The Nature Conservancy's ecoregion planning approach divides the nation into natural areas as the foundation for identifying and protecting unique natural areas and features. In 1996, the Conservancy incorporated the ideals of a broader geographical approach into its own conservation efforts all over the world. The change in strategy came with the creation of what the Conservancy called "ecoregions." The organization defined such areas as "large units of land and water delineated by large-scale abiotic and biotic factors that broadly shape the structure and function of biological communities within them." The new policy identified 63 ecoregions in the United States alone and began the long process of identifying and developing strategic plans for the threatened areas within each ecoregion. Other groups such as the World Wildlife Fund are also using the same ecoregional concept as well. The Conservancy has already taken a number of steps in this new direction and is playing a crucial role in the protection of large tracts of land. Yet these efforts must rely on the support of many stakeholders besides the Conservancy, all of who must come to the table to formulate a reasonable plan for protection. The Central Shortgrass Prairie Ecoregion The majority of this 90,800 square mile ecoregion known as the Central Shortgrass Prairie is found in the portion of Colorado east of the Front Range.

It extends east to western Nebraska, Kansas, and the Oklahoma panhandle.

It also includes the northeastern tip of New Mexico and the southeastern corner of Wyoming.

This particular ecoregion is defined by its large amounts of both shortgrass and sand sage prairie.

Human activity and the invasion of "alien" species, or noxious weeds, which crowd out native grasses, threaten such plant communities.

