Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust celebrates its 30th anniversary of service in 2025

March 18, 2025

The year was 1995.

A loaf of bread cost .89 cents.

The average price for a gallon of gas in America was $1.15.

Alan Jackson’s hit single, “Gone Country”, topped the Billboard music charts.

And, the population of Colorado surpassed the 3.7 million mark – an increase of almost 20 percent in just 10 years and a trend that has continued well into the start of the 21st Century.

In that same year, a group of visionary leaders from the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) came together to establish a first-of-its-kind conservation organization that would partner with farm and ranch families to help them conserve Colorado’s Western heritage and working landscapes for the benefit of future generations.  In March of 1995, the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) began operations, becoming the first land trust in America to be formed by a state livestock association. 

In the three decades since, land trusts from California to Texas, and almost everywhere in between, have been established following a model similar to that of CCALT.  But Colorado was the first and, in 2025, CCALT is proudly celebrating its 30th Anniversary of Service.

Stacy Kourlis Guillon
CCALT PRESIDENT

“The concept the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association boldly pioneered thirty years ago changed the face of agricultural conservation nationwide.  Thanks to the staff, Board, landowners, and partners, CCALT has fulfilled the vision for a land trust that truly understands agricultural operations and can be trusted to support them in perpetuity. As we look forward, we challenge ourselves to develop innovative ways to continue to advance agricultural conservation in our changing world.” – CCALT President Stacy Kourlis Guillon.

Erik L. Glenn
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“For 30 years, CCALT has been dedicated to conserving Colorado’s working lands, but our focus has always been on more than just conserving the resources — we have and always will be focused on making conservation work for people. Conservation is about relationships, trust, and ensuring that ranching families have the tools to pass their operations on to the next generation.” – CCALT Executive Director Erik L. Glenn.

In the three decades since its founding, operating in a spirit of partnership, a commitment to conservation and embracing innovation, CCALT has become one of the most respected land trusts in America.  The acreage, while impressive, tells only a small part of the story: more than 805,000 acres of farmland, ranchland, wildlife habitat and open spaces that, thanks to voluntary conservation measures, will remain Forever Colorado.

Of greater significance are the stories of the more than 400 families who have partnered with CCALT to safeguard and steward the land while contributing to Colorado’s thriving agriculture industry, which generates around $47 billion annually in economic activity and is one of the largest employers in the state.

Whether through the recent introduction of innovative services in areas such as additive conservation and agriculture resiliency that provide additional support to landowners in their stewardship, or the merger with the Yampa Valley Land Trust in 2019, CCALT continues to lead the way as a trusted voice for agriculture and conservation in Colorado and beyond.

To commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Service, CCALT has a series of special activities planned for the spring and summer of 2025, including:

  • Introduction of a new 30th Anniversary logo
  • A special content series celebrating the leaders who built CCALT and the moments that define working lands conservation in Colorado
  • Outreach and engagement programming, bringing the story of agriculture and working lands conservation to more families across the Centennial State
  • And, the Forever Colorado BBQ, set for August 9 at the Dakan Ranch in Sedalia, site of the first-ever Forever Colorado BBQ in 2008
A Few “Firsts” Worth Noting

First Board President:
Tom Compton

First Conservation Easement:
Centennial Ranch
Ouray County

Look for more updates on CCALT’s 30 Anniversary during the coming months, including ways by which you can participate in celebrating this special anniversary.