From Pilot to Practice: Central Colorado’s Virtual Fence Webinar

By Heather Mills, Agriculture Program Manager

On January 22nd, Central Colorado Conservancy joined the Innovations Hub Webinar Series hosted by the Jornada Experimental Range at New Mexico State University. Located in southern New Mexico, the Jornada is one of the oldest continuously operating rangeland research facilities in the world, with more than a century of leadership in arid land ecology and grazing management. The Innovations Hub series convenes producers, researchers, conservation organizations, and technology developers to explore practical tools shaping the future of working lands.

Drawing on four years of direct implementation experience, my presentation - From Pilot to Practice: Lessons from Central Colorado’s Virtual Fence Deployment -  shared a candid, on-the-ground account of how virtual fencing has evolved in Chaffee County—from an experimental pilot to a functioning, producer-driven management tool operating at scale.

What began in 2022 as a pilot project funded through Chaffee Common Ground has grown into a county-wide effort supporting livestock producers across complex, mixed-ownership landscapes. The virtual fence program spans private ranches as well as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and State Land Board grazing permits. In 2022, Vence was the leading virtual fence company in the U.S. During this pilot program, 19 Vence base stations were purchased and installed, and today, six producers are actively managing nearly 900 head of cattle using GPS-based collar systems.  Three additional producers are preparing to adopt the technology using both Vence and Halter platforms. Halter is another virtual fence company that was developed in New Zealand. Producers find the Halter technology works better on smaller acreage than Vence does.

The response to the webinar reflected the growing relevance of this work. A total of 89 attendees joined the live session representing producers, agency personnel, researchers, and conservation practitioners from across the United States. Nearly 35 minutes of thoughtful, engaged questions followed the presentation, covering everything from economics and return on investment to implementation challenges and system comparisons. One question came from a livestock producer in Scotland, underscoring the international interest in practical, scalable virtual fencing models.

Rather than presenting virtual fencing as a single technological solution, the presentation 

emphasized a key principle that has guided the Conservancy’s approach: the program is outcome-focused and producer-driven. While early phases primarily utilized Vence systems on large public land allotments, the program now includes producers using Halter technology on private home ranches. The flexibility to choose the right tool for the right landscape has strengthened adoption and reinforced trust among participating ranchers.

The strong attendance and extended dialogue signal that virtual fencing is no longer an experimental innovation. Across regions, producers are searching for ways to reduce labor and fuel costs, increase grazing precision, improve rangeland health, and navigate increasing recreation pressure on public lands. Central Colorado Conservancy’s experience offers a grounded case study in how these tools can move from theory to practice.

Since the live event, the webinar recording has continued to gain views, expanding its reach beyond the original audience. As interest grows, so does the opportunity for Central Colorado Conservancy to contribute practical insight to a broader conversation about the future of grazing management on working landscapes. By sharing both successes and lessons learned, the Conservancy is helping shape a national dialogue around virtual fencing and demonstrating how collaborative, producer-led innovation can support agricultural viability while strengthening stewardship of land and water resources.

You can watch the full webinar here: From Pilot to Practice: Lessons from Central Colorado’s Virtual Fence Deployment.