The Nature Conservancy has conducted numerous scientific inventories that have found 59 shortgrass species that are "imperiled or vulnerable" in this region. The ecoregion's wildlife has been impacted by the sudden change in habitat and the loss of plant life. The area is home to many species that are threatened or endangered on a global basis. Rare animal species include birds such as the mountain plover and the lesser prairie chicken and other animals including black-tailed prairie dogs and the swift fox. Large ungulates are one of the major components of the prairie ecosystem that are missing today. Historically, they have occupied the ecoregion and have played an important role in providing nutrients to the soil and aiding seed dispersal. Their grazing habits were also crucial to the ecosystem, as large herds of animals would heavily graze one area until very little vegetation was left. Today, many people would consider such an occurrence an act of overgrazing. Yet, many range scientists are finding that such large-scale disturbances were important in the cycle of life on the prairie. Today, pronghorn, elk, and deer are the only wild ungulates on the prairie and they exist in very small numbers in contrast with their historic populations. The absence of bison has been detrimental to the grassland ecosystem. They have been replaced by cattle, which are capable of mimicking natural ungulate patterns of grazing. However, in many cases cattle have been managed in a way that has caused severe damage to the grasslands and riparian habitat without the beneficial grazing patterns created by unfenced wild ungulates. A return to beneficial patterns of grazing is possible, but requires cooperation between ranchers and environmentalists. Demography of the Central Shortgrass Prairie A significant amount of the land in the Central Shortgrass Prairie ecoregion has been impacted by the sudden growth of cities along the Front Range. Many people often refer to this urban sprawl as a city that begins in Cheyenne [Wyoming] extends south through Denver and ends in Pueblo [Colorado]. The recent boom has been a result of Colorado's prosperous economy and beautiful location. The Denver area has emerged as one of the most important centers of trade and manufacturing in the nation and has evolved from an important economic market in the West to a modern trade center that directly participates in the global market. Such a change has occurred with advances in communication technology and the recent construction of the Denver International Airport. Today, many people argue that the Front Range is no longer a "colony of the east," as former Colorado governor Richard Lamm once claimed. It is clear that the Front Range will continue to grow as an economic center that will impact open space and have an increasing influence on the surrounding environment. In 1990, 82% of Colorado's population lived in an urban setting and 80% of this figure lived in cities along the Front Range. (Ubbelohde, Carl, Maxine Smith, and Duane Smith. A Colorado History, Pruett Publishing Company, Boulder, CO. Seventh Edition. 1995. Pg. 346.) El Paso County is a fine example of population growth in Colorado. Its population doubled from 70,194 in 1960 to 135,060 in 1970. In 1997, the county population was estimated to be 338,016. The Denver metro area has seen similar growth as its population has increased from one million people in 1963 to two million in 1993. (Ibid. Pg. 367) Such growth has put increasing pressure on the surrounding ecosystem. This growing population has sought out additional water resources and space for urban expansion. The ecological impact has been massive, as humans have constructed interstate highways, railroads, sprawling cities, and fences that have splintered this ecoregion into small parts that can no longer function as an ecoregion. As the population boom along the Front Range continues residents of the region are working to preserve many of the natural attributes that make the area so attractive to humans. The challenge as the twenty-first century begins is to reclaim and restore key dimensions of the natural habitat and make human communities sustainable, so they exist in harmony with nature. Achieving these objectives will require cooperation between landowners and various state agencies and citizen-run organizations to promote the social and ecological values of land preservation. Recently, the state of Colorado has worked to introduce its Smart Growth Initiative to an expanding number of communities and regions. The State Land Board's Stewardship Trust is a new initiative to preserve unique parts of the state's natural beauty. Zoning initiatives have been recently passed that are giving many people hope for the creation of more sustainable growth in the future. Colorado has also made use of revenues generated by the state lottery to purchase open space and preserve areas for public recreation. The Chico Basin The Nature Conservancy has chosen to focus on an area east of Colorado Springs called the Chico Basin as its major conservation project in the Central Shortgrass Ecoregion. The core of the basin is a 500,000-acre section of sandsage and shortgrass prairie that has been left relatively untouched by the recent population growth along the Front Range. The basin is located in southern part of El Paso County and extends into the northern portion of Pueblo County. Parts of the core area contain many of the components that a prairie ecosystem needs in order to function in a healthy manner. A large part of the Chico Basin has been used for ranching and farming for several generations. Such operations and sound land management have helped preserve the local biological diversity. The result of such responsible land use has been the preservation of one of the last intact grassland areas in the ecoregion. Within the 500,000-acre Chico Basin, the State Land Board owns approximately 117,000 acres that is mainly found on the 86,000-acre Chico Ranch and the 41,000-acre Bohart Ranch. These two important tracts of land are among the largest intact properties found along the Front Range. Of the Land Board's holdings in the Chico Basin, 50,000 acres spread over both ranches has been placed into the Land Board's Stewardship Trust, which is designed to manage land for both economic and ecological profits. Through the Land Board, the Nature Conservancy has been able to enter into a 25-year management lease on the Bohart Ranch that entails developing a conservation strategy for the land. TNC has determined that this area is in need of conservation efforts and is trying to work with other property owners in the Chico Basin to find ways to protect open space and produce sufficient economic profits. The Conservancy and other entities applied for a lease through the State Land Board similar to the one on the Bohart Ranch, but for the nearby Chico Basin Ranch. This particular lease was eventually awarded to Box T Partners LLC, a collective of local ranchers. Thus, the State Land Board is playing a significant role in the Chico Basin and working with both the TNC and Box T Partners to manage its lands in sustainable manner. Another significant landholder in the Chico Basin is the federal government. It's largest holding is used as a 'high-speed' testing facility. The Department of Transportation holds this property under a 99-year lease with the State Land Board. This land is used to test high-speed trains and other forms of experimental transportation. Directly south of this facility is the Pueblo Army Depot, which is rarely used today. There is some speculation that the land could be transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the future. History of the Chico Basin In the past two centuries, the Chico Basin has been inhabited by numerous Native Americans tribes, seen the rise and fall of Spanish domination in the region, been settled by white ranchers, and more recently seen an explosion in the area's human population. The land has been claimed, stolen, traded, sold, and abandoned numerous times. Land use has included hunting, agriculture, and aerospace technology research. Historic uses of the Chico Basin involved nomadic hunting by Native Americans. Taking advantage of the roaming herds of bison and other large mammals, periodic hunting parties moved through the region, living in harmony with the short grass prairie and its native fauna and flora. The pattern of grazing and migration of animals during the time established a benchmark for the health and rejuvenation of the ecoregion. It is the preservation of this benchmark health of the ecoregion that is the primary goal of TNC's efforts at conservation management in the area. Ranching history in the basin dates back to 1833 with the arrival of the first white settler, Jimmy Hayes. Hayes started a trading post 10 miles east of present day Colorado Springs at Jimmy Camp Creek. He was soon killed by a small group of Mexican bandits who were later killed by his local Indian friends. Hayes's time in the region may have been brief, but his arrival marked the beginning of white settlement in the Pike's Peak region. The Homestead Act of 1862 brought a significant increase in the number of white settlers in the region. Yet, such homesteaders did not stay for any real length of time in the region, and small parcels of land were shifted from one owner to another on a regular basis. Stability of land tenure would not come until actual cattle companies consolidated these smaller operations into larger, more profitable ranches. Yet even the ranching companies failed to bring stability, for such businesses did not bring true promise to the land, and their eastern investors lost interest. Long-term stability would require local ownership and some sort of business skills on the ranchers' behalves. As in the case of the Chico Basin area, it was families like the Boharts that were able to establish profitable operations that would last for decades. At the close of the twentieth century, such family operations themselves are being threatened by poor beef prices and the rising costs associated with staying in business. It is also very difficult to maintain ranches and keep them in the family as younger generations are finding alternative job opportunities elsewhere. In addition to these problems, ranch families are discovering the potential wealth to be obtained from subdividing their land as well as the difficulties of keeping ranches as older members of the family pass away and estate taxes threaten to overwhelm those inheriting the land. Real estate subdivision plans often make life easier for ranching families but cause land fragmentation and ecological damage. The future of ranching is currently unknown and there are fewer incentives for ranchers to stay in business and keep their land as part of the functioning ecosystem. History of the Bohart Ranch Field Bohart, Sr., settled in Colorado in the 1890's and quickly began acquiring ranches in the Chico Basin. The 45,000-acre Bohart Ranch was officially incorporated in 1914 and consisted of the consolidation of the Hamlick, Love, and Crow's Roost Ranches. These smaller ranches were all established prior to Bohart's arrival in the Pike's Peak Region.

