With the conservation easement, it is Tim and Pam’s intention to conserve the agricultural productivity of the property, continue current and future ranching activities, and safeguard the conservation values of open space and relatively natural habitat that support a wide variety of wildlife and plant communities.

“The Home Place has been in my family since 1951,” said Tim Wiliams. “Being raised on this ranch since one year old, preserving the ranch is very important to me. As land all around us is being sold and split off to developers, it instilled our already strong vision to keep our land looking as it did 74 years ago. Making sure this land I grew up on is available to the next generation of ranchers brings us so much joy. This conservation project will keep this amazing part of our state agricultural land base the way God intended.”

Tim and the Williams family began their conservation partnership with CCALT in 2003. Over the past 20+ years, the family has conserved more than 16,000 acres on family properties in both Las Animas and Huerfano counties. The family’s contribution to conserving shortgrass prairie is remarkable, as it is Colorado’s most heavily impacted and converted ecological system with only half of its historic range remaining. Much of the Western Shortgrass Prairie in the West is found within private farms and ranches. The importance of conserving this ranch is evidenced by its proximity to the Cordova Mesa and Vigil and Saint Vrain Potential Conservation Areas which the Colorado Natural Heritage Program has classified as areas with high biodiversity significance.

The Home Place Ranch is not only part of the larger Williams family operation and legacy but is also an important part of the ecological and economic integrity of a region characterized by working lands.

Keep It Colorado, through its Transaction Cost Assistance Program, and The Nature Conservancy provided transaction cost assistance for this conservation easement.