Linda Poole has been named San Isabel Land Protection Trust’s new executive director.

“It is with great pleasure and anticipation that I tell you we have hired a new executive director,” said Larry Vickerman, board president. “Our search took many months, but the hard work has paid off. We have found the right person to take San Isabel into a bright future.”

Our sixth annual Hardscrabble Mountain Trail Run was a wonderful event Saturday thanks to our runners and walkers, the friends and family who came to Bear Basin Ranch to cheer them on and our generous sponsors. We are particularly grateful to Amy Finger and Gary Ziegler for hosting us at beautiful Bear Basin Ranch on a glorious June day. (Friday's winds died down, and much appreciated rain held off until Sunday.) More than 250 runners and walkers participated, including dozens of young people ages 17 and under who ran for free. To see more photos, click here.

San Isabel Land Protection Trust and the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District invite you to a special screening of a new documentary, "The Arkansas River: From Leadville to Lamar."

Connecting people to the land lies at the heart of the Hardscrabble Mountain Trail Run, an outreach and fundraising event for the San Isabel Land Protection Trust.

Such connections are drawing acclaimed adventure athelete, coach and author Steve Ilg and his family to this year's event. The sixth annual Hardscrabble run takes place at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 2, on Bear Basin Ranch, a 3,400-acre protected ranch just east of Westcliffe.

San Isabel Land Protection Trust seeks a stewardship and outreach intern to contribute to its land conservation and stewardship mission this summer. Start date is May 5; end date is Aug. 5 (flexible). To learn more, click here.

Last summer's intern, Veronica Travers (third from right), on a bird outing at Music Meadows Ranch. 

 (Photo ©2017 Greg Smith) 

San Isabel Land Protection Trust, in partnership with the Coaldale Alliance, is working to complete a precedent-setting agreement in the Upper Arkansas River Basin to ensure good stewardship of the CB Ranch following dry-up.

There are as many reasons for giving as there are people who give.

What connects you to the land? Why is protecting our land, water and wildlife important to you?

Why do you give to San Isabel Land Protection Trust?

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An important part of our mission at San Isabel Land Protection Trust is facilitating parks and trails in our communities.

Connected communities encourage new development in areas more conducive to growth, taking pressure off the agricultural and open lands that define our part of Colorado and enhance our quality of life. Protecting our scenic farm and ranch lands and open space is central to San Isabel’s overall mission.

That’s why we’re involved in the Custer County trails initiative, Trails for All.

A Mile High Youth Corps crew recently carried out critical wildfire recovery work on a San Isabel conservation property burned in the 2016 Junkins Fire.

The crew accomplished a tremendous amount of work in late May and early June on Jack and Kathi Thomas' conservation property. The crew used materials on site to build an extensive series of erosion-control barriers and redirect water flow in an area damaged by heavy rains last summer.

This fall, a crew will remove unhealthy trees to improve wildlife habitat and reduce wildfire risk on Music Meadows Ranch. The crews will use removed trees to build erosion-control structures in erosion-prone areas on the ranch.

The crews are being paid through two $18,000 grants from Great Outdoors Colorado.

Huckleberry Hills Ranch, a 500-acre agricultural property in southwestern Pueblo County outside Rye, has been protected forever by a conservation easement held by San Isabel Land Protection Trust.