Acord Land and Cattle Company Conserve 1,400-acres

YAMPA, COLORADO (12/27/04) - Acord Land and Cattle Company joined the numerous other conservation-minded landowners in the Yampa Valley by conserving 1,400-acres of the Acord Ranch with a conservation easement held by Yampa Valley Land Trust. The property consists primarily of open pastures and irrigated hay meadows used for its agricultural operations.

The Acord Ranch is located near the Flat Tops Wilderness Area and other recreation areas. The property is visible from Colorado Highway 131 and Routt County Road 3, RCR 5 and RCR 7, which serve rural ranch, residential and recreation areas. The property supports an abundance of wildlife and habitat including elk, deer, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, greater sage-grouse, mountain and western bluebird, red-tailed hawk, golden eagle and bald eagle. Through a voluntary conservation easement, the Acords' ensured the wildlife and scenic resources on the property would be permanently protected.

A bargain-sale purchase of the Acord Ranch conservation easement was made possible through the Routt County Purchase of Development Rights funds, Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund, United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, supporters of Yampa Valley Land Trust and Acord Land and Cattle Company’s generous donation of part of the value of the conservation easement.

As a community-supported non-profit organization, Yampa Valley Land Trust is Northwest Colorado’s land conservation organization dedicated to the conservation of open lands. Established as a non-profit organization in 1992, Yampa Valley Land Trust works with willing landowners to protect the natural, scenic, historic and agricultural landscapes of Northwest Colorado, with a focus on the Yampa River basin in Routt County. Yampa Valley Land Trust now holds over 27,000 acres in over 51 conservation easements, ensuring the beautiful working landscapes and prime ecological features will continue to be an inspiring part of our lives and the lives of generations to follow. Supporters of Yampa Valley Land Trust helped to make this project and all Yampa Valley Land Trust conservation easements possible.