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.

Conservation leaders Randy and Claricy Rusk talk here about their ranching lives and why conservation is important to them, our landscape and our way of life. We need your help to carry on their legacy.

Join San Isabel Land Protection Trust today! 

San Isabel’s board of directors has named fellow board member Chris Skagen interim executive director.

Kate Spinelli has been promoted to Stewardship Director at San Isabel.

The move emphasizes San Isabel’s commitment to working with landowners to protect and care for land and water in Huerfano, Custer, Fremont and Pueblo counties. The land trust aims to ensure the region remains a beautiful and wild landscape with a strong agricultural foundation and a vibrant, healthy community.

San Isabel Land Protection Trust named Vic Barnes its Alice Proctor Outstanding Volunteer of the Year at the land trust’s annual member appreciation event Aug. 27 at the Harold G. Vickerman Ranch.

Vic, who until earlier this year had served on San Isabel’s board of directors since 1999, helped lead the land trust through major growth during its first two decades.

Art for the Sangres enters its third decade of showcasing remarkable art for a vital cause – helping to protect land, water and wildlife while there is still time.

The event will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, at A Painted View Ranch just outside Westcliffe.

The fine art show and reception is San Isabel Land Protect Trust’s largest fundraiser. The land trust has protected more than 40,000 acres of working ranches, agricultural and forest lands, water resources, wildlife habitat and scenic open spaces throughout southern Colorado.

Join us for Beer 'n' Brats, our annual member and volunteer appreciation barbecue, from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019, at Mile 66 Ranch, one of our protected properties.