Newsletters and annual reports 

Congress renews enhanced federal tax incentive letter (December 20, 2010)

AVLT conservation easement audit update letter (January 15, 2008)

Legislative updates affecting conservation easements 

Upcoming events

Spotlight on conservation projects

Hotel Open Space Conservation Program.   Aspen's Little Nell Hotel has generated substantial funds for open space preservation by participating in AVLT's Hotel Open Space Conservation Program. Find out how this program is helping to save the valley...

Meanwhile in the News...

In other news:
Midvalley trail dispute appears headed to trial.
Aspen Times - Ginny Parker story | 11/7/11, Tom Waldeck story | 11/21/11

Ranch holds special place in valley history. AVLT ready for party at Tybar.
Aspen Times | 9/8/11

Strang Ranch to host sheepdog finals
Post Independent | 8/17/11

Strangs want to split up their ranch
Post Independent | 8/3/11

Feds readying Wexner land swap for a public review
Aspen Daily News | 7/7/11

Wexners take land exchange to BLM.
Aspen Times, Aspen Daily News | 2/15/11

Much of 2011 news was allocated to the purchase of the 845-acre Droste property (now called Sky Mountain Park). See related articles:
Droste naming.... Sky Mountain Park! AspenTimes | 12/14/11
Droste naming. AspenTimes | 11/30/11
Droste naming, Roger Marolt commentary. AspenTimes | 10/14/11
Droste naming. AspenTimes, Aspen Daily News  | 10/6/11
Droste naming. Aspen Times, Aspen Daily News | 9/1/11
Droste naming. Aspen Times | 8/30/11
Droste was a bargain at price of $17M. Aspen Daily News | 8/19/11
Citizen wants answers on extra Droste spending. Aspen Daily News | 7/14/11
Droste Deal to cost another $1M. Aspen Daily News | 7/5/11
County $1.1M shy of fundraising goal for the Droste property purchase. Aspen Daily News | 1/14/11

AVLT offers matching funds for Droste contributions. The matching funds are intended to help raise the private contributions that are needed to complete the $17 million acquisition.
Aspen Times | 12/16/10; Aspen Daily News | 12/16/10

GOCO awards $2.5M to Droste purchase. AVLT will collect the private contributions for the purchase.
Aspen Times | 12/9/10

Silt acquires 132 acres on Colorado River. Property sold for $1.2 million, will be open space and wildlife habitat.
Post Independent | 12/3/10

Pitkin County and AVLT formalize partnership. After two decades of jointly preserving property through conservation easements.. Pitkin County Open Space and Trails and the Aspen Valley Land Trust have formalized their relationship on paper.
Aspen Times | 10/29/10

Open space effort gets county's green light. "TLC" trying to get Garfield County into the land conservation business.
Post Independent | 4/11/10; Aspen Times | 4/11/10

Citizen group taking steps toward GarCo open space program. The "Garfield Trails and Land Conservation Initiative," or TLC, a citizen-led group pushing for a county-wide open space program gained approval from Garfield County Commissioners to keep researching whether such a program is right for Garfield County.
Sopris Sun | 4/8/10

Silt to get $1.1 million for open space project along Colorado River. Working with AVLT, Silt will acquire 160.8 acres, part of a 1,400 rancy, located on the other side of the river from the town.
Post Independent | 4/2/10

Land conservation and the 2010 town comp plan. "Each acre that is lost to buildings is an acre of lost wildlife habitat or a lost opportunity."
Sopris Sun | 3/18/10

Proposed park south of river in Silt would feature two active gas wells. AVLT and Town of Silt partner together with grant requests to Great Outdoors Colorado to buy Silt river parcel.
Post Independent | 12/14/09

Pitkin County, Glenwood Springs discuss fate of stalled Cattle Creek Colorado development. AVLT is still following the fate of this important parcel.
Post Independent | 10/7/09

Saving the sun-drenched hills of Missouri Heights. Dee Blue was able last year to fulfill one of the last wishes of her late husband. Blue placed a conservation easement on part of the Missouri Heights ranch where her husband Jean spent most of his life. 
Aspen Times | 3/2/09

Fund will assure Aspen man’s passion for preservation will continue. Lathrop Strang's efforts to preserve cattle ranches in western Colorado continues despite his tragic death earlier this year.
Post Independent | 10/3/08

Deal preserves Marble ranch.  Open agricultural land sprawled along much of the Roaring Fork Valley and Crystal River valley floors then, and Darien and his wife, Dana, wanted to keep at least a piece of the rural scene intact. That’s why they agreed to a conservation easement through Aspen Valley Land Trust to ensure the preservation of their 185-acre ranch near Marble.
Aspen Daily News | 7/30/08; Aspen Times | 8/1/08

