conservation. The 15 selected projects will help permanently protect over 13,000 acres of working ranches, wetlands, water rights and wildlife corridors on land that would otherwise be at imminent risk of being subdivided or converted to other uses.
Keep It Colorado will award $260,000 in assistance to six nonprofit land trusts across Colorado, which will support landowners who have volunteered to protect their properties through conservation. The projects will permanently protect 2,637 acres of working ranches, wetlands, water rights and wildlife corridors on land that would otherwise be at imminent risk of being subdivided or converted to other uses.
Ducks Unlimited (DU) has pledged to support Keep It Colorado’s grant program, the Transaction Cost Assistance Program (TCAP). TCAP provides financial support to Colorado’s land conservation community to help cover costs associated with conservation easement transactions, which protect land in perpetuity. Keep It Colorado will apply DU’s investment toward conservation projects that involve Colorado wetlands and benefit migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, and other wildlife and natural resources.
Keep It Colorado will award $215,000 in grants to help four Colorado land trusts complete conservation projects in partnership with landowners across five Colorado counties. The projects will permanently protect 13,375 acres of critical wetlands and wildlife habitat, family orchards and vineyards, agricultural landscapes, water rights and rare species.
Keep It Colorado will award $197,000 in grants to help three Colorado land trusts complete conservation projects. Their activities with landowners who’ve chosen to conserve their land in perpetuity will protect 8,512 acres of land that would otherwise be at imminent risk of being sold, subdivided or converted to other uses.
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