2020 year granted
275 acres
Conservation Values Protected
- Agricultural Open Space: The property has been ranched for many decades, most recently through a grazing lease by a neighboring rancher. Agriculture, and ranching especially, is a vital component of Grand County history and many properties allow for multiple uses. This easement allows for both non-motorized recreation and cattle grazing, proving that our relationship to the land comes in many forms, and that those uses can be and often are compatible.
- Recreational Open Space: This is the first CHLT conservation easement officially open for public recreation. It has a long history of recreation use, going back many decades as an access to a small ski area and more recently as a pleasant hiking location, along the decommissioned Himebaugh Creek Road. After the easement was granted, the landowners sold the property to the Town of Hot Sulphur Springs for use as a public park. As of 2021, conversations are ongoing about the best way to lay out a small trail system for use by both residents and visitors to central Grand County.
- Scenic Open Space: This property can be viewed from along CR 55, also called Cottonwood Pass Road, a historic road from the base of Red Dirt Hill to the Town of Hot Sulphur Springs, the county seat. The property is largely open meadow, with Himebaugh Creek running down the middle of the easement from the Arapaho National Forest to the south to the Colorado River, north of the easement on the other side of Hot Sulphur Springs. Residents enjoy this property as a buffer between the town and the national forest.
- Wildlife Habitat: Many local wildlife species use this property as a migration corridor and as a seasonal habitat, including elk, deer, and moose. The seasonal Himebaugh Creek also provides a water source and excellent riparian habitat for migratory birds and other small wildlife species.