The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
On March 3, 2011 the Town of Crested Butte purchased the 110-acre Kochevar Phase II parcel from the Trust for Public Land (TPL). Simultaneously, a conservation easement on the property was granted to the Crested Butte Land Trust.
The Kochevar Phase II parcel is located north of Nicholson Lake on Smith Hill. The northeast corner of the property touches Meridian Lake. Smith Hill Road passes through the property and on the east side is the 120-acre U.S. Forest Service Property, which includes the south end of Meridian Lake.
The town of Crested Butte thanks all financial participants in the project, including Lottery-funded Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), which contributed a total of $3 million in Lottery funds to the project—$1 million to Phase II and $2 million to Phase I; the Gunnison Valley Land Preservation Fund, which contributed $100,000 and 1% for Open Space for a total of $110,000 towards the purchase of the property and the establishment of a stewardship endowment. GOCO also contributed an additional $5,000 in Lottery funds toward the stewardship endowment. The Crested Butte Town Council agreed to use $1,400,000 of its Open Space Fund for the first two phases and $749,000 to pay for Phase III, in approximately three years.
Other entities and individuals who made significant contributions to Phase II include the Trust for Public Land (TPL)—specifically, Justin Spring, who negotiated the purchase of the land from the Kochevar family in 2010; Tim Wohlgenaut , the state director of TPL; and Ann Johnston of the Crested Butte Land Trust, who was also instrumental in negotiations with Kochevar family.
Additionally, Norman Whitehead surveyed the land, locating the property’s boundaries and Don Cook, who worked with Norman Whitehead to design access from Smith Hill Road to Phase I.
Trail users and builders have been meeting in recent months to plan trails that access the Kochevar Open Space and run through it. Both the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association and the Gunnison County Trails Commission are planning to sponsor trail workdays this spring to build trails accessing the Kochevar Open Space.
A work session will be conducted by the Crested Butte Town Council on Monday, April 4, 2011 to discuss general trail locations, and construction schedules.
