Palmer Land Trust
A Brief History

In 1977, long before traffic congestion and urban sprawl animated conversations along the Front Range, a group of people concerned about threats to significant, local landscapes founded a public, non-profit land trust, The William J. Palmer Parks Foundation. Known today as The Palmer Land Trust, this organization continues to preserve lands with natural, scenic, historic, agricultural, open space, or recreational value. The Land Trust's first project involved a donation of 37 acres from Al and Margaret Hill. In addition to buffering the Garden of the Gods Park from adjacent development, the land featured a historic stone bridge along the old stage road to Monument. After restoring Blair Bridge with public support and additional help from the Hills, the Land Trust conveyed the land to the Colorado Springs Parks Department. It now serves hikers, joggers, and bicyclists as part of an expanded network of public trails.

Another early project gave permanent ownership of property to the Land Trust. On the westside of town, twenty neighbors off Mesa Road bordered an undeveloped valley. Not wanting to lose the wildlife and native habitat values of the property, they collectively purchased the land and gave it to The Palmer Land Trust with mutually agreed upon controls to insure its preservation in perpetuity. Shortly thereafter, responding to concerns about the visual impacts of building on platted lots above the Garden of the Gods, the Land Trust raised money and purchased a critical ridgeline parcel to retire its development rights.

These early land preservation initiatives occurred in a population context of 250,000 residents in the Colorado Springs area. At the turn of the millennium, half a million people now live here, and by 2010 planners expect 600,000 inhabitants. The resulting land use pressures on open space, wildlife habitat, agricultural, and family lands have challenged the Palmer Land Trust to expand its services, develop additional land conservation tools, and forge ties with new partners.

The Land Trust recorded its first private conservation easement in 1985 on a working ranch in the Black Forest. That project has protected 1,050 acres from development and enabled other property owners in the area to see how this land management tool might meet their needs. Since finalizing that easement, an additional 1,830 acres of land have been conserved by this means in the Black Forest.

In addition to working with private landowners in Southeastern Colorado, The Palmer Land Trust has undertaken several public land projects. Property purchased by public agencies with Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund monies must presently have the added oversight protection of a conservation easement held by an authorized land trust. To date, the Land Trust has participated in five projects with the City of Colorado Springs. The Land Trust has similar partnerships with Manitou Springs, Teller County and El Paso County.

Residents in neighboring counties without locally organized land trusts have contacted the Palmer Land Trust and prompted the expansion of our service area to encompass Southeastern Colorado. As the need for diverse, individually tailored, private and public land conservation options expands, The Palmer Land Trust has responded with innovative approaches and engaged new partners to assist landowners interested in the preservation or disposition of real property. Currently the Land Trust holds conservation easements on over 60,000 acres.