Aspen Valley Land Trust director appointed to new state commission.  AVLT’s Martha Cochran was one of five people named earlier this month to the Conservation Easement Oversight Commission by Gov. Bill Ritter. Cochran said her appointment reflects well on AVLT’s solid reputation.
Aspen Times | 7/31/08

Forum to offer tips on conservation easements.  Industry experts will offer tips for spotting the difference between good conservation easements and those that could potentially run afoul of regulations at a workshop being held today.
Denver Post | 1/29/08

Conserving despite controversy.  A Carbondale-based land trust preserved a record amount of land as open space in 2007, despite intense scrutiny of conservation projects by the state and federal governments.  Aspen Valley Land Trust completed 34 deals that prevented development of 7,613 acres, according to Executive Director Martha Cochran.  "We had our best year ever," she said. Aspen Times Weekly | 1/27/08

Colorado Rocky Mountain School preserves an 18.5-acre stretch of land abutting the Crystal River.  Click link to read the article about this project in 5 area newspapers:  Grand Junction Daily Sentinel | 1/24/08;    
Aspen Times | 1/22/08;   Aspen Daily News | 1/22/08;   
Post Independent | 1/22/08;   Valley Journal | 1/22/08

Developers aren't gobbling all the land.   Colorado governments and land trusts were among the most successful in the nation at protecting private land from development in 2006, but a new report shows their collective efforts still will fall short of a conservation goal.   Aspen Times | 10/7/07

Ranch sale presents rare opportunity.   Deak Price and his family are asking for more than $9 million for a ranch near Glenwood Springs.  Martha Cochran thinks they'll get it.
Post Independent | 10/1/07

Save the Land Dance
Post Independent | 9/20/07

Deal closes on Granges' Basalt ranch
Basalt locals governments completed a $5 million deal on Wednesday to conserve land near Basalt that has been ranched by four generations of the Grange family.
Aspen Times | 9/13/07

40 Years of Stewardship 
It is doubtful that even Don Quixote would dream of trying to save land from development in the Roaring Fork Valley these days. 
Aspen Times | 9/8/07

Preserving property: A tale of two ranches
Wendy McNulty and her family faced financial difficulties that threatened to force them to sell their ranch.
Aspen Times | 9/8/07

Land trust is on a roll as it reaches middle age
When the Aspen Valley Land Trust holds its annual Save the Land Dance on Sept. 15 it will be doing a lot more than trying to raise funds for its conservation efforts.
Aspen Times | 9/2/07

Mineral rights complicate conservation easements
Aspen Daily News | 5/31/07

Eagle County preserves McNulty cattle ranch
Commisioners appove AVLT's $1.9 million conservation deal.
Aspen Times | 4/25/07

Eye on the Earth: Art Show, Earth Day Expo
Glenwood Sprins Post Independent  | 4/20/07

Easement preserves a "Special Place": Couple saving historic Marble Ranch
Larry Darien received what he labeled a "generous offer" last summer for the Marble-area ranch that's been in his family for more than 75 years.   Aspen Times | 1/8/07

State scrutinizing tax credits
Property owners across the Roaring Fork Valley and throughout Colorado received nearly $193 million in state tax credits in the past six years for preserving land from development.
Aspen Times | 12/20/06 

Carbondale ranch going for $27.25 million: All 3 buyers have conservation on their mind.   The cost of conserving a 1,180-acre ranch on the fringe of Carbondale came at a steep price last month for its three buyers.
Aspen Times | 12/6/06

Historic Perry family ranch sold to 'conservation buyers'.   Bob and Ruth "Ditty" Perry's historic cattle ranch on the outskirts of Carbondale was sold Monday to buyers who plan to keep it out of the hands of developers.
Aspen Times | 11/22/06
  
A rancher's resolve: McNulty family determined to preserve Missouri Heights ranch.   So many ranches in the Roaring Fork Valley have been sold for development that it's difficult for some people to comprehend why a handful of families stubbornly cling to their spreads.
Aspen Times | 11/12/06

Eagle County has easy choice.   It seems like the Eagle County commissioners have a preservation no-brainer on their hands. They've got a large, undeveloped property on Missouri Heights in the form of the McNulty Ranch.
Aspen Times | Editorials | 11/8/06
  
A conservation conundrum
Conservationists are scrambling to convince Eagle County commissioners to help preserve 753 acres of the McNulty cattle ranch in Missouri Heights.
Aspen Times | 11/6/06

Vote for Open Space.   We who live, work or play in Pitkin County are fortunate to have such an effective Open Space and Trails program.
Aspen Times | Letters to the Editor | 10/23/06

Praise for conservation.   I read with great joy the announcement last week that the Grange ranch that borders Basalt is being conserved ("Score one for the cows," Oct. 6).
Aspen Times | Letters to the Editor | 10/12/06
 
Score one for the cows.   Basalt will keep cows rather than condos on its western edge if a deal eyed by the town and two county governments proves successful.
Aspen Times | 10/6/06
 
