Collaboration Leads to Protection of Colorado's James Peak Wilderness

The Wilderness Land Trust, in partnership with the Colorado Conservation Trust, has protected approximately 320-acres of private land located in the stunning glacial cirque on the edge of the James Peak Wilderness, the partners announced today. The protected area, which includes Little Echo Lake, riparian areas along Mammoth Gulch, and a broad ridge extending from James Peak, was not included in the 2002 James Peak Wilderness Area designation due to potential conflicts between management of the public and private lands. Eventually the partners plan to transfer ownership to the U.S. Forest Service for an eventual addition to the wilderness so that the entire region can be managed together for public benefit. The $725,000 purchase was made possible in part due to a $600,000 loan from the Colorado Conservation Trust. The Wilderness Land Trust works with willing sellers to eliminate private lands within the National Wilderness Preservation System. More than 400,000 acres of privately held lands remain within designated Wilderness areas which can lead to fragmentation of pristine ecosystems, degradation of the wilderness experience for visitors, and more costly and time consuming challenges for public land management agencies. The Trust is the national leader in securing Wilderness Areas for future generations to enjoy...more

Another example of the land trusts working as stalking horses for federal land acquisition.

All that "collaborating" brought us was less private property.

Gus & Woodrow say we need a land trust with the same tax breaks to work on disposing of federal property. I'm thinking they're gonna have to do a big bunch of dallyin' and draggin' before that can happen.