For example, Isaac Milner founded the Love Ranch in 1886 and the land changed hands a number of times before Charles Love acquired it in 1890.

The Bohart ranch would stay in the family for three generations until they became interested in putting the land into a conservation easement in 1993.

In 1997, they agreed on a land exchange with the Colorado State Land Board.

In 1998, the Nature Conservancy acquired control of the ranch through a lease from the State Land Board and appointed Dick Tanner to sublease the ranch operations.

Of the two ranches in the Chico Basin owned by the State Land Board, the Bohart is considered to be in the better ecological condition because of its three generations of family ownership and sound land management.

Bohart Ranch Timeline

YEAR EVENT 1890 Charles Love buys land that becomes the Love Ranch 1898 Colorado Springs Livestock Co. sells Crow's Roost ranch to Alfalfa Land and Cattle 1903 Bohart buys the Hamlick Ranch 1903 Weaver-Bond buys Crow's Roost Ranch from Alfalfa Land and Cattle 1909 Cox Family buys Love Ranch from Charles Love 1912 Bohart buys the Love Ranch 1914 Bohart buys the Crow's Roost Ranch 1914 Field Bohart, Sr., incorporates the Bohart Ranch 1919 Field Bohart buys the Steel Fork Ranch and sells it in the 1930's 10/13 1934 Field Bohart, Sr., Dies 1872-1934 1970 Field "Mike" Bohart acquires ranch operations 7/17 1974 Field Bohart, Jr., Dies 1910-1974 1998 The Nature Conservancy assists State Land Board in acquiring ranch and receives a 25-year lease. 1999 TNC management plan begins

