Blog

You helped us raise over $11,000 on Colorado Gives Day – Thank You!

As the year comes to an end and the holidays draw near,  LPOSC has much to celebrate. We want to express our gratitude for an especially impactful year, made possible by all of you – our landowners, donors, sponsors, volunteers, and community partners. Thank you for supporting LPOSC’s continued work protecting the lands and waterways that make Southwest Colorado so special!

We worked with five landowners on new conservation easements this year and are on track to protect 800 acres of land by early 2024. Did you know that only 4% of private land in La Plata County is permanently protected? You can help us increase that number, while still allowing responsible development.

Colorado Gives Day is Colorado’s biggest day of giving. Join your community members and make your Colorado Gives Day donation today!
If you’ve already done so, thank you!
  
Your donation will support LPOSC’s work to permanently protect natural and working lands critical to our region, work alongside landowners to support strong land stewardship practices, and provide community-centric conservation programming.  Donors like you are instrumental to our work. To learn more and donate, visit LPOSC’s Colorado Gives Day page.
Thank you!

Scroll on to see some snapshots of what our work has accomplished this year. From workshops to youth programs, listening sessions, new conservation projects, and stewarding our existing lands, we have had a busy and productive 2023 thanks to the support of donors like you.

Save the date for our annual Snowdown fundraiser! Cocktails for Conservation is a lively, elegant event featuring handcrafted chocolates from Animas Chocolate Company, specialty cocktails, fine foods, local brews and a silent auction. All proceeds from this popular event support LPOSC’s work to conserve Southwest Colorado’s land, water, and way of life. Must be 21+. Ticket sales will be announced right here in our newsletter later this month. 

Not sure what to expect? Check out this video of last year’s event in the Main Mall, courtesy of Blue Lily Productions.

Interested in sponsoring?  Please click here to view our sponsorship opportunities and contact Adrienne Dorsey at adrienne@lposc.org to learn more.

LPOSC welcomed Rick Borkowski to its Board of Directors earlier this month. Rick and his wife, Annette, purchased a property conserved by LPOSC in 2018, and they have been hard at work improving their property ever since.

“Since acquiring the pasture and wetlands areas near Turtle Lake, Annette and Rick have been steadily working to restore the pasture after overgrazing damaged the grasses and soil. Through LPOSC’s seminars on soil health, noxious weed control and pollinator health, they gained the knowledge to help restore the pasture to a mix of healthy native grasses. Clover and cover crop seeding was used to enhance damaged soil with the added benefit of fixing nitrogen.  Adjustments to the irrigation ditch system aided in restoration of the bare and weed-infested areas. Native grass seeds collected from adjacent parts of the pasture were used along with equine blends and Orchard grass for restoration.  Thanks to several good winters snow and last year’s strong monsoon rains, the grasses have filled in nicely. Wildflower growth is a secondary enhancement, although the deer have other ideas of what should grow.” -Rick Borkowski

Many of our landowners, like Rick and Annette, are passionate about protecting their land and work tirelessly to improve it. From improving soil health to removing fences, placing nesting structures, and much more, their efforts benefit us all. During this season of gratitude, we would like to acknowledge our landowners and their hard work – thank you!

The season of giving is just around the corner, which means
 Colorado Gives Day is fast approaching.

Colorado Gives Day is Colorado’s biggest day of giving. But you don’t have to wait until December 5th to make your gift. You can schedule your Colorado Gives Day donations today! If you’ve already done so, thank you!
  
Donors like you are instrumental to advancing LPOSC’s mission.  With your support, LPOSC will continue to permanently protect natural and working lands critical to our region, work alongside landowners to support strong land stewardship practices, and provide community-centric conservation programming.  To learn more about our work and donate, visit LPOSC’s Colorado Gives Day page. Thank you!

Save the date for our annual Snowdown fundraiser! Cocktails for Conservation is a lively, elegant event featuring handcrafted chocolates from Animas Chocolate Company, specialty cocktails, fine foods, local brews and a silent auction. All proceeds from this popular event support LPOSC’s work to conserve Southwest Colorado’s land, water, and way of life. Must be 21+. Ticket sales will be announced right here in our newsletter next month. 

