Continental Divide Land Trust

Contintental Divide
Land Trust

Phone: 970-453-3875

Fax: 970-453-9506

Email: Email us

Mailing Address:
PO Box 4488
Frisco, Colorado 80443

Office:
106 N. French St. #210-3
Breckenridge, Colorado

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Photos of Open Space

Continental Divide Land Trust, Saving Mountain Landscapes Forever

Cottonwoods at Willow Grove
Cow Camp - 573 acres donated by
Summit County Government in 2004

Friends of Open Space

Click here for a list of links to our Friends of Open Space partners.

In our community, protection of our region’s scenic beauty, natural resources, open spaces, and recreational opportunities is accomplished by a large number of local and regional groups. Continental Divide Land Trust’s annual event, the Friends of Open Space Party, brings together local and regional non-profit organizations which specialize in natural resource protection, along with local government open space programs and people like you who love and support our natural surroundings. The Party celebrates successes in protection of the irreplaceable lands and natural resources in our community.

The Friends of Open Space Party includes booths from local groups, socializing, refreshments, auctions, a guest speaker and entertainment. In 2006, the guest speaker was Aron Ralston, a solo adventurist who is best known for saving his own life by amputating his hand when trapped in a Utah canyon.

Click here to read Hank Kreis's entire story from My Special Place about Tiley Pratt Pond, which he made part of the Essex Land Conservancy.

Congratulations to the Friends of Open Space
Honors Awards recipients!

Cottonwoods at Willow Grove
Recipients of the Open Space Honors Awards: (l-r)
Todd Robertson, Jen Cawley for Jane Alexandra Storm,
Scott Hummer, Peggy Alexander for Howard Giberson,
Brownell Bailey for Spruce Valley Ranch,
Paul Semmer, Tom Jones, Sr. for Wilderness Sports,
Susan Lockwood for Spruce Valley Ranch, and Currie Craven.

About the Honorees.....

Todd Robertson - Community Representative. Todd Robertson is the former director of the Summit County Open Space and Trails Department. During his 12 years with the Department, the County went from less than 200 acres of open space to over 13,000 acres. He built the department to handle the community's need for resource protection, trails, and volunteers. Each dollar of county open space acquisition funds spent was leveraged another $4.50 in protected lands through grants, partnerships, and landowner donations, thanks to Mr. Robertson’s skills as a grant writer, negotiator, coalition builder, and ambassador. Mr. Robertson left the Summit County Open Space Department in November 2007 and now works for Western Land Group.

Jane Alexandra Storm – Philanthropist. Alexandra Storm’s contributions include generous support of the Land Trust over the years, with particular emphasis on land protection in the Lower Blue River valley for community outreach and conservation easement transaction programs. She is also recognized for work on her own ranch near Heeney, including restoration of the historic buildings and reclamation of the land. Jen Cawley of Hearthstone Catering accepted the award on behalf of Alexandra Storm.

Scott Hummer – Volunteer. Mr. Hummer is the chair of the Summit County Open Space Advisory Council and has been a member of the council since 1997. His family background in ranching and his knowledge of water rights and ownership have made him an invaluable addition to OSAC in helping understand the needs of the County’s ranching community in relation to land conservation efforts. In addition to serving as chair, Mr. Hummer is a tireless volunteer, speaking at dedications, helping with projects, and even digging ditches. Mr. Hummer also serves on the advisory board of the Blue River Watershed Group, and has served on the boards of the Summit County Weed Management Committee and the Sierra Club – Blue River Group.

Howard Giberson - Land Conservation Legacy. Howard Giberson was a third generation Summit County-an who was raised on his family’s ranch located between Frisco and Dillon where Giberson Bay of the Dillon Reservoir is today. Howard bought the ranch from his parents in the 1950’s only to see it gradually taken away from him; first by the Denver Water Board for Dillon Reservoir and then by the Department of Transportation for Interstate 70. The original 780 acre ranch was down to less than 200 acres. Mr. Giberson wanted to protect what was left of his family’s ranch. After granting thirteen small lots to his nieces and nephews, he protected the rest of the ranch with a conservation easement that he granted to CDLT in 1998. Howard’s commitment to protecting the land and the ranching heritage of his family and Summit County earned this special recognition. Mr. Giberson passed away in July 2007 at the age of 95. Mr. Giberson’s niece Peggy Chamberlain Alexander accepted the award on behalf of the Giberson family.

