mesa land trust t          

Conserving agricultural heritage, wildlife habitat, and natural lands in and around Mesa County

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                

 

       News & Events    

 

 

Events

 Mesa Land Trust Annual Open House

 

Friday, November 4th,  5:00 to 7:00 pm 

 

1006 Main St., Grand Junction

Land Trust members, conservation landowners, supporters, volunteers, friends and partners are invited to help us continue a year-long celebration of 30 years of conservation success. 

We had over 200 guests stop by the Land Trust to help us celebrate another wonderful year! 

 

MLT receives GOCO funding to conserve four more properties in the East Valley!

Mesa Land Trust will be completing a series of 4 orchards and vineyards in the East Valley this year thanks to funding from Great Outdoors Colorado, Natural Resource Conservation Service and our local partners totaling nearly  $1 million.   Read more about this most recent grant here

 

 

 

 

Palisade Peach Farms:  Conserved as part of the Fruitlands Forever Initiative

We are pleased to announce the conservation of 4 family farms in the Palisade area as part of the Fruitlands Forever Initiative.  These farms cover 115 acres of both peach orchards and vineyards.  Read more about these accomplishments in the Denver Post  and in the Free Press. If you haven't been to Palisade recently, it's definitely worth a trip to see the beautiful spring blossoms!

 

 

 

Pinyon Mesa Ranching, Wildlife & Heritage Conserved

This past December, Dennis Carns, cousins Carrol and Richard Reigles, and Mesa Land Trust preserved the 200 acre Carns Mountain Place, on Glade Park.  The landowners donated a conservation easement on this magnificent property, which has been in the Carns family for over 60 years.  Situated on Pinyon Mesa, the property is adjacent to BLM and other conserved land.  It serves as a migration route for deer and elk traveling to lower elevations for the winter and also contains habitat for black bear, mountain lion, bobcats, and a wide variety of birds.  A nice mix of partially irrigated farm/grazing land, the Carns Mountain Place also features sage brush and oak brush habitat, aspen forests, and significant riparian areas along Sheep Creek.  This is the second time that Dennis has worked with Mesa Land to conserve his family’s heritage.  Thank you, Dennis, Carrol, and Richard, for preserving this remarkable property for future generations. 

1% for MLT from Crossroads Wine & Spirits:  when you shop there!

Jerry and Eleni Sica at Crossroads Wine and Spirits have made a very generous offer to MLT.  They will donate 1% of each MLT member’s purchase, made at Crossroads and 1.5% at the adjoining Wild West Steaks and Seafood or the Artisan Cheese Shop, to Mesa Land Trust.  They will also be offering regular specials to MLT members.  All you have to do is shop with them, tell them you are an MLT member, and they will code it in the computer and do the rest.  Every time you shop there, Mesa Land Trust will receive 1% or 1.5% of your total purchase.  It costs MLT members nothing!  Please shop with them whenever possible and see the contributions to the Land Trust add up! They are located cattycornered from the new City Market and between American Bank and Firestone Complete Auto Care. 

 

We Surpassed 60,000 acres!

 

This past week, and in our 30th anniversary year,  Mesa Land Trust surpassed 60,000 acres of protected ground in and around Mesa County!  After closing on the Lumbardy Ranch, which lies east of Whitewater, we passed the 60,000 acre threshold.  We were happy to complete this project which conserves 440 acres of land adjacent to other protected ground and BLM land.  This ranch includes excellent riparian habitat along Whitewater Creek, irrigated farm ground and  numerous ponds and wild land.  We now conserve 60,386 acres of wildlife habitat, farms, ranches and open space in and around Mesa County.  Stay tuned as we finish off the year with even more projects!

 

 

 

 

Mesa Land Trust 2010 Dinner Series

a huge success

 Three themed dinners hosted 30 guests this year and raised funds and awareness for the Land Trust.  Thank you to dinner hosts, Kathryn & Ken Stubler, Joe & Sherrie Frye, Nancy & Bob Wilson, Angelina Salazar & Gary Tullio, Deedee & David Mayer, and John & Cathey Pabst and to Jerry Sica for presenting the beer tasting. We are proud to partner with the following local businesses who donated wine, beer, and cheese for the dinners: Palisade Brewing Co., Carlson Vineyards, and Crossroads Wine & Spirits. 

