Conservation: What, how, who - and most importantly, WHY?

Conservation means many different things to different people, and it touches our lives in myriad ways. What does conservation mean to Keep It Colorado and our coalition? Who is conserving Colorado’s landscapes, and what tools are needed? How does conservation benefit people and wildlife? Read our Q&A to learn a few key aspects of this work.

What is conservation?

Conservation means many things to different people and organizations. To Keep It Colorado, conservation is about protecting what we have today so that people and wildlife can thrive in the future. Conservation is critical to creating healthy lands and waters, which we need not only to survive, but to sustain a high quality of life.

How is conservation different from preservation?

Conservation means protecting what we have now so that it is there for us – humans and wildlife – in the future. Preservation means protecting places and things from damage, or maintaining or keeping them in existence, while minimizing human impacts.

What is the urgency in conserving land?

The United States is quietly losing its remaining forests, grasslands, deserts, and natural places at a blistering pace. Every 30 seconds, a football field worth of America’s natural areas disappears to roads, houses, pipelines, and other development. (Source: Conservation Science Partners, Loss and fragmentation of natural lands in the conterminous U.S. from 2001 to 2017) America the Beautiful, also known as 30x30, is a goal to protect 30% of lands and waters by 2030 for the benefit of all life - a goal that Keep It Colorado shares.

What is private land?

Private lands are lands not owned by federal, state, county or local governments.

Why is it important to conserve private lands?

About 60 percent of lands in Colorado are privately owned, and therefore present a significant opportunity to ensure that our state’s natural landscapes, agricultural areas, wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation areas are conserved for the future.

Who conserves privately owned land in Colorado?

Since 1965, land trusts and their partners have helped Colorado families conserve more than 3.3 million acres* of working lands, wildlife habitat and open spaces that define our state and contribute to our quality of life. Read about Keep It Colorado’s role.

*Sources: Keep It Colorado 2021 data collection from 22 land trusts in Colorado.

What is open space?

Open space is publicly or privately owned land that is protected from urbanization (paving or building). Open space on public lands is usually accessible to the public, and on private lands is sometimes accessible to the public, and may also be leased for agriculture. In Colorado, open space lands are often abundant with native plants and wildlife, and are home to threatened and endangered species. They can also serve as a buffer between urban areas and nearby development. Open space lands often feature trails that are used by walkers, hikers, bicyclists, horseback riders and dog walkers. Whether on public or private property, open space lands provide important wildlife habitat and create rich opportunities for viewing wildlife and beautiful natural scenery.

Where do Colorado voters stand on the work of land trusts in relation to conservation?

Understanding and supporting the work of land trusts/Dec 2020 survey:

96% have a favorable opinion of land trusts once they hear a quick of explanation of land trusts’ work, and more than half say that actions related to conserving the land are extremely important responsibilities for land trusts to undertake.

85-91% believe that important land trust activities include conserving wildlife habitat, restoring forest health, conserving lands along streams and rivers, conserving mountain areas, conserving lands that have rare or important plant life, conserving historic lands, and conserving native prairies and grasslands

Where do Coloradans stand on climate change?

Understanding and supporting the work of land trusts/Dec 2020 survey:

88% say “Yes, climate change is occurring.” Of those, here is the breakdown across political party affiliations:

• Republicans: 73%

• Independents: 90%

• Democrats: 98%

87% believe in protecting the land from climate change and ensuring that future generations can continue enjoying it as they have.

79% believe that conserving lands that are more sensitive to climate change is an important land trust responsibility.

Colorado College’s State of the Rockies Project 2022 Conservation in the West Poll:

69% say that there is enough evidence of climate change that action should be taken.

What’s the connection between conservation and climate change?

More extreme weather patterns, chronic drought, a longer and more intense wildfire season, and diminished snowpack are becoming more prevalent. While land conservation alone cannot end these climate threats, it can and does play a key role in creating natural solutions to climate change, mitigating its impacts, and creating more resilient and adaptable landscapes and communities. Examples of effective conservation strategies include sequestering (storing) carbon in plants and soils, removing harmful gases from the atmosphere, protecting wildlife habitat, and increasing the diversity of plants and animals that make up a healthy ecosystem. Read our Policy on Climate Policy.

Who benefits from conservation?

Every living person and animal benefits from conservation. Conserving our lands and waters is critical not only to our survival but to our quality of life. Because of conservation, we have clean water to drink and clean air to breathe; vital food sources produced by our ranchers and farmers; healthy habitat and safe passage for our wildlife; and parks and open spaces where we can connect with nature. Without conservation, all of these things are at risk of disappearing.

For every $1 invested in conservation, the public receives up to $12 in benefits. (A CSU Study: Investing in Colorado, 2017)

Community + connection

Conservation connects people to the places they love and brings people together around that shared love for Colorado. Connection to the land in Colorado is varied, and it runs deep. For everyone – Indigenous peoples who have ancestral ties to these lands, families who have farmed and ranched these lands for multiple generations, people who have grown up playing in Colorado’s natural landscapes, and those who have more recently arrived – connection to the land is personal. Conservation nurtures that connection and provides a chance for us all to act on our shared values and goals – honoring the past while helping us prepare for the future.

