Mountain Area Land Trust protects two mountain properties

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Mountain Area Land Trust of Evergreen announced late last year, on December 12th, that it closed on “a 154-acre Conservation Easement on the Elk Meadow Ranch at Mt. Evans!  The property is located within the historic Evans Ranch in MALT’s Upper Bear Creek Priority Area.  Vance Creek runs through a majority of this scenic property providing for excellent wildlife habitat and a healthy forest ecosystem.  Appropriately named, the Elk Meadow Ranch is home to a large herd of elk as well as black bears, mountain lions, deer and a multitude of other wildlife.  Elk Meadow Ranch is adjacent to protected lands including the Mount Evans State Wildlife Area and a number of private voluntary land agreements.”

Separately on December 18th, the land trust announced closing on “a 52-acre Conservation Easement on the slopes of Conifer Mountain.  Known as The Sanctuary on Conifer Mountain, this voluntary land agreement will protect valuable open space and wildlife habitat in perpetuity.  In addition to forested land and rock outcroppings, a seasonal creek and wetland provide for a wide range of habitats on this now-protected property.  The Sanctuary on Conifer Mountain is highly visible from Highway 285 and its protection will preserve the scenic views on this highly-traveled corridor.  Kathy Estes and Rod Morgan are longtime supporters of MALT and are ecstatic to have left a conservation legacy with the donation of this easement!”

Founded in 1992, MALT is a nonprofit organization that primarily helps facilitate the conservation-easement process for private landowners. Since inception it has protected nearly 15,000 acres in Park, Jefferson and Teller counties.

For more information see SaveTheLand.org.

Land conservation and the ability to recreate in the great outdoors is important to Coloradans. We applaud the efforts of all our partner organizations.

Lucy Yanagida, In Plein Sight® 2018

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Nbr 7164 by Lucy Yanagida

Lucy Yanagida, Superior CO

Lucy Yanagida is an oil and pastel painter of landscapes and wildlife. A newer artist, Lucy has already garnered awards, as well as juried into select art shows and competitions around the state of Colorado.

Lucy has enjoyed and learned a tremendous amount from top painting instructors in the state. She continues to enjoy the beautiful landscape and its treasured wildlife and wants to influence those around her to treasure it more themselves.

Nbr 7164 by Lucy Yanagida

For more information, visit www.lucyyanagidaart.com.

Lucy will be painting in the Open Space Parks as part of In Plein Sight 2018. Come and watch as she creates her lovely renderings of Jefferson County’s public parks, some of the finest in the country.

Lucy’s field schedule:

Monday 9/10 – Lair O’ the Bear Park, 22550 State Highway 74, Idledale

Tuesday 9/11 – Artists are on their own as we set up the Gallery

Wednesday 9/12 – Alderfer/Three Sisters Park, west trailhead, 5136 South Le Masters Road, Evergreen

Thursday 9/13 – Elk Meadow Park, Lewis Ridge trailhead, 2855 Bergen Peak Drive, Evergreen

Friday 9/14 – Centennial Cone Park, Ralph Schell (north) trailhead, 3956 Camino Perdido, Golden

Saturday 9/15 – Clear Creek in Golden (the booth will be opposite the Community Center and adjacent to the trail, at 10th Street and a small parking lot)

The works that Lucy creates will be on display and available for purchase at the In Plein Sight 2018 Gallery, Golden Community Center, Coal Creek Room (2nd floor), 1470 10th Street.

Gallery hours:

Wednesday 9/12 – 2 to 8 PM

Thursday 9/13 – 2  to 8 PM

Friday 9/14 – 2 to 6 PM (building closes at 6 PM)

Saturday 9/15 – 10 AM to 8 PM

Sunday 9/16 – 10 AM to 4 PM

Make plans now to join us for In Plein Sight 2018, and celebrate the beauty and wonder of our Jefferson County Open Space Parks.

Volunteers needed to build Floyd Hill trail June 9 and beyond

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  The Mountain Area Land Trust in Evergreen is working with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado this summer on Floyd Hill Open Space trail building projects.

 

Thanks to Clear Creek and Jefferson County open space programs and The Trust for Public Land, a significant portion of Floyd Hill is open to the public and with these projects will eventually offer a number of hiking and biking trails on 108 acres near the I-70 exit.

 

Trail building dates are set for June 9, July 7 and Aug 25

 

To learn more and register see voc.org, Trail Construction at Floyd Hill Open Space, http://www.voc.org/project/trail-construction-floyd-hill-open-space

 

For more information on the Mountain Area Land Trust see http://www.savetheland.org/floyd-hill-open-space

 

Prominent view property saved with conservation easement

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Penkowsky land conserved March 2018, a Conservation Easement on 75 acres in Jefferson County in the center of MALT’s Peak to Peak priority area

Mountain Area Land Trust of Evergreen announced the closing of a Conservation Easement on 75 acres in Jefferson County in the center of MALT’s Peak to Peak priority area.

