Historic ranch to be preserved

The historic Greenland Ranch, 21,000 acres of buttes, rolling hills and grasslands that greeted 19th century explorers, likely will remain unchanged for 21st century commuters.

On Thursday, Douglas County and state lottery officials each committed $9.2 million toward the $20 million needed to preserve the ranch just north of El Paso County.

The Conservation Fund, a national land preservation group that negotiated the deal, pledged Thursday to raise the remaining $1.6 million from private donations.

The announcement caps a six-year campaign to save the ranch, a site traversed by thousands of motorists each day.

The ranch - one of the last wide open spaces between Fort Collins and the Springs - was often mentioned by former Gov. Roy Romer as a critical target for preservation if Colorado was to retain the Western feel on the Front Range.

"This is a property that is known all around the state," said Will Shafroth, executive director of Great Outdoors Colorado, the agency that distributes state lottery money for parks, open space and wildlife areas. "It is of statewide significance."

Despite its high profile and historic significance, it took some political muscle from Gov. Bill Owens, along with Greg Walcher, director of the state Department of Natural Resources, to eke out enough money for the deal. That's because the state Wildlife Commission, which had to sign off on its $3.5 million share of the lottery proceeds, had some concerns about the site.

Because the ranch has been in private hands, wildlife officials have never been on the site to inventory its wildlife and habitat. Aerial surveys have revealed about 1,000 elk, hundreds of mule and white-tailed deer, as well as a few dozen bighorn sheep, but wildlife commissioners wanted to know more about the area before committing so much money.

"We had to ask (commissioners) to make a leap of faith," Walcher said.

"I said I wanted (the purchase) to happen," Owens said. "I don't want to suggest I forced (wildlife commissioners) kicking and screaming."

Owens announced the $18.4 million commitment while standing on the ranch, with a view of Pikes Peak in the background.

"It's remarkable to realize Greenland Ranch is unchanged since it was written about by John Fremont in the early 1800s," Owens said. "This (agreement) ensures the metro area of Colorado Springs will never actually merge with the metro area of Denver."

The deal is good news for Interstate 25 motorists who will forever enjoy the ranch's development-free scenery, which stretches along both sides of the freeway from just over the crest of Monument Hill north for about eight miles.

The announcement came as a relief to The Conservation Fund. The group signed a contract to buy the land from the Oklahoma Publishing Co. last month, but said at the time it needed to raise $20 million for the deal to go through.

It had a tentative commitment of $10 million from Douglas County but didn't know what it might get in the way of state lottery proceeds until Thursday morning. That's when the board of Great Outdoors Colorado voted to set aside $9.2 million for the deal.

After that, Douglas County commissioners formally voted to match that figure, backing off slightly from their earlier $10 million proposal.

The remaining $1.6 million needed for the deal must be raised from private foundations by June 27, said Sydney Macy, vice president of The Conservation Fund.

"I was expecting about $18 million, so $18.4 million is a bonus," Macy said. "But we've still got some work to do."

The deal to preserve the land is complex. The full purchase price is actually more than $20 million, but Macy has not disclosed how much more.

Whatever the extra amount is, it's being paid by a private buyer, she has said. Under an agreement, the buyer will purchase the 17,400 acres east of I-25. The Conservation Fund, in turn, will pay the landowner to enter into an agreement never to develop it, leaving the property as a working ranch.

In contrast, the remaining 3,700 acres west of I-25 likely will become part of Douglas County's public open space.

- Todd Hartman covers the environment and may be reached at 636- 0285 or toddh@gazette.com. Edited by Bill Vogrin. Headline by Jeanne Davant.

The deal

Douglas County and state lottery officials agreed to provide $9.2 million each toward the $20 million needed to preserve the Greenland Ranch. The Conservation Fund pledged to raise the remaining $1.6 million from private foundations.

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