Land Under the Lens
A closer look at conserved lands and the people who steward them
August 2013: It Takes a Lot of Work to be Lazy
From a "Hungry" Homestead to a Lovingly-Restored Ag Property & Wildlife Haven - The Story of the Lazy H Ranch
Doug Harris, owner and visionary of the Lazy H Ranch, shares the history and restoration progress on his family's 4,200-acre ranch outside Paonia, CO in an interview with Communications Coordinator, Alecia Phillips.
Photo by Dawn Reeder, Rare Earth Science
How long have you owned the Lazy H?
"We purchased the ranch in May of 2011. We had been looking for a ranch in New Mexico, CO or WY for a number of years and had watched this ranch during this time frame. The key items that we were looking for was land that had or provided wildlife habitat, good water i.e. the river, agricultural potential, and family recreational value. This ranch fit all of the criteria.
What do you know about the history of the ranch or the previous owners? At the time of purchase I knew very little about the history and previous owners. It was very obvious to me that the ranch had been neglected for years with no improvements and little upkeep. There is a booklet that captures some of the history of the ranch in the 1930’s written by Stacey Thompson about Hungry Hill. (Click here to view the booklet on the Hungry Hill Homestead). There are portions of the old homesteads on the ranch.
Since purchasing the ranch and visiting with many local contractors, neighbors, and the ranch manager Lisa Escher (whom we retained and currently lives on the ranch), we have learned a lot about previous owners. In 1970-80’s the ranch was a good working cattle ranch and managed as such raising its own hay for feed and carried the cattle through the winter. In the 80’s Highway 133 was built through the ranch which changed the irrigation for the fields. After this time the ranch changed hands many times until the DLH trust purchased it in 2004 or 5. From 2004, the ranch was primarily managed for hunting with a reduced emphasis on agriculture."
What about the land attracted you, or motivated you to purchase it?
"Initially it became very apparent that this was and is critical winter habitat for mule deer and elk. I have always been an avid outdoorsman and realize that we need to protect critical habitat for wildlife so that future generations may enjoy them as much as I and my family have.
Our family of which Kerry (wife) and 2 sons (Josh & Zach) have always been avid outdoors people enjoying hunting, fishing along with ranching since the boys were born. We now have 2 Daughter-in-laws Amy & Jessica with 4 grandkids (Paige, Brody, Elena, & Abby). Initially when we discussed purchasing this particular ranch as a family it was important to have a place that many generations would be guaranteed to have and enjoy these amenities. The fact that the ranch had been neglected and we could see that with improvements we could turn this into a show-piece ranch and a sanctuary for future generations was the main motivating factor to buy it."
How long did you own the Ranch before choosing to place it in to conservation?
"After owning the ranch a very short time it became clear that the family was more interested in preserving it than developing the property. As we spent more time on the ranch and visited with multiple conservation groups it became more apparent that the ranch had biodiversity that is unique to this ranch from the river floor to the top at 8500’ elevation. Susan and Olivia with BCRLT were very helpful and educational as we continued to consider conserving the ranch and the benefits of doing that. After numerous family consultations we all decided that it was our desire to conserve the ranch."
Describe the work you have put in to the land; the changes you are hoping to foster?
"River enhancement and mitigation have been a top priority. The 1st year we owned the ranch we had strong runoff about 6000 cfs and then by winter the flow was down to 100 cfs. With large runoff like that the river bed had become widened, scoured, and very few pools or holding water existed for the fish that were in the river. During the winter flows eagles and other predators could easily access the fish. Portions of the river were basically very shallow and did not provide habitat for much of anything. I brought in Flywater Inc. which is a company owned and operated by Corey Engen.
He and his crew did an analysis of the river and came back with an engineered recommendation on how we could improve the river for fishing as well as wildlife habitat. In February 2012 he presented the proposal and we moved forward with the project that summer after receiving all of the required permits.
Between Corey’s evaluation and our observations during this period it became very clear that the river was very rich in insect life, fish species and a critical riparian area that would benefit from what enhancements we had proposed. We placed over 2000 tons of rock strategically into the river forming deep runs and pools that improved the habitat during the high runoff periods, eliminating erosion and created habitat during the low flows of winter. It has proven all of the benefits and more now that we are in are 2nd year and I look forward to it continuing as a viable river.
We have also worked with NRCS/Department of Agriculture folks to look at the current irrigation problems and to prepare a proposal to improve the use of the water on the ranch and to increase the crop production. They put together an engineered sprinkler design for all of the existing fields and some that had been abandoned after the highway was built. I hired High Country Equipment owned by Andy Pavlisick who had worked with the NRCS elsewhere to put in the system. We cleaned up the fields, replanted them and now have the system up and running. It is my hope to raise alfalfa hay from this point forward providing significant income to the ranch as well as livestock feed. We are accomplishing this by using 40% less water than was consumed utilizing flood irrigation previously. The hay production was minimal prior to this system being put in. This will also provide great habitat for the wild turkeys, mule deer and elk during the winter months.