Land swap passes House, heads to Senate.   The protracted effort to prevent development of 35 acres near the ghost town of Ashcroft took, what officials say is, a positive turn on Sept. 27.
Aspen Times | 9/30/06
 
McNulty Ranch may be saved for $2 million.   Sara McNulty may appreciate the size of the Rocky Mountain west more than most.
Aspen Times | 9/17/06
 
Ranch sells for $47 million.   A 949-acre ranch south of Carbondale has sold for $47 million, one of the largest and most expensive land deals in Pitkin County history.
Aspen Times | 7/14/06
 
Act now to preserve ranch land for tomorrow
Aspen Times editorial | 6/30/06

Real estate feeding frenzy devours local ranchlands.   Cowpokes are officially an endangered species in the Roaring Fork Valley.
Aspen Times | 6/27/06

Clark preserves a piece of Emma
Aspen Times | 4/19/06

AVLT: Interest in easements rising
Glenwood Springs Post Independent | 1/29/06

City and County purchase Smuggler Mountain inholdings for open space
Press Release | 12/05

Land Trust closes historic deal to preserve Nieslanik Ranch.   2005 saw AVLT's first success in preserving Carbondale's beloved East Mesa. To learn more, Click here.   Aspen Times | 12/21/05

Land Trusts submit to accountability
High Country News | 11/4/05

Sue Anschutz-Rodgers named 2006 Citizen of the West.   AVLT Board member Sue Rodgers received the National Western Stock Show Citizen of the West award this year for her outstanding dedication to philanthropy, community service, ranching, agriculture, animal welfare and land conservation... (link to National Western Stock Show story).  Rocky Mountain News | 9/27/05

Conservation of Crystal Island Ranch tops 1,400 acres
AVLT press release | 7/05

Congress uneasy over easements
Rocky Mountain News | 6/14/05

Update on June 8th Senate Finance Committee Hearing
Land Trust Alliance update | 6/9/05

House Bill 1244 signed -  Administration of state income tax credit for donations of perpetual conservation easements
Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts update | 6/7/05

Land Trust: Preservation efforts could hit more snags - Senate Committe to study conservation law
Aspen Times | 6/6/05

Preserve local landmarks -letter to editor
Glenwood Spgs Post Independent | 5/10/05

Land Swap best in nation
Glenwood Spgs Post Independent | 5/2/05

Artists celebrate Earth Day at AVLT benefit
Glenwood Spgs Post Independent | 4/22/05

Pitkin County close to preserving elk habitat on Cozy Point South - AVLT to hold easement
Aspen Times | 2/24/05

Art makes statement - letter to the editor
Aspen Times | 1/28/05

Vanishing landscape celebrated
Aspen Daily News | 1/4/05

State awards Pitkin County major conservation grant for Harvey Ranch - AVLT to co-hold easment.
Aspen Daily News | 6/17/04

AVLT gets financial boost to help purchase East Mesa easement
Aspen Times, 3/26/04

Local hotels help tourists save the Valley
Aspen Times, 2/19/04

Redstone Coke Ovens preserved
Aspen Daily News, 2/8/04

Child Family Named 2004 Wildlife Landowner of the Year.   Long-time valley ranchers and conservationists, the Child family not only preserved their 1,500-acre Capitol Creek Ranch in 2003 in a ground-breaking collaborative effort with Pitkin County, the Conservation Fund, AVLT and others - in 2004 they were named Colorado Division of Wildlife Landowners of the Year.
(Link to Aspen Times, 1/24/04)

Historic Townsite of Independence preserved
Aspen Times, 1/13/04

Preserving a prize: Strang Ranch
Aspen Times, 12/29/03

AVLT's preservation proposal should be a Valley-wide effort 
Aspen Times, 12/26/03

Sleep in Aspen, help save the Valley
Aspen Times, 12/23/03

Historic purchase will preserve ranchland
Aspen Times, 12/19/03

AVLT and WCAHF find common ground with merger
Post Independent, 9/28/03

Please pitch in to preserve our backyard
Aspen Times Editorial, 8/15/03

Saving the High Elk Corridor
Aspen Times, 8/15/03

AVLT and City strike deal to improve Burlingame
Aspen Daily News, 3/12/2003

Preservation of Jackson Ranch encloses City with open space
Post Independent, 3/6/03

Child Ranch plan gets enthusiastic OK
Aspen Times, 9/13/02

Child Ranch plan gets SkiCo support
Aspen Times, 8/27/02

Martha Cochran named new AVLT Director
Post Independent, 6/14/02

AVLT's position on Burlingame
Aspen Times, 4/5/02

Ryan parcel preserved as open space
Aspen Times, 2/7/00

Rock Bottom Ranch conservation project closes
Aspen Times, 10/12/99