CB Land Trust busy with major projects this summer

Plethora of key parcels falling in line

By Mark Reaman

The Crested Butte Land Trust is on a roll. In the last month, four new major projects have been announced, all of which play a significant role in the North Valley’s open space big picture. They range from 14 to 121 acres in size and are in high profile areas of the upper valley.

Totaling more than $6 million in value the parcels include: 90 acres of wetlands near the start of the Slate River drainage; the 121-acre Cement Creek Ranch which opens the valley from the Cement Creek narrows; a 14-acre parcel in Pristine Point by Long Lake; and 17 acres near the Caves Trail in Cement Creek.

Crested Butte Land Trust (CBLT) executive director Jake Jones said the parcels are all critical in their own way and the fact they are all coming to a head at once is somewhat unusual. “This group of projects is robust for sure. We usually have a few conservation acquisitions in the pipeline at any one time, but it’s unusual to have so many high-profile projects going on all at once,” he said. “This is a result of timing, some deals take years to cultivate, and strategy, we are actively pursuing opportunities with willing landowners that align with our strategic conservation goals.”

Jones said the CBLT has been studying the North Valley landscape for decades. He said the organization knows where conservation will make a positive impact on the community whether the project is focused on public access, agriculture or wildlife habitat protection. “Some projects lean more toward one or another of those values,” he explained. “Some have a rare mix of all of those conservation values. These current acquisitions are all pieces of a larger puzzle that the Land Trust has been assembling with the community’s help since the 1990s.” 

For example, he said the Long Lake parcel is all about public access and it will increase the number of protected acres at the lake. “It’s important to remember that only the southern half of Long Lake is currently protected. The northern half is still privately owned and access to that portion of the lake could change in the future,” he said. “When it comes to protecting wildlife habitat for migrating animals, the public directly benefits when they see cow elk and calves in the wetlands, or hear a bull elk bugle in fall or harvest an animal for the freezer.” 

The details:

•The Kapushion-Spehar Wetlands is 90 acres and will cost $3,800,000. The CBLT is under contract to purchase the Kapushion-Spehar Wetlands to protect wildlife habitat, cattle grazing, water resources and scenic views of the Slate River Valley and Paradise Divide. Located within the Slate River Wetlands Preserve area, the Kapushion-Spehar Wetlands are the last large piece of the upper Slate River Valley near the town of Crested Butte that is not yet conserved or developed. According to the Land Trust, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire this property and water resources from its original landowners. Fundraising for this project has just begun and the Crested Butte Land Trust has until the beginning of February 2026 to close on the transaction.  Jones said the CBLT is under contract to acquire the land and water located below Slate River Road. The CBLT has an option to purchase a portion of the hillside above the road and will decide on that detail as soon as possible. 

• The Long Lake project is a 14-acre parcel also known as Pristine Point Lot 18. It will cost $1,175,00 and the CBLT will own the parcel. The Crested Butte Land Trust is purchasing the Long Lake parcel to protect the public access to Long Lake and the natural character of the area around the lake. Funding partners include Gunnison Valley Land Preservation Fund and private donors thus far. CBLT will be requesting a grant from the Town of Crested Butte during the August 5 town council meeting. CBLT has until early October to close on this transaction. 

•The Cement Creek 17-acre parcel near the Caves Trail is $150,000 and the CBLT will purchase and own it. The Crested Butte Land Trust is under contract to purchase the Cement Creek 17-acre parcel to protect a critical wildlife migration corridor at the mouth of Cement Creek canyon near the National Forest and the popular “Caves Trail.” This small parcel is a piece of a bigger conservation effort to protect private land essential to the movement of wildlife throughout the valley. A significant portion of the Gunnison elk herd travels through this and adjacent parcels twice a year on their bi-annual 70-mile journey between summer and winter ranges. CBLT is raising these funds from private donors and has until October to close on this transaction.  

• Cement Creek Ranch is 121 acres, and the conservation easement is worth $1,215,000. The Baxter family will continue to own the parcel. The Baxter family will protect the ranch with a conservation easement limiting future subdivision of the parcel. The Crested Butte Land Trust will be the easement holder. Funding partners include the Baxter family, Town of Crested Butte, Gunnison Valley Land Preservation Fund, 1% for Open Space, Great Outdoors Colorado and private donors. Conservation values include incomparable wildlife habitat, water resources, agriculture and scenic view protection within the Cement Creek valley. The parcel is surrounded on all sides by National Forest. CBLT has until the end of 2025 to close on this transaction. 

As for paying for these properties, Jones emphasized the need for partnerships and public support. “We anticipate half or more of the funding to come from local and statewide funding partners,” he detailed. “The Town of Crested Butte’s Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT) open space fund is an essential building block of the funding. The Town Council has committed funds for the Cement Creek Ranch project, but they haven’t yet discussed or decided on funding for all these parcels. We will be on the council agenda in the coming weeks to formally ask for grants to support these acquisitions. Once the Town is committed to a portion of the funding, we typically seek support from the Gunnison Valley Land Preservation Fund and our local 1% for Open Space non-profit. State funders such as Great Outdoors Colorado come into the funding mix depending on the conservation outcomes. 

“In the case of a conservation easement like the one at Cement Creek Ranch, the landowner typically makes a significant donation of value to start the fundraising process,” Jones continued. “Finally, private philanthropy is essential to successful conservation projects here in the Gunnison Valley where land is extremely expensive. The Land Trust expects to raise roughly half of the funds for these projects from private individuals. We are on our way to the private fundraising goal thanks to the super successful gala on July 12 and we have much more to raise in the next six months.”