Forever Protected: Silver Mountain Preserve

December 11, 2025

In a collaborative conservation effort, Palmer Land Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy in Colorado are proud to announce the permanent protection of Silver Mountain Preserve, an expansive 11,000-acre working cattle and bison ranch in southeastern Colorado. 

Across the slopes of Silver Mountain, a herd of elk, more than a hundred strong, regularly graze in the sweeping shortgrass prairie framed between the Sangre de Cristo mountains and the Spanish Peaks. Twelve miles of North Abeyta Creek wind through the working ranchland, sustaining everything from bighorn sheep to migratory songbirds. This is quintessential Colorado—a landscape where cattle graze alongside pronghorn, where alpine tundra gives way to forests and grasslands, where the land’s abundance emerges.

This week, that abundance became permanent.

But it almost didn't happen. A few years ago, Silver Mountain Ranch faced a very different future—one carved into subdivisions, with its wildlife corridors severed and its agricultural heritage compromised.

Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy/Photographer Jason Houston

The Close Call

In 2021, this southeastern Colorado gem near La Veta was on the brink of development. Eleven thousand acres of critical habitat, active ranchland, and community identity nearly became another subdivision of ranchettes. For those living in the Huerfano Valley, the loss would have been devastating—not just ecologically, but culturally as well. This is land that defines the character of rural Colorado.

But conservation doesn't accept "almost lost" as the final chapter.

The Nature Conservancy in Colorado (TNC) stepped in to acquire the property, preventing its subdivision and beginning a multi-year journey to ensure Silver Mountain's permanent protection. Since 2021, TNC has invested in infrastructure improvements and piloted innovative grazing techniques that enhance both agricultural productivity and ecological value—proving that working lands can thrive while supporting wildlife.

This week marks a pivotal moment in protecting the property with TNC and Palmer Land Conservancy finalizing the conservation easement that forever protects Silver Mountain. Palmer is honored to hold this easement, serving as the long-term steward who will monitor and protect this landscape for generations to come.

Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy/Photographer Dave Showalter

What it Means to "Forever Protect" a Property

A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement that permanently limits development on a property while keeping it in private ownership. Think of it as a promise written into the land's DNA—a commitment that transcends any single owner, any market pressure, any future temptation to subdivide.

For Silver Mountain, this means:

• 11,000 acres will remain undeveloped in perpetuity
• Working cattle and bison ranching continues, sustaining rural livelihoods and Colorado's agricultural heritage
• Critical wildlife corridors stay intact, allowing elk, bighorn sheep, black bears, and countless other species to move freely across elevations ranging from 6,700 to 10,000 feet
• Freshwater ecosystems thrive along North Abeyta Creek's twelve miles of riparian habitat
• Future generations inherit this landscape as their ancestors knew it

In the coming weeks, the property will be sold to a ranching family that currently leases it, who shares a deep commitment to conservation. 

Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy/Photographer Jason Houston

Why This Matters Beyond La Veta

Silver Mountain Preserve is more than a ranch. It's a critical piece in a vision to connect a network of conserved lands stretching from the Huerfano Valley foothills westward into the San Luis Valley. As drought intensifies, these protected corridors become lifelines—allowing wildlife to adapt, migrate, and thrive.

This is Land for Nature in action—Palmer's commitment to protecting habitat that sustains Colorado's incredible biodiversity. Every protected acre strengthens the resilience of our state's ecosystems, ensuring the Colorado we love today remains recognizable tomorrow.

Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy/Photographer JJ Autry

Community-Driven Conservation in Action

Conservation doesn't happen in isolation—it happens because communities decide their landscapes are worth safeguarding for generations to come.

This victory belongs to:

• TNC in Colorado, whose vision and investment made protection possible
• A conservation-committed ranching family, who will steward this land with care
• Palmer donors, whose contributions fund the long-term monitoring and stewardship that make "forever" real
• The La Veta community, which relies on a thriving rural economy 

"Together with TNC in Colorado and a conservation-committed rancher, we're forever protecting this gem, creating a legacy for southern Colorado for generations to come," said Rebecca Jewett, Palmer's President and CEO. "This landscape will remain a productive, agricultural property, as well as a critical habitat corridor for wildlife in perpetuity."

What Comes Next

Palmer's work is just beginning. As the easement holder, we'll partner with the new landowners to monitor Silver Mountain's conservation values year after year, decade after decade. This is the quiet, essential work that ensures "protected" doesn't become "forgotten."

And more landscapes face development pressures just like Silver Mountain.

Your support makes conservation wins like Silver Mountain possible. When you invest in Palmer, you're funding the partnerships and the long-term commitment that transforms "almost lost" into "forever protected."

Want to dive deeper into Silver Mountain's ecological significance? Read The Nature Conservancy's detailed article about the property or the press release.

Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy/Photographer Anna Sofia Vera