Chico Basin Ranch (formerly the Box T) Like the Bohart property, this ranch is the result of the consolidation of a number of smaller ranches. The oldest part of the Chico Basin Ranch is the Degraff Ranch, which was eventually combined with the Rose Ranch. In 1914, two investors named Drinkard and Emmert combined the Rose and Degraff operation with the Skinner and Tabor sheep ranch. Eventually, the two investors added the Toll Ranch and the Holmes Ranch to their operation that was considered one of the largest in Colorado. The land was managed under their ownership until 1945 when the ranch was sold to former Texas cattleman, Oscar Appelt. In 1954, Mr. Appelt passed away and the land was sold to the Arizona Cattle Company. The economic boom in Colorado Springs during the 1970's and 80's brought new hope to this land, and several investors saw the potential for economic gains made from development. In 1981, Arizona Cattle sold the ranch as the "Box T" to Nevis Industries of California for a reported $10.5 million. Nevis Industries then sold the ranch to the Vaux Corporation of Colorado Springs. Vaux saw the land as an important investment due to its location on the Front Range and the ranch's numerous water sources. Vaux soon announced the plan to construct a futuristic city that would be home to as many as 100,000 workers and researchers involved in the aerospace industry. At one point in time, Vaux called for the construction of a "space port" and the launch/recovery center for the NASA space shuttle. Yet, such plans fell through, as Vaux Corp. became involved in a lawsuit filed by the former owner, Nevis Industries. The case charged Vaux with a breach of contract and fraud. This lawsuit and Pueblo County's failure to approve the Vaux development plan proved to be detrimental to the company's plans. Key Investment, a Denver based S&L, took over the ranch ownership as the dispute between Vaux and Nevis continued. Eventually, the ownership was transferred to the Bank of the West when the court ordered a public auction of the ranch after Vaux defaulted on a promissory note in 1984. The following year, Vaux filed a lawsuit to block foreclosure on the ranch, but the company's suit failed. In 1986, Cogan Corporation, a Canadian land development company, acquired the ranch with development in mind. Again, such plans would fall short and the ownership was transferred to the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, which sold the 86,000-acre ranch to the Colorado State Land Board in 1994. The Land Board then temporarily leased the land to a group of local ranchers known as the Chico Basin Ranch Management Co. In 1998, the State Land Board placed a large portion of the ranch under its Stewardship Trust program. Along with this move came the decision to find a qualified rancher or organization to lease and manage all 86,000 acres within the ranch that was designated for public stewardship. This process to find a qualified entity was known as a Request For Ranch Management Proposal -- or RFMP -- by the Land Board. In 1999, the State Land Board named Box T Partners LLC as the ranch manager for the next 25 years. Chico Basin Ranch Timeline YEAR EVENT 1871 Degraff Ranch is incorporated as a sheep ranch and later sold to Rose Family 1878 Skinner and Tabor Sheep Ranch is incorporated 1914 Drinkard and Emmert buy the Rose Ranch 1914 Skinner and Tabor Sheep Ranch is sold to Drinkard and Emmert 1945 Drinkard and Emmert sell ranch holdings to Oscar Appelt 1954 Appelt family sells ranch to Arizona Cattle Co. 1981 AZ Cattle Co. sells Box T sold to Nevis Industries of California 3/17 1983 Ranch sold to Vaux Corp. (Colo. Springs) 1/6 1984 Key Savings, a Denver based S&L, buys Box T 10/24 1984 Vaux faces 2nd foreclosure on Box T 12/1 1984 Court orders public auction of portions of the ranch after Vaux defaults on promissory note 12/15 1985 Vaux files lawsuit to block foreclosure of the ranch 8/1 1986 Cogan Corp. of Canada buys ranch from Bank of the West 12/10 1993 State Land Board begins acquiring parts of the ranch from John Hancock Mutual Life 1994 Chico Basin Ranch Management Co. begins ranch lease through the State Land Board 3/1 1998 Land Board places the ranch in the Stewardship Trust 1999 Request For Ranch Management Proposal is due at the State Land Board office.