The property is owned by Greg and Frances Penkowsky. Greg is a MALT Ambassador and the recipient of the 2014 Bud Simon Preservationist of the Year award.

The surrounding terrain and sweeping vistas provide a strong sense of seclusion. From the high point on the Penkowsky property many protected lands are visible, including White Ranch Park, Coal Creek Canyon Park, Golden Gate Canyon State Park and a Jefferson County held Conservation Easement.

The Conservation Easement provides additional protection for the Ralston Creek Open Space lands, safeguarding the ridgeline on the south side of Ralston Creek and protecting the viewsheds of thousands of acres of both county and state lands. Building envelopes on the property were sited to ensure the viewshed is forever preserved.

From the high point … many protected lands are visible, including White Ranch Park, Coal Creek Canyon Park, Golden Gate Canyon State Park and a Jefferson County held Conservation Easement.

A great deal of ecological and forest restoration work has been completed on the property as well as adjacent lands. Special attention has been given to the retention, recruitment and creation of snags for cavity nesting birds.

Several acres were identified by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program as having very high biodiversity significance, and Red Wind Flower plants (anemone multifida) that are considered uncommon are found on the Penkowsky land.

More information on Mountain Area Land Trust is at SaveTheLand.org

Owner gives 41 acres in Kittredge to land trust

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The Mountain Area Land Trust has received the largest land donation in its 25-year history of saving ranches, natural areas and other scenic resources.

Bob Meade, who retired in 1996 after working for the U.S. Geological Survey for many years, gave a 41-acre parcel north of Kittredge to MALT for the benefit of the community.

Meade said he had enjoyed managing the property he has owned since 1980 but his days as a volunteer forester had come to an end. He said he was delighted to give the land to MALT at this point and walk away, knowing that MALT would be taking good care of it, according to a press release. Meade enjoyed the property with his wife, Mereth, who died in 2013.

“We are truly humbled and grateful for his generous donation, said Jeanne Beaudry, executive director of MALT.

Based in Evergreen, MALT has protected 21,404 acres, mainly in the form of conservation easements, but this is the largest donation of raw land both in terms of size and monetary value, according to Linda Besler, MALT communications director.

MALT also owns some land on the side of Pennsylvania Mountain in Park County.

The Meade land is north of Kittredge between Kerr Gulch and Quartz Valley. It includes ponderosa forests, open grass and shrub meadows and rock outcroppings. It embodies conservation values of open space, scenic vistas, wildlife habitat and migration corridors.

Info at savetheland.org.

Land Trust Protects Two Mountain Properties

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MALT scenic view

…by Vicky Gits

Mountain Area Land Trust of Evergreen announced Jan. 6 it had closed a conservation easement on an 80-acre property near Divide in Teller County.  Conserving this private property connects the surrounding Pike National Forest to maintain a valuable wildlife corridor.  The property features a large pond, several springs, and wooded hillsides, making excellent wildlife habitat.  Moose, elk, mountain lions and eagles have been spotted on the property.  There are also remnants of an 1850’s homestead that will be protected by the easement.

Separately on Dec. 30, the land trust announced closing on a conservation easement on a beautiful 71-acre property near Bailey.  The land has breathtaking mountain and river views and includes a half-mile of river frontage on the North Fork of the South Platte River.  This easement ensures the habitat and scenic vistas will be conserved forever.

In the early 1900s, a Denver bicycle club owned the land and held bike races in the meadow near the river.  In the mid-1900s, the property was used as a church summer camp.  The current owners have owned the property since 1994.  MALT has been working with these owners for several years.

Founded in 1992, MALT is a nonprofit organization that primarily helps facilitate the conservation-easement process for private landowners. Since inception it has protected nearly 15,000 acres in Park, Jefferson and Teller counties.

For information see www.savetheland.org

Mountain Area Land Trust Newsletter – Fall 2014

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MALT newsletter fall 2014

Click on this link to read the full newsletter in your web browser.

MALT introduces the Pennsylvania Mountain Natural Area

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MALT introduces the Pennsylvania Mountain Natural Area. This amazinglMALT_Pennsylvania Mtn Natural Area_2014feb_thumbnaily beautiful area near Fairplay (Colorado) is located near existing residential development is on MALT’s list of highly-desirable conservation projects.

For nearly 40MALT_Pennsylvania Mtn Natural Area_2014feb_thumbnail2 years, this area has been the location for high-altitude graduate and scientific research on a plethora of topics, from fragile tundra plants to pollination studies – bees and plants and which gets pollinated when and how in the High Rockies, to small mammals and their interaction with tundra plants, and more… (http://www.savetheland.org/pennsylvania-mtn).MALT_Pennsylvania Mtn Natural Area_2014feb_thumbnail3

MALT is multi-phasing this project, in an effort to conserve the land and water resources in this Natural Area. Read about the latest research study at http://illumination.missouri.edu/f12/aromatic_attraction  and get more information on this conservation project and others by going to www.SaveTheLand.org.