Colorado Cattlemen's Association
Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust
Protecting Open Space by Preserving Agriculture
Our Mission
The Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust protects productive agricultural lands and the conservation values they provide by working with ranchers and farmers, thereby preserving Colorado’s ranching heritage and rural communities.
Welcome to CCALT!
CCALT is very proud to partner with landowners in the protection of over 350,000 acres as of December, 2009 in over 34 counties across Colorado. This is an area larger than the entire Colorado State Park System!
None of this would have been possible without the commitment of private landowners and the financial support of our donors.
Donate now by using the two services listed below. Just click on the button and follow the instructions. Thank you for your donation and support of CCALT!
Click here to learn about a few of our success stories. These are just a few of the many easements that help protect the lands, livelihoods, and western heritage of Colorado.
Look around our site and check out our events and publications. Be sure you check back with us on a regular basis because our site is always changing!
2010 Leopold Conservation Award
The Sand County Foundation, in partnership with Colorado Cattlemen's Association and the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust, will announce the finalists for the Leopold Conservation Award the end of April. The Leopold Conservation Award recognizes landowners who exemplify the land ethic of Aldo Leopold, translating their love for the land into responsible stewardship and management. The Colorado winner for 2010 will receive an Aldo Leopold crystal and $10,000. The 2010 winner for this award has been announced. Please read the press release below.
Click here for a link to the press release.
Click here for a link to the Leopold Website.
Meet our Staff
CCALT has very talented staff and board members as well as an advisory council. Click here to meet our staff and learn a little more about the people responsible for making CCALT a success!
Thank you for taking the time to visit the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust online. We hope that this site will provide you with the information that you need as a landowner, a policy maker, journalist or simply someone who cares about Colorado's working farms and ranches and all of the benefits that they provide.
CCALT is a land trust of landowners for landowners. We are the only land trust in the state that exclusively serves farmers and ranchers.
We invite you to take a look around our site. We hope that this begins to answer your questions. Please feel free to call us, we would be happy to talk with you in person or meet over a cup of coffee.
Chris West - Executive Director
Join us on Facebook!
CCALT is now on Facebook. Check us out and be sure to become a fan of our page. Event updates and links will keep you current on what CCALT is doing. Don't forget to tell your family and friends about us!
2010 Sunset BBQ a Success!
The CCALT annual Sunset BBQ was a success and was hosted by Peter and Deedee Decker at their ranch in Ridgway, Colorado Saturday, August 21.
Guests celebrated conservation in Colorado over dinner, drinks and an auction at one of CCALT's protected ranches.
The proceeds from the event went towards the protection of Colorado's beautiful agricultural lands. Click here to see the pictures from our event!
Survey Results In!
A Return on Investment: The Economic Value of Colorado's Conservation Easements
Conservation easements are the primary land preservation tool in Colorado, accounting for more than two-thirds of all conserved land in the state. The Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) has partnered with The Trust for Public Land (TPL) and other conservation organizations to determine the economic value of Colorado’s conservation easements. The data from the analysis, attests to the importance of conservation easements to all of Colorado’s citizens.
John Fielder's Ranches of Colorado
The Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust is pleased to be working with John Fielder on this exciting project. The land trust community facilitates ranch protection with conservation easements by working in partnership with Colorado ranch families. A portion of Ranches of Colorado proceeds will be given to The Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust, Colorado Open Lands, and the Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts to continue the important work of preserving ranchland open space in Colorado.
Click here to order your book now.
Land Trust Alliance Accreditation
CCALT is pleased to announce that we were officially accredited by the Land Trust Alliance in 2009.
Click here for more information on accreditation or to visit the accreditation website.
Click here for a link to the LTA press release.
Information for Landowners
Randy Rusk Roping - Picture by Bill Gillette
If you have questions, or just need some more information about our organization, click the picture above to visit our landowner information page. We also have several publications that you can download and review. We hope that this will answer several of your questions about our organization and get you on your way to protecting the land that you love.
Colorado Division of Real Estate
CCALT was certified by the Division or Real Estate (DORA) in January of 2010. The Conservation Easement Oversight Program has issued CCALT a license from the Conservation Easement Oversight Program to certify that we have met the qualifications to hold conservation easements for which a state tax credit is claimed.