The Fritzler family joins other local families in the conservation and stewardship of working lands.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Darryl Seibel, Darryl@ccalt.org , 720-557-8266

May 13, 2025

MEEKER, Colo. – The Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) announced today the completion of a new conservation easement with Ginger and Mike Fritzler, permanently conserving the 1,250-acre Fritzler Ranch. With funding support from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), this effort safeguards important agricultural land and wildlife habitat. The Fritzler Ranch conservation easement expands CCALT’s impact in Rio Blanco County in Northwest Colorado, where the organization has helped families conserve more than 54,000 acres to date. This project also adds a critical link to a growing conservation corridor of protected private and public lands surrounding the White River Valley.

“The Fritzler’s commitment to pursue a conservation easement on their ranch is a testament to their dedication to agriculture,” said Monica Shields, CCALT conservation manager. “Fritzler Ranch is critical habitat for wildlife and helps support local ranchers. The conservation easement will ensure this rangeland remains intact for future generations to steward and enjoy.”

Fritzler Ranch lies north of the town of Meeker and includes open ranchlands of dryland hay meadows, rangelands, woodlands and shrublands, and riparian areas surrounding Oyler Gulch and Strawberry Creek. The Fritzlers purchased the property in 2011 and have leased the property to local ranchers for livestock grazing and hay production. They learned about conservation easements from neighboring ranchers who have conserved properties with CCALT. The Fritzlers felt conservation could expand their support for production agriculture, wildlife habitat, and stewardship of the surrounding landscape.

“We would like to thank CCALT and NRCS for giving us the chance to preserve the ‘Fritzler Ranch’ in Northwest Colorado in its present condition forever,” Ginger and Mike Fritzler said in a statement. “This allows us to protect our ranch forever the way we want it to stay, in our lifetime and for generations to come.”

As a newly conserved property, Fritzler Ranch adds to a large network of county, state, federal, and privately conserved and protected lands in this part of Northwest Colorado. The ranch shares its northern and southern boundaries with two other CCALT-conserved properties and partly borders the 12,274-acre Windy Gulch Wilderness Study Area managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Within 10 miles of the ranch, there are several other CCALT-conserved properties as well as two state wildlife areas.

“NRCS’s conservation easement program is designed for ag operations like the Fritzler Ranch”, said Clint Evans, NRCS State Conservationist in Colorado. “The property contains wildlife habitats that have been federally recognized and sensitive species that are recognized by the State as threatened and of special concern. It’s also located in an area where prime agricultural lands are continually threatened by development. The addition of these acres into an ACEP easement will add to the family’s and communities’ commitment to help stop the conversion of these lands to non-agricultural use.”

Ensuring the land will remain natural and open extends wildlife habitat range and reinforces the benefits these lands provide for the landscape. Connecting this corridor of natural and open rangelands, woodlands, and water features ensures habitat for game species including pronghorn, mule deer, black bear, and elk will remain available. The added habitat connectivity also contributes to critical ecological processes that maintain the genetic diversity and health of these animal and plant populations.

In a region characterized by agriculture, the Fritzler Ranch conservation easement helps support the local and regional working landscape. Maintaining the property’s natural habitat through local management and stewardship contributes to Rio Blanco County’s rural character and safeguards the open space and scenic views everyone can enjoy.

The Nature Conservancy provided transaction cost assistance for this conservation easement.

About the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust
The mission of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) is to conserve Colorado’s Western heritage and working landscapes for the benefit of future generations. Since 1995, CCALT has partnered with over 450 families to conserve more than 810,000 acres of Colorado farmland, ranchland, open space, and wildlife habitat.

About the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical and financial assistance to help agricultural producers and others care for the land. The Agency prioritizes conservation planning and uses conservation programs in the Farm Bill to implement most of its efforts including the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program which is designed to protect the agricultural viability, grazing uses and related conservation values of prime agricultural land by limiting nonagricultural uses of that land.

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

For more information, please contact Darryl Seibel, darryl@ccalt.org, 720.557.8266