Not sure what to expect? Check out this video of last year’s event in the Main Mall, courtesy of Blue Lily Productions.

Interested in sponsoring?  Please contact Adrienne Dorsey at adrienne@lposc.org to learn more.

We had a great time on September 9th at Ska Brewing’s 28th Anniversary Party and Brewer’s Invitational.  We met over a hundred supporters of open space, and raffled off a Ska Brewing Paddleboard to one lucky winner, Diane Komick. Congratulations, Diane!

Join Kaitlin Haase, Pollinator Conservation Specialist with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, and Gail Morris, Coordinator of the Southwest Monarch Study, for a full day short course on the conservation of monarch butterflies in the Four Corners. Agricultural producers, land managers, environmental educators, landowners, and the general public are welcome!

DuranGoats uses goats to reduce wildfire fuel loads and invasive weed species. With their uniquely vigorous appetites and digestive systems, goats will eliminate hazardous underbrush in fire-prone areas and reduce the seed-bank of unwanted weeds on pasture. At the same time, the will leave behind fertilized soil, setting the stage for a healthier future landscape. Find out more at www.durangoats.com.

Earlier this month, LPOSC welcomed two new interns to help us gather data about recreational impacts on conserved properties in La Plata County. Thanks to a generous funding from the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, Over the next two years, LPOSC will hire 14 interns from Fort Lewis College to conduct research for the organization while providing valuable job training experience for those seeking career pathways in the outdoor sector.

Please join LPOSC for burgers, beers, and fireflies on Wednesday, July 19^th.  The viewing party will be generously hosted by Jerry and Karen Zink on their conserved property, Sunnyside Farm.  Fireflies only appear in SW Colorado for a few weeks each year, so this gathering will provide a unique opportunity to view the fireflies before they leave in late July while enjoying food, drinks, and good company.
 
When: Wednesday, July 19^th, 7:30-9:30pm
Where: Sunnyside Farm
What to bring: layered clothing, a chair or blanket to sit on, and footwear that can get wet
 
Space is limited! Please RSVP by Tuesday, July 18^th to claim your spot. 
$10 suggested donation supports LPOSC’s efforts to conserve land and water in Southwest Colorado, like this unique wetland firefly haven.

Fireflies in Colorado? Yes, it’s true – check out a recent Colorado Sun article about the relatively rare Western populations.

Ska Brewing will hold their 28th Anniversary Party & Brewer’s Invitational on September 9, 2023, and you are invited!  The event will take place at Ska’s World Headquarters in Durango, and there will be breweries, friends, family, and great live music.  This event has become one of the premier fall events in Durango and this year is shaping up to be the BEST yet! 

All proceeds from this event will benefit La Plata Open Space Conservancy’s work to protect land and water in Southwest Colorado. Sponsor or attend this great event to support our mission!

Is your property in need of forest management with an eye towards restoration? Do you have an iconic tree you’d like to preserve? Whether you have one tree or a large forest, Momentum Tree Experts is our recommended tree service company. With their attention to wildlife habitat improvement and overall ecosystem enhancement, they are a great choice for private lands – whether conserved or not.

Nearly 900 acres of conserved land at Destination Ranch buffer the San Juan National Forest, BLM land, and the Perins Peak State Wildlife Area

The Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act, passed and signed into law in December 2022 to combat syndicated easements, contained a “Safe Harbor” provision. This provision directed the IRS to create Safe Harbor language for extinguishment/proceeds clauses and boundary line adjustments in conservation easements. The IRS has issued the Safe Harbor language and landowners now have until July 24, 2023 to amend their conservation easements to substitute the Safe Harbor language for provisions the IRS has determined are not acceptable. Conservation easements executed between 2008-2023 may be affected. This notice only impacts landowners who took a federal deduction when donating their conservation easement. LPOSC recommends landowners work with their lawyer and/or CPA to determine if their conservation easement may be impacted. LPOSC has sent a separate notice to conservation easement donors for whom it has current contact information and who may be impacted.
 
Resources:
IRS Safe Harbor Bulletin
IRS Safe Harbor Notice: Conservation Easements – Safe Harbor Deed Language for Extinguishment and Boundary Line Adjustment