MALT Announces the Conservation of 776 Acres!
Mountain Area Land Trust (MALT) is pleased to announce the completion of a voluntary Conservation Easement on 776 acres in Pueblo County. The 776-acre Boone River Ranch is located approximately 20 miles east of Pueblo along the Arkansas River. Boone River Ranch is MALT’s first Conservation Easement in Pueblo County. This Conservation Easement is the result of a relationship developed over many years with the Evergreen-based landowner.
The property is along the Arkansas River, with a large parcel owned by the State Land Board on the opposite bank. The eastern and western boundaries of the property are private agricultural properties that are protected by Conservation Easements. Protection of this property will link these previously conserved parcels and create an 8-mile corridor of protected river bank. The property itself contains over 3 miles of river front.
Boone River Ranch has a variety of natural habitats including irrigated grasslands, natural grasslands and riparian habitats along the Arkansas River. A small unnamed tributary creek also runs through the property, adding additional riparian areas. The Colorado Natural Heritage Program identifies this parcel as being within the Central Arkansas Playas Potential Conservation Area with “High Biodiversity Significance.” The property is identified by Colorado Parks and Wildlife as a concentration area for both white-tailed deer and mule deer. Wild turkey, bald eagle and great blue heron highlight the numerous avian species that frequent the land and the Arkansas River provides habitat for numerous warm-water fish species.
In addition to the incredible agricultural and wildlife values, the Conservation Easement on Boone River Ranch secures natural public viewscapes for travelers on US Highway 50 and State Highway 96 as well as for those recreating on the Arkansas River.
