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USDA honors San Isabel Land Protection TrustColorado The United States Department of Agriculture's Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment Mark Rey honored the San Isabel Land Protection Trust for achieving 10,000 acres of working agricultural land under conservation easements in Wet Mountain Valley at a celebration held in Westcliffe, Colorado, May 23. A branding and barbecue event was held to mark the seven years of work it took to preserve those acres. Around the table were local ranchers and officials from the San Isabel Land Protection Trust, Great Outdoors Colorado, other land trust partners, and the USDA. "I would like to acknowledge Great Outdoors Colorado, all the local individuals, land trust partners, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service for the contributions they have made to the Wet Mountain Valley Project," Rey said. "What we're doing is celebrating." The celebration was held on the Rusk Ranch, owned by Randy Rusk, in honor of the Rusk family being the first to step forward to protect their land through the use of a conservation easement, a legal tool that acquires development rights while allowing landowners to retain ownership. After the Rusks placed the easement on their property, at least five other ranches decided to join them to keep their ranches and the Wet Mountain Valley in continued productive agriculture. Funding for the conservation easements came from a combination of local landowner financial and in-kind contributions, land trust organization funds, Great Outdoors Colorado, and the USDA-NRCS Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program. Approximately 75 local ranchers, land trust individuals, and government agency representatives attended the celebration. 7/7/08 Date: 7/1/08
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