• Client: Colorado Open Lands
• Date: December, 2019
• Project Type: Conservation easement baseline documentation report
• Info:  Blue Mountain Environmental Consulting was contracted to provide a conservation easement baseline report to satisfy the requirements of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) with respect to charitable contributions.

The 1,300-acre private property in Park County, Colorado, encompassed a variety of environments. Shortgrass prairie, a wetland complex consisting of fen areas make up the area. In addition, there were fringe wetlands associated with several small creeks flowing through mixed conifer and aspen woodlands.

The project was a high priority for conservation because of the presence of fens, Colorado Natural Heritage Program Potential Conservation Areas. It also includes habitat for globally and state rare Kobresia myosuroides-Thalictrum alpinum plant association. A fen is a unique peat wetland composed of deep peat soil and supported by groundwater with very high nutrient content.

Terrestrial and aquatic habitats were in excellent condition and had exceptional connectivity with regional public lands. One fen was of particular importance because it represents a unique ecosystem that is home to several state and globally rare plant and invertebrate species. The fen included a unique community of Salix planifolia and Carex aquatilis among a combination of moss mounds and Salix candida.

The community was in outstanding condition and covered more area than nearly any other comparable fen in the state of Colorado.