Mount Democrat Land Acquisition

[yardman]

Huge news 14er enthusiasts! As of yesterday afternoon, Mount Democrat and access to Mount Cameron is now owned by The Conservation Fund. The purchase culminates several years of collaborative efforts by The Conservation Fund, Colorado Fourteeners Initiative and the Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative, but most especially TCF lead negotiator Kelly Ingebritson. Bottom line is no future closures of these peaks due to landowner liability concerns--ever!

Huge thanks to some of the funders that made this possible, including the Park County Land and Water Fund, Gehres 14er Fund at the Colorado Mountain Club Foundation, Morrough O'Brien Trust, and Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation. CFI and MRHI raised about $150,000 to cover the transaction costs of the project.

CFI hopes to use this acquisition to conduct a major trail-building effort on the newly acquired lands. The trail has long suffered due to lack of available funding since the lands were privately held. The Forest Service also has big plans to change parking, camping and other uses along the Buckskin Creek Road that should dovetail with these efforts. Lots of exciting things down the road made possible by this acquisition.

Keep in mind that the sale does not affect Mounts Lincoln or Bross. Those will still be owned by other private landowners, and access to them may be problematic if resolution of landowner liability issues dues not occur in the 2024 Colorado legislative session.

Learn more about private lands issues in the Mosquito Range in CFI's new educational video about the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w15rA536Kx4.

[BillMiddlebrook]

Woot!!

Thank you Lloyd, CFI, TCF, MRHI and other organizations for your work on this. This is incredible.

[yardman]

Thanks, Bill!

Hopefully just the start, as there are several other 14ers to secure access to through purchases or access agreements.