More of your County is preserved for your children and grandchildren, following a real estate trade approved Tuesday.
The trade – involving Douglas County, Sterling Ranch Acquisitions and American chemical company, Chemours FC, LLC – results in the preservation of 204 acres of open space via a conservation easement. Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements between a landowner and public entity that forever restricts how the land may be used, specifically for the purpose of conservation.
The Board of Douglas County Commissioners unanimously approved the trade during a regular business meeting Tuesday, Sept. 26. Sterling Ranch Acquisitions is under contract to purchase the land from Chemours and is, therefore, the landowner in this agreement.
The land is in northwestern Douglas County near the old DuPont Mine in Louviers. Through the exchange, Douglas County received the 204-acre conservation easement. The County also received 48 separate acres that will become an operations and material storage facility for Douglas County Public Works. In exchange, Sterling Ranch will receive up to 120 acres of land currently owned by the County in the same area.
The 204-acre easement is a critical missing link in a wildlife migration corridor between Roxborough State Park and Highlands Ranch Backcountry.
“Several partners have made significant contributions – both financial and in-kind – to ensure preservation in this area,” said Commissioner George Teal. “We appreciate Colorado Parks and Wildlife, DuPont, Cherokee Ranch and Castle Foundation, Highlands Ranch Community Association, the Colorado Department of Transportation and other landowners who have partnered with us to preserve this corridor over several decades to ensure wildlife can travel safely between the Pike National Forest and places like Highlands Ranch Open Space Conservation Area, and the Cherokee Ranch and Castle.”
Sterling Ranch Acquisitions keeps the title to the land included in the easement and will be responsible for ongoing maintenance. Douglas County will be responsible for compliance with the terms of the easement.
Protecting our historic and natural resources protects our quality of life, which is why preserving land for future generations is a priority for your Board of Douglas County Commissioners. Through partnerships and with funding from a voter-approved Open Space Sales and Use Tax, more than 392 square miles (or about 46%) of land in Douglas County is public or protected land. Read more on our webpage.