LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — A 1,573-acre ranch will soon become open space in Larimer County.
The Larimer County Department of Natural Resources is under contract to buy the Heaven’s Door Ranch for $9 million. The property is located at the mouth of the Big Thompson Canyon along Highway 34.
"We fully intend this property to join the ranks as one of the crown jewels of the incredible open space system in northern Colorado, protecting significant resource values and providing future public access," said Daylan Figgs, the director at Larimer County Natural Resources. “Today is an important milestone in that effort.”
The ranch is located within the Blue Mountain Priority Conservation Area of Larimer County’s Open Lands Master Plan, which was developed with the help of public input. The department said the property will provide a “significant buffer” to already conserved lands and will offer “excellent wildlife habitat,” including grasslands, foothills, shrublands, lower montane forest and natural springs.
As part of the $9 million purchase, the department said the county plans to divest 150 acres of the ranch that aren’t compatible with open space objectives. The money from that will then be used to leverage other open space acquisition efforts in Larimer County.
Funding from citizen ballot initiatives, including the Help Preserve Open Space sales tax revenues, and user fees made the purchase possible.
One an intergovernmental agreement reaches final approval, the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department and City of Loveland Natural Areas Program will also provide partnership funds and co-hold the conservation easement on the property.
The county will close on the property purchase later this year, at which time Larimer County staff will conduct resource inventories and site evaluations. Future management planning will include community input to inform public access.
Once official, the Heaven’s Door Ranch purchase will bring Larimer County to 56,500 acres of conserved land.