Mountain Island Ranch (vertical)

Acreage: 3000
Location: Grand County
Date Completed: 1999

Description: This Ranch is the only private inholding in an area known as the Dolores Triangle. In partnership with the Mesa County Land Conservancy of Colorado, is forever safeguarded from development. The Ranch maintains a healthy cattle and buffalo heard, and also holds grazing leases on roughly 100,000 acres of BLM ground. The landowner's intent is to maintain the property as a working ranch, protecting its historical and cultural ranching heritage while preserving its critical wildlife habitat, including one of the state's only four known Bald Eagle nesting sites, a heron rookery, and sensitive riparian areas that are home to the endangered humpback chub, Colorado Squawfish, and Razorback and Bony-tales chubs. Utah Open Lands' preservation of the Mountain Island Ranch stands as a beacon to other landowners to the value of conservation.