Buck Creek Ranch Under New Ownership
Feb 15, 2012
At the end of 2011, the 756-acre Buck Creek Ranch was sold to a new landowner, Bear Ranch LLC. Buck Creek Ranch is protected by a conservation easement held by BCRLT that was recorded in Delta County in 2001. BCRLT welcomes Bear Ranch LLC into our family of partner landowners and we look forward to seeing former owner Nick Hughes’ excellent stewardship of Buck Creek Ranch continued by the new owner Bear Ranch LLC.
Bear Ranch LLC is owned by William Koch who also owns Oxbow Minerals and Gunnison Energy, both significant players in the North Fork Valley community. Mr. Koch is currently pursuing a land exchange with the Bureau of Land Management and Buck Creek Ranch may eventually play a part in that exchange by offering new public access to USFS trails above the ranch. But Buck Creek is much more than that to BCRLT. Buck Creek Ranch has significant scenic, wildlife habitat, and open space values that are visible from Hwy 133 and presents an outstanding privately conserved parcel of land. Traditionally, Buck Creek has been managed primarily for open space and livestock grazing. In the early ‘70’s a primitive cabin was constructed but was abandoned. As part of the recent conservation easement amendment this abandoned structure will be removed and the building envelope reclaimed by the end of 2012. There are a number of unimproved roads and trails on the property, but no other improvements exist on the property.
The original conservation easement donor, Nick Hughes, had owned the property since 2000 and first informed Black Canyon Regional Land Trust of his intent to sell the property in 2007. In spring of 2011, Nick Hughes approached BCRLT with a potential buyer (Bear Ranch LLC) and a request to amend the Buck Creek conservation easement by extinguishing a 5-acre building envelope and relocating the remaining 10-acre building envelope away from the visibility of Hwy 133. Several months later, BCRLT was able to complete the BCRLT amendment policy review and our Board approved the requested amendment restructuring the conservation easement to allow for only one instead of the previously allowed two building envelopes.
During the summer and fall of 2011, Bear Ranch LLC contacted BCRLT on numerous occasions so that they might more fully understand the terms of the conservation easement and to discuss their interest in exploring the potential for public access on Buck Creek Ranch if purchased. The existing terms of the conservation easement, as of the recorded date in 2001, have always allowed for public access if explicitly granted by the owner and if accomplished in a manner that does not negatively impact the protected conservation values.
As the new landowners of the Buck Creek property, Bear Ranch LLC continues to express interest in allowing public access across the property. The extent of access and management plans to address additional traffic on the property have not been finalized and BCRLT will continue to work closely with the new landowners to ensure that terms of the conservation easement are upheld and the conservation values are not degraded in anyway. We welcome any comments, questions, or concerns regarding the Buck Creek conservation easement.
