HomeMy WebLinkAboutReport - Mail Packet - 1/17/2023 - Memorandum From Tawnya Ernst Re: Natural Areas Department – 2022 End Of Year Land Conservation Annual Report
1745 Hoffman Mill Road
PO Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580
TAWNYA ERNST / Land Conservation Lead Specialist
Natural Areas Department
970-416-2245 /P
ternst@fcgov.com /E
City of Fort Collins Natural Areas
MEMORANDUM
Date: January 6, 2023
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
Dean Klingner, Interim Community Services Director
Katie Donahue, Natural Areas Director
Julia Feder, Environmental Planning Manager
From: Tawnya Ernst, Land Conservation Lead Specialist
Subject: Natural Areas Department – 2022 End of Year Land Conservation Annual Report
Please see the attached report and let us know if you have any questions.
Attachments
- 2022 End of Year Land Conservation Annual Report
DocuSign Envelope ID: 3DCAF09B-FADD-484F-88F1-AA8E6C97A685
2022 End of Year Land Conservation Annual Report
Laramie Foothills Partnership:
Great Outdoors Colorado awarded a grant to Larimer County Department of Natural Resources and Fort
Collins to help conserve pristine wildlife habitat in the Laramie Foothills wildlife corridor near Red
Mountain Open Space and Soapstone Prairie Natural Area. Since 2020 more than 3,000 acres
encompassing four acquisitions were conserved by this partnership. The County also acquired a
conservation easement on a 428-acre ranch with financial support from the City and GOCO.
Buckhorn Addition:
414 acres adjacent to Bobcat Ridge was purchased in partnership with Larimer County Department of
Natural Resources. This acquisition was the first of a two-part 675-acre total acquisition with the last
part closing right after the new year. This property has been a high priority for Natural Areas to protect
an important wildlife corridor in the area that is vital habitat for elk, mule deer, moose, black bear, and
turkey.
Dry Creek:
Two additional acquisitions to the Dry Creek corridor in 2022, totaling 10.3 acres, complete the latest
round of purchases in this area which will now move to our onboarding process in 2023. This new
natural area (Dry Creek Natural Area) is in the northwest quadrant of the Fort Collins Growth
Management Area and has long been identified as a priority for wildlife values, a potential trail corridor,
and providing access to nature for a currently underserved section of the community. The Natural Area
currently totals 47.3 acres.
Heaven’s Door:
Another partnership with Larimer County Department of Natural Resources helped conserve a 1,547-
acre ranch due west of Loveland. The property offers an abundance of wildlife habitat with numerous
natural springs and is adjacent to State Land Board and USFS lands, which adds to the contiguous
landscape to promote wildlife movement.
Northwest Fort Collins Addition:
17 acres of land was acquired adjacent to Puente Verde Natural Area, securing additional habitat for
wildlife as well as an opportunity for Utilities to construct a detention pond in conjunction with the West
Vine Basin Outfall project. This acquisition also has the potential to provide a trail connection from Vine
Street to Laporte Avenue, and two acres may be set aside for affordable housing to be developed in
partnership with the Social Sustainability/Land Bank Program.
The Snapshot.
6 Acquisitions 2,415 Acres
DocuSign Envelope ID: 3DCAF09B-FADD-484F-88F1-AA8E6C97A685