From volunteering together to steward a local trail, to joining a nature hike, to learning about the role wildlife plays in preserving the land, to enjoying a walk in the local park - opportunities to connect with the land and with each other through conservation abound.

Ecology

Conservation is critical to keeping Colorado’s natural areas healthy and abundant for the people and wildlife here.

For example, by conserving natural areas and forests, we can reduce runoff and toxics in the lakes, rivers and streams that bring us clean water for drinking and recreating in.

By protecting native plants and trees, we help control erosion. This encourages more growth of those plants, and provides habitat animals, birds and fish need to survive.

By protecting and restoring habitat from the prairies to the mountains, we enable the survivability of the wildlife that call Colorado home.

Quality of life

No matter where one lives – in the city, in a mountain town or in a rural community – conservation contributes to a high quality of life in Colorado for both people and wildlife.

• Keeps working farm and ranch lands in production, putting food on Coloradans’ tables every day and supporting a way of life for many of our rural families.

• Keeps open spaces open so we can enjoy the land and be close to nature – whether we’re hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, or going for a walk around the local park.

• Preserves the signature landscapes, views and natural beauty Colorado is known for. We see it whether we’re driving down the highway or walking through the local park.

Economy

Conservation tells a clear and strong economic story in Colorado.

• Recreation: 90 percent of Coloradans participate in outdoor recreation activities in Colorado each year. Conservation creates opportunities for people to hike, camp, see wildlife, fish and hunt, and for companies that manufacture and sell equipment for those activities – pumping dollars into our state’s economy. (The Economic Benefits of Great Outdoors Colorado and the Conservation Trust Fund, 2018.)

• Tourism: 15 percent of leisure visitors to Colorado come specifically for the parks, trails, rivers, open spaces, recreation amenities, and wildlife. People who come primarily to visit the outdoors are estimated to spend $1.21 billion annually in Colorado, generating tens of millions of dollars in state and local tax revenues. (The Economic Benefits of Great Outdoors Colorado and the Conservation Trust Fund, 2018.)

• Agriculture: In the agricultural sector alone, new investments in conservation programs have the potential to pump hundreds of millions of dollars into Colorado’s economy, and give a much-needed boost to our rural communities, too. (Economic impact of future federal conservation easement investments on (rural) Colorado communities, 2020). (View our infographic.)

What is a land trust?

A land trust is a nonprofit organization organized as a charitable entity under the laws of the United States and Colorado. Land trusts work with landowners and communities to voluntarily conserve lands located in the area the land trust serves. In Colorado, land trusts are located in communities across the state, and some operate statewide or nationally. Land trusts are run by dedicated, professional staff and, in most cases, by a volunteer board.

What does a land trust do?

Local, regional and statewide land trusts help conserve land for natural, recreational, scenic, historical and productive values – protecting the land in perpetuity and removing the threat of development. Land trusts can purchase land outright in order to permanently protect it, or they may:

• Accept donations of land or the funds to purchase land.

• Accept a bequest or accept the donation of a conservation easement, permanently limiting the type and scope of development that can take place on the land.

• Purchase conservation easements.

How many land trusts are there?

Keep It Colorado’s coalition serves approximately 25 land trusts in the state of Colorado. Since 1965, land trusts and their partners have helped Colorado families conserve more than 3.2 million acres of working lands, wildlife habitat and open spaces that define our state and contribute to our quality of life. In the U.S., more than 1,700 local and regional land trusts are protecting more than 37 million acres of farmland, wetlands, ranches, forests, watersheds, river corridors and other land types, and several national land trusts have protected millions more acres. 

How different are land trusts from each other? How are they similar?

Colorado’s land trusts vary greatly in geographic location, scope and scale, as well as in the conservation programs and initiatives they develop. They also work in myriad ways to connect people in local communities with conserved lands and with each other. They all share common goals to protect and conserve land for its natural, recreational, scenic, historic, ecological and agricultural values.

How can people get involved with land trusts?

Land trusts in Colorado offer many ways for people in their local communities to get involved. Some land trusts organize volunteer activities such as trail building, fence removal or habitat protection. Others arrange outdoor education programs and hands-on experiences for school children and community groups. Some offer guided tours and hikes on conserved properties, or social gatherings that bring people together over a meal. All land trusts invite their community members to support the ongoing work of conservation by advocating for public policy, and by giving a financial donation. Meet your local land trust.

What is Keep It Colorado’s relationship with land trusts?

Keep It Colorado brings the land trust community together to collaborate and strategize for the future, advocate for good policy, and creatively solve challenges. Coordinated efforts are needed to represent the needs and priorities of Colorado’s vastly different communities – and help us make better plans for Colorado’s land and water future. Watch our video!

Keep It Colorado is also a member and partner of the Land Trust Alliance, a national organization that provides a variety of valuable complementary services to land trusts in our coalition.