 

 

Mesa Land Trust announces GOCO grant to conserve even more of the region’s best orchard and vineyard land

 Last week Mesa Land Trust announced the award of a $552,200 grant from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) toward the purchase of conservation easements on three neighboring parcels.  These orchard and vineyard properties, just south of Palisade on East Orchard Mesa, total just over 77 acres.  The effort is part of the Land Trust’s Fruitlands Forever Initiative, a project to conserve a critical mass of the East Valley’s prime orchard and vineyard land in the coming five years.  To read more click here and see the article that appeared in last week’s Grand Junction Free Press. 

The landowners, who will be named later this year, will continue to live and work on their land but are relinquishing future development rights through the conservation easements.    

Since the organization’s founding in 1980, Mesa Land Trust has conserved 58,600, including 500 acres of the orchard and vineyard land around Palisade.  The goal of the Fruitlands Forever Initiative is to double conserved fruit land acreage over the next five years to help assure that the agricultural land, that is so vital to the area’s economy and way of life, is permanently preserved.        

Read about MLT's accomplishments over the past 30 years!

As we celebrate our 30 years of conservation here in our County, we recognize how far we have come and the many accomplishments along the way.  Click here to read about the Land Trust's accomplishments over the past 30 years.  We are proud to have worked with so many landowners, members, and partners along the way and thank them all for helping make our work a success to benefit everyone in our community!

Mesa Land Trust’s Annual Picnic Kicked Off our 30th Anniversary Celebration

To recognize Mesa Land Trust’s humble beginnings in Palisade, founders Harry and Bonnie Talbott and their family hosted our Annual Picnic at Talbott Farms.  We had a record turn out and everyone enjoyed the cool packing shed on the very hot day, the delicious food, excellent company and the wonderful tours of the operation.  Click here to see more pictures of the event!

Thank you to our event partners and underwriters!

Event Partners:

   

Premier Underwriter:

WITHERS, SEIDMAN, RICE & MUELLER P.C.

Underwriters:

     

 

Founders leave a lasting legacy for

future generations

In honor of the lasting legacy that Mesa Land Trust’s founders have passed on to our community we will feature these visionaries in upcoming newsletters this year.    

Together John and Doris Butler have devoted 60 years to Mesa Land Trust.  Today, they can hardly believe that the organization that they helped found is celebrating its 30th birthday.  John remained an active member of the Board of Directors until 2009 and Doris has continued to assist with bookkeeping efforts.  Today, they both maintain their commitment to the organization by lending a hand with stewardship monitoring.     

In the early days of the organization John and Doris, along with other founders, placed a conservation easement on their farm in Palisade.  Today, that conserved land has been has been newly planted in peach trees.  All across Mesa County we can see evidence of the positive efforts that our founders put into place.  As we prepare to celebrate 30 years of conservation success we say a heartfelt “thank you” to the founders who provided a lasting legacy for future generations.      

 

Colorado State Tax Credits: Critical to Conservation 

 

Recent articles (read here and here) in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel highlight some of the pending changes to the Colorado State tax credits and the importance of these credits to land conservation.  Read here about one of many landowners that has benefited from the tax credit and used the money to hold an historic ranch together. 

 

We have many reasons to celebrate

 

Articles in the Free Press, Grand Valley Magazine, Fruita Times and the Business Times have highlighted Mesa Land Trust's many reasons to celebrate.  These include working with 16 different landowners last year to conserve over 5,300 acres of farm ground, wildlife habitat and scenic lands, and kicking off our 30th anniversary!  Read our article in the Free Press here.

 

 

Land Matters:  Read a Landowner's Story 

 

Do you ever wonder what motivates a landowner to conserve their property?  Do you want to learn more about some of the farmers and ranchers we work with everyday?  Read here about Penny Kelly, one of our generous landowners and the story behind her Glade Park Ranch, some history, and why she feels so strongly about protecting the ranch.  Flyer provided by the Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts.

 

 

 

Mesa Land Trust Hosted John Fielder 

In November MLT hosted renowned photographer John Fielder for a slideshow and talk.  The event gathered over 180 people from our community and everyone enjoyed a slideshow of beautiful conserved ranches in the state, followed by a book-signing and meet and greet with John Fielder.  In 2007 and 2008 renowned photographer John Fielder traveled to 50 of Colorado’s most scenic working ranches.  The result was his most recent work, Ranches of Colorado, a 235 page book containing 375 photographs of Colorado’s ranches.                                             Photograph from Ranches of Colorado,

                                                                                                                                 copyright John Fielder, 2009

                                      

Thank you to our generous underwriters! Lead underwriters Moody Valley Insurance and Allied Insurance, and underwriters Safari Ltd and Atlasta Solar Center.

