This is your sneak peek!

The 2020 CTU River Stewardship Gala is right around the corner!  We are close to sold out for our March 5th event but you can still get in on the action even if you can’t attend.  We have an incredible lineup of auction items and will open up the online bidding about a week before the event!  Check out a few of our can’t miss auction items below and click here to be added to our list so you’ll be notified when the auction goes live!

Fish and stay at the exclusive Broadmoor Fly Fishing Camp. The winning bidder and a friend will enjoy a full day of guided fishing on the Tarryall followed by a delicious meal and lodging in one of their wonderfully equipped cabins.  Didn’t get quite enough fishing in?  Spend the next morning wetting a line before you depart!

Want to improve your casting skills?  Enjoy three hours of private casting lessons from Clear Creek Fly Casting for you and a friend.  The winning bidder chooses between 2 90-minutes lessons or 3 60-minute lessons.  This experience will certainly up your game just in time for summer fishing!

Have you caught the saltwater fly fishing bug yet?  Join experienced Islamorado guide Captain Tim Mahaffey for a day of tarpon fishing.  This is an opportunity you won’t want to miss!

The Flat Tops are one of Colorado’s most beautiful areas!  Treat yourself to a three-night stay in one of Ripple Creek Lodge’s rustic cabins and enjoy some delicious homecooked meals.  Also included in this package for 2 is 1 day of guided fishing on the White River and 1 day of guided fishing on a backcountry lake that you’ll access via horseback. 

 Have you visited charming Redstone?  Located along the Crystal River, The Redstone Inn is a wonderful hotel full of great history.  The winning bidder will enjoy a 2-night stay for 2.  Enjoy walks along the Crystal, visit the Redstone Castle, or fish the Crystal during your stay at the Redstone Inn.

Click here to be added to our list so you’ll be notified when the auction goes live! Anyone can participate - attending or not.

Partnership Leads to Completion of Multi-Phase Conservation Project

The R Lazy J Ranch, Rio Blanco County conserved in January 2020

Partnership Between CPW, the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust and R Lazy J Ranch Leads to Completion of Multi-Phase Conservation Project

January 2020 - Reposted from here.

MEEKER, Colo. – With support from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and in partnership with the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT), another phase of the R Lazy J Ranch, located just 10 miles south of Meeker, was conserved in January. The conservation project ensured that an additional 2,500 acres of the ranch, known as the Ranch Estates Parcel, will be protected from future development.

This project is the latest accomplishment in a multi-phase conservation effort between landowner James Ritchie, CPW, and CCALT. After acquiring the property in 1989, Mr. Ritchie could see that the land was being utilized for more than just its agricultural operation and quickly recognized its wildlife habitat value. Beginning in 2012, Mr. Ritchie worked with CPW to place the northernmost 2,598 acres, known as the Homestead Parcel, in a conservation easement. For phase two of the project, Mr. Ritchie worked with CPW and CCALT to conserve the Ranch Estates Parcel.

Lying along Flag Creek and stretching up to the Grand Hogback (the western boundary of the Rocky mountains), the R Lazy J Ranch provides appealing habitat for big game and lies in one of the bigger deer and elk migration corridors. Additionally, bordered by Bureau of Land Management land, White River National Forest, and several other conservation easements, the property forms a significant block of undeveloped land for wildlife to thrive in - including the greater sage grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, bald eagle, and greater sandhill crane - all state species of special concern.

“CCALT commends Mr. Ritchie and CPW for their dedication to this project,” said CCALT director of conservation transactions Molly Fales. “Without their patience, determination, and flexibility, this project would have fallen apart years ago. Their persistence has resulted in a spectacular benefit for the wildlife and people of northwest Colorado.”

“CPW can’t thank CCALT and Mr. Ritchie enough for helping us see this through,” area wildlife manager Bill de Vergie said. “They’ve been a fundamental part of this project and steadfast partners helping us with our mission of perpetuating the wildlife resources of our state. Together, we’ve secured over 5,000 acres of key habitat that will support wildlife for years to come.”

Mr. Ritchie has gone to great lengths to protect and improve this habitat, planting the hayfields with seed mixes specially designed by CPW and working with Trout Unlimited and the Natural Resource Conservation Service to update the irrigation system to increase productivity and improve the health of the Flag Creek corridor. Under his stewardship, beaver and willows have returned to Flag Creek. Now, with 2,500 additional acres of his ranch in conservation easements, those very qualities will be protected into perpetuity.

