Rozman family and Land Trust preserve 467 ranching acres

The John and Marilyn Rozman family and the Crested Butte Land Trust are preserving an irreplaceable part of Gunnison County’s rural ranching heritage.
Each spring, after the calving season, John Rozman drives his cattle back to his pasture at the base of Whetstone Mountain, just as he and his father and grandfather have done for more than a century. Thanks to the efforts of the Crested Butte Land Trust, the Rozman family, the community, and generous funders, 467 acres of this working cattle ranch are now permanently protected.

Located at the base of Whetstone Mountain, this centennial ranch was homestead prior to 1900 by Martin Rozman.
The Rozman Ranch conservation project boasts beautiful native mixed conifer and aspen forests, critical swaths of meadows and wetlands, and approximately 1.7 miles of Slate River frontage. Several springs originating on the slopes of Whetstone Mountain flow onto the property.
The Crested Butte Land Trust has been working in partnership with the Rozman family to protect their family run 500-acre agricultural ranch in stages.
“I am humbled and inspired by John and Marilyn Rozman’s vision, their strong attachment to the land, and their gift not only to us today, but for every generation to come,” said Ann Johnston, executive director of the Crested Butte Land Trust.
A conservation agreement permanently prevents development on an additional 150 acres and further protects this beautiful centennial ranch. As part of the larger conservation transaction, a gravel lease held by United Companies was extinguished in exchange for three acres of land conveyed by the Rozman’s adjacent to the Riverland Industrial Park. Reclamation on a portion of the currently mined area will begin immediately and will take up to two years to complete, while mining will continue to be allowed on fewer than 20 acres until the gravel reserves are mined out, at which time that acreage will also be reclaimed.
Additionally, the Rozmans worked diligently with their neighbors to resolve a public safety issue that affected the southern access to Riverland Industrial Park. Through a land exchange, a new, safer access will be constructed. Work will be performed by JCI and is expected begin within the week.
Respecting the complexity of agricultural work and the goals of the family, public access is not permitted on the ranch.
The Rozmans move their cattle in the early summer to graze on high pasture, using the Crested Butte Land Trust’s conserved Robinson parcel. Leased and cared for by the Rozman family, these lush hay meadows surround the recreational path that winds between the towns of Mt. Crested Butte and Crested Butte. The Crested Butte Land Trust has saved dozens of different parcels visible along this recreation path in addition to miles of nearby recreational trails.
This project is one of many the Crested Butte Land Trust has undertaken in recent years. “The Crested Butte Land Trust recognizes first and foremost that the ability to conserve working ranches and natural areas can only be successful by the generosity and vision of our community’s landowners,” said Ms. Johnston. “By joining together, we are enriching the lives of everyone who lives, visits, and enjoys the natural resources of our valley. Since 1991, the Land Trust has preserved thousands of acres of working ranches, wildlife habitat, scenic views and publicly accessible trails.”
The Crested Butte Land Trust is grateful for the generosity of hundreds of individual donors, and funders including Great Outdoors Colorado, the Gates Family Foundation, the town of Crested Butte, 1% for Open Space, and the Gunnison County Land Preservation Board that made this extraordinary conservation project possible.
For more information about land conservation, please contact Ann Johnston at 970.349.1206 or [email protected].