  

Read our Fall 2009 Newsletter

 Click the link above to read more in-depth about our recent easements, celebrations and new programs. 

Launching the 1% for Conservation Program

With Talbott Farms and Rapid Creek Cycles leading the way, Mesa Land Trust launched a 1% for Conservation Program in Palisade, late last year.  The program, a partnership with local businesses, provides the opportunity for customers to voluntarily add one percent of their transaction total for donation to the Land Trust. 1% for Conservation is designed to raise funds  earmarked for land conservation work in the Palisade area.   By giving customers the opportunity to contribute a few cents on each purchase to fund conservation, they can be part of an effort that will potentially invest thousands of dollars toward preservation of the region’s scenic lands and rich agricultural heritage.  The Palisade Café and Grille recently became the third business to support Palisade area agriculture by joining the 1% for Conservation Program. 

Mesa Land Trust Celebrates 3,700 acre Conservation Agreement on Lobe Creek and Leslie Place Ranches

Six decades ago, Maxine Aubert came to high country atop Pinyon Mesa in Western Colroado as a new bride and camp cook for the sheep ranching outfit run by her husband’s family.  In mid- August she and her family celebrated the completion of a conservation agreement with the Mesa Land Trust that ensures permanent protection of 3,700 acres on the Lobe Creek and Leslie Place ranches.  Joining the festivities were officials from the Division of Wildlife, private conservation groups, and sportsmen.  The celebration culminated four years of work by the Mesa Land Trust, Aubert and Hawks families, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife, to complete conservation easements on the ranches, which sit high above Unaweep Canyon and provide important habitat for big game species, species listed in the Colorado SWAP (State Wildlife Action Plan) and over 3 miles of riparian habitat.  The Division of Wildlife and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation provided funding for the project, with the landowners making a significant donation of easement value. 

In addition to celebrating this conservation success, the Colorado Conservation Partnership (CCP) honored and thanked Mesa Land Trust for their dedication to work on Glade Park and in Mesa County, with a donation to the Land Trust.

Dine in the Vines: 

Beautiful Evening Under the Palisade Stars

Over 70 friends and guests enjoyed a wonderful evening under the Palisade stars at Mesa Land Trust's Dine in the Vines dinner.  On the lovely Red Fox Vineyard,  surrounded by conserved properties, guests dined on local food prepared by Chef John Barbier of Le Rouge, drank wine paired by Carlson Vineyards and Garfield Estates,  enjoyed music by John Schultz, and bid on fine art by photographer Malcom Childers and painters Charles Morris and George Callison. Thank you to all who attended and who helped in making it a very special evening, including hosts Ken and Kathryn Stubler at the Red Fox Vineyards; Hoskin, Farina & Kampf; CSD; Karen Madsen of Merrill Lynch; and all of our wonderful Board, staff and volunteers.  For more photos of the event visit our Flickr gallery

Founders John & Doris Butler retire from MLT Board after 29 years!

It was a poignant evening at our monthly Board meeting when Mesa Land Trust founder John Butler announced his retirement from the Mesa Land Trust Board.  In 1980 John and Doris Butler, with a handful of others, founded Mesa Land Trust to help conserve the critical farm ground in Palisade.  And at that time, perhaps unbeknownst to them, they made a lifelong commitment.  Leading by example, the Butlers donated a conservation easement on their own farm which now grows peaches.  John spent at least 600 hours (that's 25 days!) attending Board meetings alone over the past 29 years...and that doesn't include the countless hours he and Doris spent volunteering, monitoring, accounting, and working on projects!  Doris and John plan to remain active with the Land Trust.  We thank them for having the foresight to establish Mesa Land Trust and the determination to help make sure Mesa Land Trust enjoys the success that we do today.  Thank you John and Doris, from all of us, for all your dedication!

MLT Receives GOCO Grant

Mesa Land Trust recently received a grant from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) for conservation agreements on 3 contiguous farms in the Fruita buffer. The acquisition of these agreements will add roughly 75 acres to 490 acres of working farms and ranches already conserved between Grand Junction and Fruita. Read more about the GOCO grants on the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.  State distributes grants for trails.

Buy Products from a Local Conserved Farm!

You can now find local produce, meat, and other products all from local conserved ground!  Landowners throughout Colorado are now listed in a publication titled Bountiful Conservation: A guide to Colorado products and services from conserved lands   Use this guide to find farms and ranches that offer the products and services you are looking for, as well as supporting landowners who view conservation as a high priority! Connect to the Bountiful Conservation website, or view a pdf of the publication

Mesa Land Trust's 2007-2008 Annual Report

Mesa Land Trust has published it's 2007-2008 Annual Report.  Please CLICK HERE to view this report.  If you want a copy of this sent to you please call us at (970)263-5443.

