The Pyatt family’s commitment to conserving multiple parcels of land benefits the area’s agricultural community and wildlife habitat.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Karina Puikkonen, karina@ccalt.org, 720.557.8277

June 30, 2024

SIMLA, Colo.- Today, the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust announced the completion of a new conservation easement with the Pyatt family that conserves 6,492 acres on the Shepherd Hill Land and Livestock Ranch that includes land in Elbert, El Paso, and Lincoln Counties. Brothers Pete and Jeff Pyatt have committed to protecting lands that maintain their agricultural operation and support wildlife in large numbers.

“We are proud to partner with Pete and Jeff Pyatt to conserve the Shepherd Hill Land and Livestock Ranch and ensure the permanent protection of an extensive network of shortgrass prairie that supports cattle grazing and critical wildlife habitat,” said CCALT Project Manager Monica Garcia. “The Pyatts’ passion for agriculture and continued dedication to conservation has made this conservation easement possible.”

The Shepherd Hill Land and Livestock Ranch conservation easement includes 3200-, 640-, and 2600-acre parcels of land located an hour east of Denver and Colorado Springs from which urban and suburban development continue to expand eastward. The parcels between Agate and Truckton are separated by public lands managed by the Colorado State Land Board and other private ranchlands. The lands in the conservation easement provide stunning views of Pikes Peak, rolling hills, and prairie.

“As the front range continues its expansion eastward, preserving our region’s shortgrass prairies becomes ever more important,” said Pete and Jeff Pyatt. “This conservation easement ensures that those pristine grasslands are preserved for us, our kids, and future generations.”

Shortgrass prairie encompasses 99.7% of the land on Shepherd Hill Land and Livestock Ranch. The Pyatts use the ranch for cattle grazing, and well-fed stock tanks that are wind and solar powered provide drinking water for livestock. Conserving this open prairie extends wildlife habitat connectivity and supports the movement of big-game species along a busy Interstate 70 highway corridor. The lands within the easement also lie along the Central Migratory Flyway where over half of North America’s waterfowl fly between the Gulf of Mexico and the Western plains and Rocky Mountains.

“We’re thrilled to support Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust and their partnership with the Pyatt Family,” said Hannah George, Keep It Colorado’s program manager. “The grant review committee saw a lot of compelling project applications come in, and the Shepherd Hill project stood out to us as an important opportunity for landscape-scale conservation. Projects like this are key to advancing climate and agricultural resiliency in Colorado. We’re grateful that conservation-minded landowners chose to conserve this land in perpetuity.”

The Pyatt family has had a long presence in the area’s ranching community, and already displayed a commitment to conservation by conserving 2,200 acres on Pyatt Ranch with CCALT in 2023. This new 2024 easement contributes to more than 22,000 acres of conserved properties held by CCALT within five miles of Shepherd Hill Land and Livestock Ranch lands. The Pyatt’s intent for the future of these properties is to maintain the natural habitat through appropriate management and stewardship to protect and conserve agricultural and conservation values.

The Nature Conservancy and Keep It Colorado’s Transaction Cost Assistance Program provided transaction cost assistance for this easement.

About the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust
The Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) is a nonprofit land conservation organization whose mission is to “…conserve Colorado’s western heritage and working landscapes for the benefit of future generations.” To date, CCALT has worked with over 400 families to conserve more than 789,000 acres of land forever.

About The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, TNC creates innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. TNC is tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. To learn more, visit: nature.org/Colorado

About Keep it Colorado
KIC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to uniting, elevating and empowering Colorado’s conservation community to protect the lands and waters that define our state.