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About The Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust The Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) is a nonprofit land conservation organization whose mission is to “…conserve Colorado’s western heritage and working landscapes for the benefit of future generations.”

About Colorado Parks and Wildlife Colorado Parks and Wildlife is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 41 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.

About Trout Unlimited Trout Unlimited is a non-profit conservation organization that works collaboratively to protect, reconnect, and restore cold-water fisheries.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Becomes ‘Water Neutral’ with TU partnership

Giraffes at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Press Release: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Becomes ‘Water Neutral’ with Trout Unlimited Winter Water Offset Partnership

Feb. 5, 2020 (Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Running a zoo requires a substantial amount of water. There are guest facilities, water features in animal habitats, cleaning and sanitation, horticulture, food and beverage services, maintenance and, of course, human and animal water consumption to consider.

Leaning on his background in horticulture, environmental education and ecology, and his involvement in global conservation projects, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo President and CEO, Bob Chastain, decided to make Cheyenne Mountain Zoo the first ‘water neutral’ zoo in the world. So, he worked with the experts at Trout Unlimited (TU) to offset the Zoo’s water usage through a unique new program.

“We use about 16 million gallons of water a year,” said Chastain. “In the last several years through our own internal programs, we’ve reduced our water usage by about half, but we still use a lot of water. We live in a drought state, so I wanted to find a way to give that water back, so to speak, to the rivers in Colorado. With Trout Unlimited’s help, we can do that.”

A nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of habitat for trout and salmon, Trout Unlimited (TU) operates a program in the Rio Grande basin of southern Colorado. Under the program, TU arranges for releases of water from storage reservoirs to augment river flows for the benefit of trout populations and the riverine environment. For water year 2020, which runs from Oct. 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 2020, Trout Unlimited will release 51 acre-feet of water from storage to the Rio Grande River or its tributaries on the Zoo’s behalf. The Zoo donated $15,000 of conservation funds to Trout Unlimited to support these releases.

Chastain is an outdoorsman. He likes to spend time rafting, fishing, hunting and hiking in the wild places along the Arkansas and Rio Grande Rivers. Over the last few summers, he has noticed a distinct decline in river water levels between early and late summer.

“I was rafting the Arkansas River late last summer and the difference in just a month and a half, since I had last rafted it, was dramatic,” said Chastain. “That got me thinking that if there was some way to contribute to water levels when they’re low during the winter months, we could make an impact.”

Roughly ninety percent of Colorado’s water supply is used by farmers and ranchers, according to Trout Unlimited, and this agricultural water use drives rural economies. Rivers also support many important functions in our state: feeding diverse ecosystems of plants and animals; generating tourism and making an economic impact on local business through its fishing, hunting, camping and whitewater sports; and transporting water from reservoirs to those who need it.

“Water rights use and administration in Colorado is extremely complex and each basin operates differently. TU’s approach is to use local staff who engage with water users and facilitate opportunities to do more with a critical and limited resource,” said Kevin Terry, Trout Unlimited’s Rio Grande Basin Project manager. “For instance, TU can inform water users on the needs of the environment and fishery, identifying partnership opportunities that farmers and ranchers can take advantage of if it works for their operations. The whole effort is like a giant dynamic puzzle, and TU brings expertise relating to specific pieces, which helps the water community of the Rio Grande be strategic and holistic in efforts to maximize the benefits of our precious water.”

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is supporting Trout Unlimited’s program to partner with water users and incentivize them to re-time portions of their water for delivery during the winter months when possible. Restoring stream flows below working reservoirs during the winter months, while simultaneously satisfying water-user needs, creates a better balance of water delivery for the environment, and the people who rely on it.

“We are grateful for our partnership with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo,” said Terry. “With forward-thinking partners like the Zoo, TU is greatly improving habitat conditions for trout in the Rio Grande basin.”

Rachel Wright, Public Relations Manager

719.424.7856 rwright@cmzoo.org

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About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s mountain Zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. In 2019, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #6 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #5 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s goal to help guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Of the 233 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of just a few operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues, special event attendance and donations for funding.

About Trout Unlimited

Trout Unlimited is a national non-profit organization that works to protect, reconnect and restore habitat for coldwater fisheries.