Photos of Our Annual Picnic Potluck

On Sunday we enjoyed a beautiful day on Ute Valley Ranch, a conserved property on Glade Park.  Under sunshine and rolling clouds over 150 members, landowners and friends joined us to celebrate and learn about the great conservation success we enjoy in Mesa County.  Thanks to all that attended and contributed to the event.  Click here to link to our Flickr page with photos of our Annual Picnic Potluck, and please share the pictures with your friends and neighbors!

 

Mesa Land Trust Receives National Accreditation

On Tuesday April 7th, Mesa Land Trust board of directors, staff, supporters, and members of the press met in from of Mesa Land Trust's office at 1006 Main St. in Grand Junction for the announcement that the Land Trust had recently received accreditation from the National Accreditation Commission.  With this announcement the Land Trust can now display Accreditation Seal, which assures the public that the land trust is operating an ethical, legal, and technically sound manner. 

Mesa Land Trust Partners With Mesa County Libraries to Present Family Story Time Every Last Tuesday of the Month

 From 7:00 to 8:00 PM on the last Tuesday of each month, Mesa Land Trust will sponsor Family Story Time at the Mesa County Library Central Branch Children’s Center.  Former school teacher and Land Trust board member Angelina Salazar will read to children and present activities which will focus on conservation and the environment.  There will also be a list of suggested adult readings on the subject.

For more information, please call Mesa Land Trust Development Officer, Mary Hughes, at 263.5443.

 

 

 

 

 

 

StoryCorps Highlights founders of MLT: Fighting for Family Farms   

 

This past year StoryCorps hosted interviews on Main Street in Grand Junction.  Amongst those telling their stories were Doris Butler and Paula Anderson.  In this interview they discuss the seeds for founding Mesa Land Trust and the fight to save farms in and around Grand Junction.  Read the article here.

  

 

 

 

Mesa Land Trust Partners With Mesa County Libraries to Present Family Story Time Every Last Tuesday of the Month

Former school teacher and Land Trust board member Angelina Salazar will read to children and present activities which will focus on conservation and the environment.  There will also be a list of suggested adult readings on the subject.

What: Family Story Time

When: 7-8pm, every last Tuesday of the Month

Where: Mesa County Library Central Branch, Children's Center

More Info: Please call our office 263-5443

Press

Lobe Creek Ranch Conservation Celebration, Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, August 16, 2009

Land Trusts team with vintners, chefs for open space, Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, August 5, 2009

State distributes grants for trails, Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, June 23, 2009

Palisade-area growers give 35 acres to Mesa Land Trust, Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, April 15, 2009

More reason to trust Mesa Land Trust, Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, April 8, 2009

Mesa County Conservation Group in National Spotlight, KREX-TV, April 7, 2009

A local landowner and easement donor was featured on AgWeb.com.  To watch the video click here and watch the segment from Friday, December 7th.

El Pomar Honors Mesa Land Trust

 

Buffer Zone Project Deemed Successful

 

Palisade Buffer Zone Grows by 27-acres

 

Unique Ranch Protected for Future

 

Awards

 

In November 2004, Mesa Land Trust was honored with the Award for Excellence in promoting environmental awareness and conservation from The El Pomar Foundation.  The award affirms MLT's effectiveness in the community and ability to cultivate and utilize important partnerships in the Grand Valley.

In January 2003, Mesa Land Trust received the Land Conservation Excellence Award from Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts.  This award recognizes outstanding efforts among the 38 land trusts in Colorado.

In 2002, the Colorado Chapter of the American Planning Association recognized Mesa Land Trust for outstanding planning in association with the partners in the Community Separator Project.

Read "The Land Line," Mesa Land Trust's newsletter:

The Landline (Spring-Summer 2008)

 

The Landline (Fall 2007)

 

The Landline (Spring-Summer 2007)

 

The Landline (Winter 2007)

 

The Landline (Fall 2006)

 

The Landline (Winter-Spring 2006)

 

The Landline (Fall-Winter 2005)

 

The Landline (Spring-Summer 2005)

 

                                                                                                                                                             

 

Mesa Land Trust, 1006 Main Street, Grand Junction, CO 81501

This site was last updated on Thursday January 05, 2012 by Ilana

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