Trust Our Land: Conservation is addition by subtraction

By Bergen Tjossem

I was mountain biking with an out-of-town friend last week on one of Eagle’s many trails. As we climbed, drenched in sweat and out of breath, I found myself pointing out landmarks like an eager tour guide.

“That meadow down there? Conserved. The ridgeline across the valley? It’s permanently protected, too. Over that saddle, one big valley over? Yep — that whole thing was a land trust project.”

Unless you’ve studied the Eagle Valley Land Trust’s conservation map — or happen to be riding with a board or staff member like me — you might never know just how much of this valley has been shaped by conservation.

Eagle Valley Land Trust’s conservation easements are scattered through and even spill outside Eagle County. But much of what Eagle Valley Land Trust does is invisible to the naked eye. No huge signs. No monuments. Just land left alone to be what it always was.

That’s when it hit me: Land conservation is, in many ways, addition by subtraction.

By permanently limiting development in certain places, we gain community value in the form of scenic viewsheds, recreational access and a foundation for our recreation-based economy. Wildlife can gain habitat and connectivity, too.

That’s not to say conservation is the right tool for every parcel — it isn’t — but it’s a great option for shaping our built community in partnership with residential and commercial development. After all, undeveloped open spaces nestled into neighborhoods, commercial zones and viewsheds have shaped this place for decades. It’s a reason many of us moved here, returned or stayed here in the first place.

Conservation Easements are Eagle Valley Land Trust’s “bread and butter” conservation tool. They’re voluntary legal agreements that permanently retain the character of a piece of property, and they’re tailored to the needs and wishes of the landowner. By selling or donating the option to subdivide a pasture, develop a parcel, or pave over a chunk of wildlife habitat, landowners are giving something back to the community — a permanent legacy of conservation.

A tour of protected land in Eagle County

As you pass through Eagle County, you’re surrounded by the benefits of conservation — many of them created by forward-thinking community members simply choosing open space as a community asset. If you’re driving from west to east, you’ll hit Golden Bair Ranch first before you pop out of Glenwood Canyon. This massive 4,830-acre working ranch has been in operation since the early 1900s. It was one of the first large sheep ranches in the area, and today it’s one of the last. By conserving it in 2004 with Eagle Valley Land Trust and other partners, the landowners permanently secured something bigger — open views, working lands and wildlife habitat that benefit us all.

Heading east, you’ll eventually pass through Edwards, a mosaic of conserved lands protected over decades, neighborhoods and commercial areas. The Eagle River Preserve and Miller Ranch Open Spaces, both owned by Eagle County and conserved by Eagle Valley Land Trust, have shaped this area.

These high-value parcels could have developed into nearly anything. As public open spaces, they add enormous value to our community — a close-to-home retreat to nature for locals and visitors, river access, beautiful scenic corridors, and critical habitat for elk and other wildlife. These big open spaces in the heart of a bustling community didn’t happen by accident. It took concerted effort, funding from donors and collaboration to keep these lands open and free. A symbol of what can happen when a community says, “Let’s protect this.”

These are just a few examples of the 41 properties that Eagle Valley Land Trust and its partners have helped protect since 1981. Conserving a piece of land by conservation easement or any other method isn’t just a decision to relinquish what could have been built there. It’s an intentional choice to permanently add that land’s natural values to our community’s shared landscape, forever. 

So the next time you’re out on the trails — maybe with a friend, maybe just clearing your head — take a look around. Think about what’s there, but also about what isn’t. The road that never got built. The parking lot that stayed a meadow. The riverbank that’s still just cottonwoods and willows. What’s missing might just be the most valuable thing we’ve added.

Visit EVLT.org or email community@evlt.org to learn more, protect your property, or get involved in conservation. We’d love to walk the land with you.

Bergen Tjossem is the Eagle Valley Land Trust’s Deputy Director. To learn more about EVLT’s conservation work, visit our website at www.evlt.org or stop by the new Conservation Center in Edwards.