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A vision for the future of conservation


​With your support, Aspen Valley Land Trust’s Conserving Land and Connecting Community campaign is activating Coffman Ranch as an ambassador for conservation. 

With $5.8 million already raised, we’re asking the community to help close the final $25,000 gap and bring this vision to life.

​Construction is underway, and your support is needed to help finish the work to open Coffman Ranch's river trail, gathering spaces, and inspirational experience to the community.
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​A UNIQUE POINT IN TIME

​Connecting community to conservation


For nearly 60 years, Aspen Valley Land Trust has worked to conserve land, water, and wildlife habitat across the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys. Today, that work is entering a new chapter – one that connects people to the land in deeper, more meaningful ways. Schools, nonprofit partners, and families are all seeking access to outdoor spaces that support education, stewardship, and community connection. Pressures across the valley are growing, and so is the need to welcome more people to understand and support conservation. 
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Coffman Ranch is being thoughtfully developed into a welcoming, functional space for education, community gatherings, and connection to the land. AVLT has welcomed 28 schools and nonprofit partners, including over 2,000 students, to connect to this land and our mission. 

Trails, gathering spaces, learning environments, and essential facilities are what make it possible for people to safely and meaningfully access the land. Building on decades of conservation, you can help AVLT define the next chapter of conservation and community connection.
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A home for the history and future of agriculture, wildlife, and community


For 65 years, Rex and JoAnn Coffman cared for their historic ranch on the banks of the Roaring Fork River while watching wildlife come and go with the seasons. As they turned 90 and prepared to retire from ranching, Rex and Jo agreed to sell Coffman Ranch to AVLT in order to see its future protected.

With a generous donation from the Coffman family, and support from Great Outdoors Colorado, Pitkin County Open Space & Trails, Garfield County, the Town of Carbondale, and others like you, AVLT purchased and forever protected this 141-acre ranch in 2021. In total, the acquisition phase of this campaign raised $8.5 million to purchase, conserve, and support initial planning, restoration, and pilot programming.​
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​AN AMBASSADOR FOR CONSERVATION

Activating AVLT's Coffman Ranch


​By supporting this campaign, you will help Coffman Ranch serve as an ambassador to conservation – where community can connect to, understand, and be inspired by land conservation, stewardship, and agriculture. ​



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Reaching the campaign’s $5.8 million goal will allow AVLT to complete construction and restoration projects beginning this spring, including:
  • A pole barn and learning lab to support educational programs and events,
  • A shared-use community kitchen,
  • An accessible river trail,
  • Restoration of the historic dairy barn, and
  • Entry, parking, and safety and experience improvements ​
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Construction is underway, and maintaining steady funding is essential to keep this progress moving forward without delay.
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Together, these improvements will sustain AVLT’s work for years to come and offer meaningful, hands-on experiences rooted in agriculture, wildlife, and conservation.


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Help grow something new






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You can help bring conservation to life



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Now is the time


​Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of more than 200 supporters, the Conserving Land and Connecting Community campaign is nearing completion. The campaign has raised nearly all of its $5.8 million goal through individual gifts. This collective investment reflects a shared belief in the future of this work and the importance of Coffman Ranch to the community.

Today, just $25,000 remains to fully fund the campaign. This final stretch will ensure that construction can continue as planned and that Coffman Ranch opens as a fully realized space for community use.

Please contact Jeff Davlyn at [email protected] or 970.456.3560 for more information on how Aspen Valley Land Trust and Coffman Ranch can help fulfill your giving goals. 
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