Spruce Valley Ranch - Protection of Open Space within a Development. Spruce Valley Ranch, located in the Indiana Creek Valley in Blue River south of Breckenridge was originally zoned for 1,850 units plus supporting commercial on approximately 500 acres. Instead, the Lockwood family, lead by locals Win and Susan Lockwood and Win’s siblings including brother-in-law Brownell Bailey, chose to develop only 60 units. Open meadows, wetlands, riparian areas and nearby mining claims were protected as open space. Amenities included trails, groomed cross country skiing, stables, tennis court, boat house, picnic areas, underground utilities, and a forest management program. The Lockwood family still lives at Spruce Valley Ranch today, 30 years after originally developing the property. Susan Lockwood and Brownell Bailey accepted the award on behalf of Spruce Valley Ranch.

Paul Semmer – Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is presented to an individual whose contributions over many years have made a significant impact on natural resource protection in Summit County. Paul Semmer came to Summit County in 1979 to be the county’s first trails planner. He helped create the first county-wide trails master plan and was responsible for significant sections of the bike path and several nordic trail systems. When he moved to the Forest Service in 1981, he brought his trails planning background and helped create sections of the Colorado Trail and the Summit Huts master plan. In the mid-90’s Mr. Semmer’s career changed directions when he became the Dillon Ranger District’s Community Planner and began working on minerals and land exchanges. Major land trade projects include Slate Creek, the County Commons and hospital, Blue Danube, and Moonstone. Mr. Semmer is the rare Forest Service employee who has stayed in the same District. He has spent his entire Forest Service career, over 26 years, at the Dillon Ranger District. Paul’s longevity in the county and his knowledge of the land, terrain, and natural areas have made him an invaluable resource for the Forest Service, local government open space programs, and the many non-profits who have relied on Paul for information and assistance.

Wilderness Sports – Business. Wilderness Sports recognizes the need to protect our community's natural resources in concert with the success of their business. They participate in the 1% for the Planet program, dedicating at least 1% of their net profits to natural resource protection. Led by the Jones family, Tom Jr., Tom Sr. and Mae Jones, Wilderness Sports first opened in 1976. Wilderness Sports is very generous to the non-profit community with donation items to auctions and drawings and sponsorship of events. Tom Jones, Sr. accepted the award on behalf of the entire Wilderness Sports team.

Currie Craven - Natural Resource Protection. Mr. Craven is a founding member of the boards of Friends of the Eagles Nest Wilderness and Friends of the Dillon Ranger District, and serves on the Board of the Friends of the Lower Blue. Through FENW, he served on the Special Areas Advisory Group for wilderness area protection and expansion during the White River National Forest plan revision process. If there is an important meeting about natural resource or wilderness protection, Currie Craven will be there. When local or regional newspapers need the perspective of a citizen concerned about natural resource protection, they call Currie Craven. Mr. Craven is an informed and dedicated citizen working on behalf of our community’s natural resources.

Photographs for the 2007 awards plaques were donated by John Fielder, Mark Fox, Matt Krane, John LeCoq, Todd Powell, Carl Scofield, Gary Soles, and Bob Winsett, with calligraphy by Gretchen Abernathy and framing by The Photo Shop.

The Open Space Honors Awards will be presented every five years, with the next Award presentation event slated for 2012.

Cottonwoods at Willow Grove
Upper French Gulch- 173 acre parcel
donated in 2005 by Town of Breckenridge
and Summit County.
For more information on Land Trusts, general land conservation issues, natural resources, and water rights:
Local Government Open Space Programs:
Photographers featured on this web site:
Business Members and Sponsors:
Local and Regional natural resource non-profit organizations: