Preserving the area's agricultural lands and wildlife habitats doesn't just happen, it takes action. And funding. Toward that end the Northern San Juans Initiative (NSJI), based in Ridgway, and the Black Canyon Land Trust (BCLT) have joined with the San Juan Skyway Initiative in requesting a $1.8 million legacy grant from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO). The initiative's objective is to acquire conservation easements on working riparian ranches along the San Juan Skyway, a 236-mile loop from Ridgway to Ouray, Silverton and Durango, then to Cortez, Delores, Rico, Telluride, Placerville and back to Ridgway. Eight to ten properties have been identified along the Uncompahgre River and the grant would provide support for obtaining conservation easements on three of those ranches.

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