Between 2018 and 2022, the Central Colorado Conservancy acquired 271 acres of land along the Upper Arkansas River, just north of Granite in Lake County. This area is known as the Arkansas River Community (ARC) Preserve and is held in conservation easement by Colorado Open Lands. A public access easement is held and will be managed by Lake County.
The need for conserving land along the Upper Arkansas River was identified by the Lake County Open Space Initiative (LCOSI) over a decade ago. With the support of LCOSI and many community members, the Conservancy secured funding from GOCO, the California Gulch Superfund Site Natural Resources Damages (NRD) Recovery Fund, and private donations to purchase private land parcels from willing sellers.
Now, management planning is underway for this exciting project and the Conservancy and our partners are asking for input from our supporters and fellow community members. The ARC Preserve is a community amenity that will offer passive recreation after the management planning process takes place.
The Conservancy, Lake County, and Colorado Open Lands are working with land management
planning consultants to develop an adaptive management plan to allow public access to the ARC Preserve. The management plan will balance recreational uses with wildlife habitat protection and provide public access for activities such as hiking, fishing, and boating.
You can get involved in the planning process in two ways!
First, Conservancy supporters are invited to take this brief survey and offer their feedback on the management plan. Click here to take the survey.
Second, interested parties are invited to a Town Hall on Thursday, April 4th, from 6 to 8 pm. This public meeting will be held in Room 401 at the Colorado Mountain College campus in Leadville. Staff from the Conservancy and Lake County as well as the planning consultants will be presenting the vision for the ARC Preserve and gathering input from community members on the future management of the ARC Preserve, including recreation uses and conservation priorities. Light refreshments will be provided. For more information or any questions, please email arcpreserveplan@gmail.com.