Private Lands Conservation
The majority of Colorado is privately owned. These lands include family farms and ranches that support prime farmland, wildlife habitat, water resources, and scenic vistas. Because of their richness, they deliver many benefits to Coloradans. Private land owners make conservation a priority for many reasons, and often it is to preserve the natural heritage of their property for current and future generations. CNHP has worked with private land owners for as long as we have existed and we offer a wide range of services that support private lands conservation in Colorado.
We can help with:
- Species Surveys and Bioblitzes
- Restoration and Monitoring
- Conservation Planning
- Conservation Easement Mapping
- GIS Services and Database Development
Featured Projects
CNHP - Rifle Ranch Restoration
Rifle Creek, a tributary to the Colorado River, runs through the 122 acre Rifle Ranch and the city of Rifle in Garfield County, Colorado. Since 2016, the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) has worked with Rifle Ranch to enhance the habitat value and ecological condition of the Rifle Creek riparian.
Visit the CNHP - Rifle Ranch Restoration Page
COMaP - Colorado Ownership, Management and Protection Database
COMaP is the state’s premier map of protected lands, featuring over 28,000 entries of protected land polygons, each with a suite of attributes such as owner, manager, easement holder, public access, and more. COMaP is served through an online Map Viewer with a backend database that supports user input and custom queries.
Visit the COMaP - Colorado Ownership, Management and Protection Database Page
A CSU Study: Colorado’s Return on Investments in Conservation Easements
The state of Colorado offers property tax credit incentives for private land owners who voluntarily protect the natural heritage of their land using conservation easements. What do Colorado citizens gain from this foregone tax revenue? CSU researchers explore the conservation values and economic benefits of the Conservation Easement Tax Credit Program.
Visit the COMaP - Colorado Ownership, Management and Protection Database Page
CNHP Element Occurrence Biotics Database of Rare Plants, Animals and Natural Plant Communities
CNHP's database delivers a wealth of information on Colorado's biological diversity, including the location and quality of rare and imperiled plants, animals, and natural plant communities on CNHP's tracking list.
Biotics - Learn more
Countywide Surveys of Critical Biological Resources
Since the mid-1990s, CNHP has conducted surveys to locate and track biologically significant plants, animals, and natural plant communities.
Visit the Countywide Surveys of Critical Biological Resources Page
Bioblitzes
A BioBlitz is an intensive period of biological surveying in which teams of scientists, students, teachers, and other community members work together to find, identify, and record all the living species within a designated area.
Visit the Bioblitzes Page
Conservation Easement Study Database
CNHP’s custom database solution to manage conservation easement data in southeast Colorado.
Visit the Conservation Easement Study Database Page
Conservation Easement Monitoring and Baseline Reporting
CNHP scientists perform easement monitoring on a number of ranches in Colorado. We are also engaged with multiple partners to create collaborative solutions for the private lands conservation community. Watch this space for news about conservation easement baseline reporting projects to come!
Visit the Conservation Easement Monitoring and Baseline Reporting Page