Conservation Efforts in the Chico Basin Preservation of portions of the Chico Basin ecosystem will be split between several entities. Property owned by the State Land Board will be managed under lease arrangements. Other property will be managed by private entities, possibly in cooperation with lessee groups involved with State land. The Land Board will lease its properties to groups such as the Nature Conservancy who will, in turn, manage the property. Conservation efforts will include mapping the watershed and the land's natural resources, scientific analysis of the flora and fauna, and the continued use of rotational grazing techniques. In addition to the Nature Conservancy's actions in the Basin, the Colorado State University has conducted graduate level research on the Chico Basin Ranch and could be a possible recipient of the State Land Board's lease of the Chico Basin Ranch. The new management plans for the State Land Board's property will most likely include dividing the land into numerous pastures, and livestock will be rotated throughout this system. Range scientist Alan Savory has developed this method of rotational grazing, or Holistic Resource Management (HRM). HRM is based on both scientific and historical studies that suggest that ungulates have played an important role in grassland ecosystems all over the world. If livestock is managed to mimic such natural occurrences, it can have a beneficial impact on the land and biodiversity. Ranchers all over the West are finding the importance of Savory's work because his HRM model often allows people to increase the number of livestock on their land and maintain a healthy ecosystem that is valued by all. This management moves ranchers back to the idea that ranching is more about growing grass than merely raising cattle. It is a much broader approach to the livestock industry that is typically accepted by both ranchers and environmentalists. Yet, there is still a lot of dispute over HRM, and many conservation scientists see the construction of complicated fencing systems as producing more harm than good. On the Bohart Ranch, the Nature Conservancy has not determined if HRM is the best grazing model for the land. On the other hand, many species rely on heavy grazing and their populations could be altered if grazing were minimized on certain parts of the prairie. The grazing debate is a complicated one and it is clear there is a need for different models because of the variety of different ecosystems found throughout the American West. Conservation plans also include inventories of species and natural resources on the land. The Nature Conservancy and the Colorado Natural Heritage Program have already identified the key systems on the Bohart Ranch and produced lists of possible threats to such areas. Such threats include alien plant species, depletion of ground water, and habitat destruction. On the Chico Basin Ranch, graduate students from the Colorado State University have conducted a series of studies on the ranch and identified immediate threats to the land. These studies and inventories have found the land to be overgrazed and in need of the recovery of native grasses. On the Bohart Ranch, TNC is developing programs to manage weeds and to possibly reintroduce fire as a natural occurrence on the landscape. Yet, the Conservancy must also work to develop an acceptable form of enterprise to generate economic profits. Many options are being considered including natural beef production, a hunting program, a guest ranch and conference center, and other methods of producing revenue with a minimal impact on the environment. Such business ventures will require innovation and wise decision-making. Thus, the Nature Conservancy is not only responsible for creating a conservation program for its land and the surrounding areas -- it must also develop a sustainable way to produce profits that can serve as a model for the Basin and the ecoregion as a whole. One of the most important actions to preserve the land will be to develop a local interest in conservation. Positive coalitions at the local level will be one of the best ways to ensure stability in the Chico Basin. The Nature Conservancy has seen the need for local discussion and evaluation of conservation efforts and has included the creation of such groups in its strategic plan. Recreation and education is another way to increase public awareness of conservation efforts in the Chico Basin. This will bring students and adults alike onto the land and allow them to experience the natural beauty through non-motorized use. The combination of recreation and education can help people in the community see the importance of conserving open space, the grassland ecosystem, and the local economy. Present Status of Conservation on the Bohart Ranch The Nature Conservancy has started a community based conservation program that involves the lease of this ranch from the State Land Board. The TNC leases this land from the Land Board and manages it according to a management plan developed with local residents that will be approved by the State Land Board. The ranching operation is subleased to Dike Tanner who plays a crucial role in the conservation effort by managing the land and livestock in a way that yields economic profits and conserves biodiversity. A local advisory committee, established to ensure local participation, will oversee Tanner's actions on the ranch. The TNC and its advisory committee plan to develop a series of education and recreation programs that introduce people to the land and help them understand the need for conservation. It is important to realize that the Conservancy is not just planning to work within the Bohart Ranch, as it hopes to work with other property owners in the surrounding watershed to design plans to produce both economic and ecological profits. TNC's holding in the Basin will serve as a demonstration platform. It hopes to help interested ranchers obtain conservation easements and also start a grazing association for the area that will bring everyone to the table to discuss important issues. The Conservancy's effort and high standards are a model for conservation in the Chico Basin and is setting a new standard for the management of the State Land Board's Stewardship lands. Present Status of Conservation on the Chico Ranch On October 31, 1999 Box T Partners LLC [Limited Liability Corporation] assumed control of the Chico Basin Ranch through a 25-year lease with the State Land Board. The LLC has named local rancher Duke Philips to be ranch manager. Philips has managed the neighboring Lasater Ranch that produces free-range natural beef. Box T Partners worked closely with outside partners such as the Colorado Bird Observatory, National Audubon Society, Hanover School, Alan Carpenter and Kirk Gadzia to develop strategies to manage the land and a profitable working ranch. The group will have to meet the following criteria set by the Land Board's Strategic Plan. Produce a reasonable and consistent income over time for both the Trust and the facilities management.

