About Us

Our mission is to save natural areas, wildlife habitat, streams and rivers, working ranches and historic lands, for the benefit of the community and as a legacy for future generations.
Saving the Land…Leaving a Legacy

We provide service to Clear Creek County, Park County, Gilpin County, Teller County and the mountainous regions of Boulder County and Jefferson County, Colorado.

Mountain Area Land Trust (MALT) is a nationally accredited regional land trust and 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has been conserving and protecting Colorado’s mountain communities since 1992.

MALT works with individuals and private and public partners to conserve Colorado’s water, wildlife and way of life. With dramatic increases in population along the Front Range, MALT’s work to protect natural areas, wildlife habitat, alpine meadows and pristine streams and rivers as a legacy for the future is more important than ever.

MALT has conserved a total of 26,565 acres in our six county service area 18,341 acres in 94 private voluntary conservation agreements, 225 acres owned by MALT, and an additional 7,999 acres protected through facilitated public projects including the Pals Family State Wildlife Area, Floyd Hill Open Space, Noble Meadow, Bergen Nature Trail, Beaver Brook Watershed, Mount Tom and Blair Ranch.

Conservation Easements

MALT continues to grow voluntary land conservation agreements with both individuals and non-profit organizations thereby increasing MALT’s conservation impact. Currently MALT holds 94 Conservation Easements.

In addition, MALT pursues public projects that allow for new hiking and biking trails and outdoor recreation opportunities that provide access to thousands of acres of previously inaccessible public lands.

MALT spearheads public projects and coordinates the participation of partners to pool resources and facilitate land purchases. The organization realized a major collaborative success in 2016 through a partnership with Great Outdoors Colorado, Trust for Public Land, Clear Creek County Open Space and Jefferson County Open Space. MALT negotiated the purchase of 108 acres, now called Floyd Hill Open Space, with the intention of developing a new public hiking and biking trail that connects to a network of trails traversing 12,000 acres of previously inaccessible areas. MALT’s role as a leader in collaborative public projects provides more conservation for more people.

Land Stewardship

MALT retains a full time seasonal Land Steward to annually monitor all of its Conservation Easements, and will do so in perpetuity, to ensure that the terms of the voluntary land conservation agreements are being met.

Outreach & Education

MALT communicates and connects with landowners, donors and the general public through a range of community events, website, email blasts, appeals, social media platforms, digital newsletters, print media and other opportunities. MALT hosts summer hiking and education opportunities for the public on MALT conserved properties including Sacramento Creek Ranch and MALT’s Pennsylvania Mountain Natural Area property both located near Fairplay, CO, and Floyd Hill Open Space north of I-70 in Clear Creek County. MALT also schedules outreach and educational programs at MALT’s office conference room and holds an annual fundraiser and community gathering every summer in Evergreen.