Change over time – how a conservation easement can help you track it!

Since December 2017 Eagle Valley Land Trust has been the Grantee for the conservation easement that serves to protect, forever, the conservation values of the Brush Creek Valley Ranch and Open Space (BCVROS).

When the ownership of the BCVROS passed on to Eagle County and the Open Space and Natural Resource Department took on land stewardship, the ranch had seen several years of hard use, with little attention given to the its natural resources. And, it certainly was not open to the public in any way. This changed when Eagle County took on the land and water stewardship of the BCVROS, then known locally as the Hardscrabble Ranch.

During  this year’s annual monitoring of the conservation easement a great opportunity to showcase the great work of the Eagle County Open Space and Natural Resources Department presented itself. EVLT, as part of its Grantee responsibilities, monitors the protected property natural resource, recreation, and scenic values annually.

At the time of ownership transfer, when a conservation easement is deeded to the title of a property, a baseline documentation report is completed for the entire property. This baseline report becomes the benchmark for known ground conditions that exist across the entire property at the time of ownership transfer. It is a very important report, especially when it come to documenting change.

In the images below you can see change! The “BEFORE” images were taken in December 2017 and the “AFTER” images were taken just this month, July 2024. As you can see, a picture tells a thousand words.