Douglas Land Conservancy

Posted by: DLC | May 2, 2012

Natural Douglas County Photography Contest

The Douglas Land Conservancy is accepting photographs to be selected for the 2012 Natural Douglas County note cards. Landscapes, wildlife or any other natural feature of Douglas County are eligible as subjects for the contest. We hope to receive photographs from across Douglas County, showing a variety of seasons and subjects.

The Natural Douglas County note cards are high quality color cards sold as a fund-raiser for the non-profit Douglas Land Conservancy. Select photographs may be enlarged, matted, framed and auctioned at an event as a fundraiser for DLC. Photographers will receive acknowledgement for any use of their work. Photographs and photographers will also be recognized at an upcoming event

We ask that all entries include the photographer’s name and contact information as well as information regarding the subject of the photograph. Digital forms are accepted by either e-mail or by mail on a flash drive or cd. Digital pictures must be saved in a resolution suitable for quality printing.

A release form is required with submitted photos.

Please e-mail or mail entries to:

Michael@DouglasLandConservancy.org
Douglas Land Conservancy
Natural Douglas County Photo Contest
P.O. Box 462
Castle Rock, CO 80104
(303) 688-8025

This contest is open to all amateur and professional photographers, please pass this information on to anyone you think might be interested in entering the contest.

Deadline for entries is June 15, 2012

Join Us for the Fourth Annual JA Ranch Sunset Dinner

Save the Date!!!!

A Unique Property, A Unique Opportunity

You Are Invited

J.A. Ranch – Photo by Carolyn Jones

Douglas Land Conservancy invites you to

the 4th Annual Sunset Dinner

At the Historic J.A. Ranch

Larkspur, Colorado

Please join us Saturday, August 25, 2012 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for a sunset dinner and fundraiser at the majestic J.A. Ranch.

Purchase JA Event Tickets:

One Ticket ($75)

Two Tickets ($150)

Three Tickets ($225)

Four Tickets ($300)

Or, RSVP to: pattihostetler@douglaslandconservancy.org or call (303) 688-8025

Casual Western attire preferred.

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Posted by: DLC | March 3, 2012

DLC Applies for National Accreditation through Land Trust Alliance

DLC’s Board decided last summer to move forward with an accreditation application to the Land Trust Alliance. The LTA is recognized as the national organization that leads the land conservation movement. A few years ago it began an accreditation process that is very rigorous and measures the soundness of organizations and requires those organizations to follow a set of standards and practices that will ensure excellence.

Being accredited by LTA means that your land trust is recognized as a land trust whose operations are highly professional and ethical. It also provides benefits to prospective easement donors who can be assured their easements will be completed according to all the required rules and regulations and will stand examination by state and federal authorities in regards to taxable donations and other tax benefits.

Given the new regulations land trusts in Colorado now must comply with, and the heightened scrutiny of land conservation easements, the DLC board decided early in 2011 to seek LTA accreditation.

Many board and committee meetings were held over the last nine months and Patti and an assistant put in many hours to prepare the pre-application. That pre-application has been filed and DLC is waiting to hear whether it has been accepted. We are confident that it will be accepted, and then the application process begins.

Part of that process is public comment. The LTA accreditation committee would like to hear from the public in our service area. That means comments from our members, landowners we work with, and entities that are our partners in conservation efforts.

The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. As part of the application process, a public comment period is now open.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the LTA, conducts an extensive review of each applicant’s policies and programs.

The Commission invites public input and accepts written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how DLC complies with national quality standards.

These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards see http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/tips-and-tools/indicator-practices.

To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit, http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/component/content/article/289.

We invite any of our supporters, or any of the public at large, to provide comments to the accreditation commission.

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Posted in Events

Posted by: DLC | March 2, 2012

DLC Accepts a Conservation Easement on 1,224 acres to Permanently Protect Hidden Mesa Open Space

On December 20, 2011, Douglas Land Conservancy accepted the donation of a conservation easement from Douglas County on 1,224 acres know as Hidden Mesa buffering Castle Rock and Franktown.

Douglas County manages and owns the 642 acres of land north of Hwy. 86. This adjoins 582 acres of open space one mile north of Franktown, previously referred to as “The Grange” (not to be confused with the Pikes Peak Grange building.) This combined 1224-acre parcel is now referred to as Hidden Mesa Open Space.

The land provides a natural community buffer between Castle Rock and Franktown, as well as maintains largely undisturbed native habitats.

Hidden Mesa consists of grasslands, shrub lands, forested areas, meadows, wetland ponds, and a riparian area along Cherry Creek. It is populated with coyote, pronghorn, prairie dogs, elk, mule deer, as well as raptors and other bird species.

Douglas County’s Hidden Mesa Open Space opened several miles of trails and a trail head on June 10, 2006. This will also provide access to the Cherry Creek Trail which bisects the property.

The trail head is located one mile north of Franktown on the west side of Hwy. 83 (Parker Road) for hikers, bicyclists, and horseback riders.

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Posted by: DLC | March 2, 2012

Douglas Land Conservancy Accepts Conservation Easement on Historic Abbe Ranch

In 2011 Douglas Land Conservancy accepted the donation of a conservation easement on 198 acres in southwestern Douglas County known as the historic Abbe Ranch.

The property is currently owned by Richard and Susan Farmer who, with the help from a grant from Douglas County, donated a conservation easement on the ranch.

The Abbe Ranch was the only home of James and Polly Abbe. James Abbe was a well know photographer, having photographed many stars of the silent screen. He also covered the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1937, opposite Ernest Hemmingway. He was the first Western photographer to photograph Stalin.

The children, Patience, Richard, and John wrote three books and were famous in their own right. The Abbes purchased the land and constructed the home with the proceeds of the children’s books. The ranch House was completed in 1938.