Tolland Ranch Project

About the Program

Category: Parks and Recreation (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

The result of the Tolland Ranch Program is a conservation easement which protects 3,334 acres of land lying adjacent to U.S. Forest Service lands in Boulder and Gilpin counties. The easement protects the Ranch’s natural and cultural resources, including the upper reaches of the Middle and South Boulder Creek. The Colorado State Forest Service and the non-profit Great Outdoors Colorado provided significant funding, and Boulder County’s contribution bridged the final gap to complete this 10-year project. The project was started with The Conservation Fund, a national land conservation organization, which negotiated the easement purchase with the Toll family. Boulder County also obtained a trail easement to provide a recreational connection for hikers, mountain bikers, Nordic skiers, and equestrians between the U.S. Forest Service’s West Magnolia recreation area south of Nederland with the Jenny Creek recreation area that lies adjacent to the Indian Peaks and James Peak Wilderness Areas. The Tolland Ranch project is one of many exemplary projects the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department has completed in its 40-year history to protect the open spaces for residents and visitors alike to enjoy. With the completion of the Tolland Ranch project in January 2015, Boulder County was able to surpass an important milestone of protecting more than 100,000 total acres of open space.