Ensure local participation in collective management of the Chico Basin.

Ensure a strong balance between agriculture and the persistence of biodiversity and the ecosystem that supports it. Provide/develop kindergarten-to-adult educational opportunities, with special emphasis on K-12th grade education. Help preserve and reflect a regional/traditional lifestyle and implement management practices that compliment historical and traditional land uses.

Actors in the Chico Basin The Colorado State Land Board The Colorado State Land Board manages 3 million surface acres that were given to the state by the federal government in 1876. The board's main goal has been to maximize the economic returns from its lands through a variety of practices of natural resource extraction. This strategy proved to be beneficial to the State School Trust, the Land Board's main beneficiary. Yet, many people have more recently argued that the Land Board should not only work to create sustainable profits that could be enjoyed by the school children of the future -- but also preserve and protect unique portions of Colorado state land holdings. In 1996, Colorado voters passed Amendment 16 to alter the State Land Board's mission to include the preservation of natural ecosystems in the state. As a result of the Amendment, the State Land Board [SLB] started the Stewardship Trust Program to encourage land management that is capable of sustaining profits and natural beauty over time. Eventually, the Trust will include 300,000 acres of the Land Board's land that will be managed for the long-term benefit of the land board's trust beneficiaries. The SLB has and advisory committee that includes 20 representatives from numerous state agencies and private organizations. It is important to note that the Stewardship Trust is not an open space movement and still looks to find ways to generate profits from the land. The main alteration to the SLB's policy is that it will work to reward state land users who practice responsible land use. Thus, sustainable economic practices will be supported as ways to provide long-term economic benefits and protection of the state's natural beauty. It is important to note that the Land Board can vote to remove parcels of land in the Stewardship Trust. After such a vote, the lessee has one year before the land is sold. In other words, the SLB may determine that conservation is not producing enough profits and that alternative development would be in the people of Colorado's best interest. Then, the land would come out of the trust and be transferred to different hands. Applied to the Chico Basin, it is important to understand that 25-year contracts between the SLB and the Nature Conservancy and/or Box T Partners LLC can come to a sudden end -- if the Board decides to remove specific lands from the Stewardship Trust -- which must then be replaced by other state lands to maintain the total of Stewardship lands at 300,000 acres. The Colorado Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is an international non-profit organization that is responsible for the world's largest system of private sanctuaries and is committed to the preservation of rare species. The organization focuses on acquiring and/or managing land that is home to rare or endangered species and communities. In the Rocky Mountain West, the Conservancy has played a crucial role in preserving large areas of land as working ranches. TNC has used a strategy that begins with acquiring land and then developing local partnerships with residents and public agencies to create an interest in conservation that is community-based. The Conservancy has an international system of what it calls "ecoregions" that are determined by biological rather than political boundaries. The state of Colorado contains portions of six ecoregions, which each have unique conservation plans. The Bohart Ranch is currently the organization's only property found within the Central Shortgrass Ecoregion. Colorado State University

CSU's primary interest in the Basin has been on the Chico Basin Ranch. Students in CSU's range science graduate program have previously conducted research and published their results and recommendations for the land. Such studies have recommended a variety of action plans that include decreasing the number of cattle being grazed and a shift to an HRM [Holistic Resource Management] model. Residents of the Chico Basin

The Nature Conservancy and the State Land Board are now providing outside funding to help the residents develop new types of long-term plans.

Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph Colorado Springs Sun

Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph Rocky Mountain News The Pueblo Chieftain The Denver Post http://www.lasatergrasslandsbeef.com http://www.holisticmanagement.org/  http://www.coloradocollege.edu/Dept/EC/Faculty/Hecox/StudentResearch/SBryan/FullText_PAGE.htm