About

Why Conserve Land?

Montezuma and Dolores Counties are changing, and changing fast.  Unplanned population growth continues to consume agricultural lands and heritage, wildlife habitat, and natural resources—forever changing our rural character.  80% of Colorado’s private lands are owned and managed by agricultural operators, and more than half are nearing retirement age.  When agricultural lands are developed, whole families leave agriculture, farm-supported business suffer, rural character fades, and wildlife is pushed out.

Local land use trends are similar—despite the important role agriculture plays in our community, more than 25,000 acres of farm and ranchland have been lost to subdivision since 1990 in Montezuma County alone.  Ensuring that future generations can enjoy this unique landscape and way of life requires us to balance growth with the protection of private lands.

“Conservation efforts can help farmers and ranchers keep productive lands in the family. Conservation efforts can help farmers and ranchers keep productive lands in the family and on the tax rolls — and in some circumstances can result in significant cash payments for permanently limiting development.  In turn, landowners supply many services to the community by keeping their land open and undeveloped. They provide wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and scenery; and they help our community retain the rural, agricultural character with which it so identifies.  Compared with rural residential lands, agricultural lands also put a minimum strain on county services.

From an economic perspective of tourism, there is immense value in the presence of open spaces that protect working landscapes and historic settlements. Heritage tourism is a growing economic factor throughout southwestern Colorado as visitors come to experience a little piece of the history behind the settlement, western lifestyle, and scenic landscapes that radiate from our community.

History of MLC

The Montezuma Land Conservancy was established as a land trust in 1998 by a group of local citizens concerned about the rapid loss of local agricultural lands and open space.  In 1999 MLC completed its first conservation easement and by 2007 MLC had partnered with 42 landowning families in Montezuma and Dolores Counties to protect more than 9,400 acres of farm and ranch land, wildlife habitat, and scenic open space.  More and more landowners continue to seek MLC’s services.

MLC has developed into a community-based institution supported by membership donations and grants. MLC is staffed by four professionals with backgrounds in biology, real estate, project management, and administration. An active and engaged Board of Directors governs MLC and we play an important role in local open space conservation.

How We Work

Montezuma Land Conservancy achieves success by partnering with landowners who share a vision to see agricultural lands and open space protected for future generations.  MLC staff listen to landowners to learn about their wishes for their land.  When a landowner’s vision for their land meets MLC’s mission, we can assist them in achieving their land protection goals.

We use voluntary, incentive-based approaches rather than regulations.  The most common tool is a conservation easement—a voluntary agreement between a landowner and a land trust that limits development and subdivision to protect important lands.  Landowners can donate or sell conservation easements, depending on the circumstances.  Properties remains in private ownership and on the tax rolls, and landowners retain all other property rights, including the right to sell or pass on their lands as they wish.