NRCS has also advised us on developing the springs on Mount Jumbo for livestock and wildlife water sources as well as range management through clearing brush and planting dry land grass and alfalfa. We are currently doing these projects now."
Why did you choose to conserve it?
"The reason we are doing all of this is to keep the ranch as a productive agricultural entity and to enhance the habitat for livestock , wildlife, and esthetic values. Recently, we have added 2 parcels of land amounting to approximately 100 acres that are contiguous to the original ranch which increased river frontage, irrigated pastures, and additional water rights. One of these parcels the previous owner was planning on developing which would have put houses on Lennox Mesa. That parcel of 80 acres was included in the conservation easement that we are doing in 2013. It will not be developed at all now."
June 2013: History Worth Repairing
This dapper gentleman is Enos T Hotchkiss, the founding father of Hotchkiss, CO - a place many uphold (and I can attest) to be “The Friendliest Town Around.” Enos arrived to the North Fork Valley in 1881, and succumbed to the promise of the luscious valley and surrounding hills. He settled, and commissioned a barn to be built in 1885.
The barn was built using a unique transverse timber frame structure and finished with handmade bricks - a rarity in western Colorado. Sadly, in 2010, a severe wind burst damaged a significant part of the historic structure, which now belongs to Enos’ great grandson Dick Hotchkiss and his wife Janice, who chose to protect the property with a conservation easement held by BCRLT.
A grassroots organization has emerged to raise the funds and assistance necessary to rebuild this architectural page of history. Save the Hotchkiss Barn is seeking donations to “restore this prominent structure to its original grandeur” and lists several impressive reasons for doing so: The barn is one of the oldest surviving major buildings in the North Fork Valley, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated a Colorado Centennial Farm - meaning the property has been in the family continuously for more than 100 years.
As the perpetual stewards of the Hotchkiss property in partnership with the Hotchkiss family, it is our duty and our honor to take part in rebuilding the Hotchkiss Barn. BCRLT will be helping to coordinate and host a North Fork Valley Historic Barn Tour on October 12, 2013 to raise funds for Save the Hotchkiss Barn. We are currently working out the details, but save the date and keep an eye out for announcements toward the end of summer. The tour will be a special edition of our monthly Black Canyon Field Club, and a worthy exception to our usual “free admission” policy.
To find out more about this important community project contact Chris Miller at (970)-874-6695. To donate today, stop by the First State Bank of Colorado in Hotchkiss and make a donation to "Save The Hotchkiss Barn" or mail your donation to PO Box 38, Hotchkiss, CO 81419 noting "Save The Hotchkiss Barn. -- Alecia Phillips, Communications Coordinator
April 2013: Living with Lions
Early one February morning, Ridgway area residents Jay and Kathy Montgomery (owners of a 142-acre parcel conserved with BCRLT) received a phone call from a State wildlife official requesting permission to access their land for the purpose of tracking a mountain lion. A couple years ago, the five-year-old female lion had been fitted with a GPS tracking collar as part of a 10-year study of mountain lion populations on the Western Slope being conducted by the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife. The landowners readily agreed and eagerly accepted an invitation to join the effort to track, tranquilize and capture the lion so the battery in her GPS device could be changed and important data about her physical condition could be collected for the study. Jay and Kathy generously provided the following account of their experience:
“We arrived at the property just after the wildlife officials had confirmed through the GPS tracking device that the lion was still in a particular area of our property where she had been located the day before. They guessed that she had a kill and had recently finished a meal of fresh deer or elk. The plan was to place well-trained hounds on her trail until she was “treed” and could be safely and humanely tranquilized. The chase went on for less than an hour with the mountain lion trying every trick in her book, such as doubling back and forth across her own trail, to confuse the dogs. When she tired of the chase and climbed a tree, the dogs indeed seemed to be a bit confused. But even before the dogs found the trail leading to the tree, one of us spotted her stretched out on the upper, tangled branches of a large, old piñon pine tree.
The large net placed beneath the tree to catch the lion if she fell turned out to be unnecessary. When the tranquilizer dart hit its mark, the lion came down the tree on her own. The continuing, though weak, signal from her collar, enabled the researchers to find her in plenty of time to collect the vital data for their study and to replace the battery in her collar. Before the tranquilizer wore off, we helped the researchers take the lion to a safe place on the property, well away from the road. Then we left so she could awake and return to her habitat with as little stress and disruption to her routine as necessary.
Although we had mixed feelings about taking part in what seemed as an intrusion into the realm of this wild animal, we were impressed by the professionalism of the wildlife officials and researchers and the respect they showed the magnificent animal. We have shared some photographs with our friends at BCRLT. We are pleased to share our story as an example of how important wildlife habitat is being preserved through the cooperative efforts of landowners and the Black Canyon Regional Land Trust.” -- Jay Montgomery
March 2013: Restored Wetlands in Hotchkiss
Conserved land owner, Kevin Parks shares a bit of history on his family's wetlands parcel in Hotchkiss and how the land came to be protected:
"The property has always been kind of mystical to me. My earliest memories of ‘the ponds’ were stories told by my brother and father when I was too young to go out to ‘the ponds’ with them. I was probably four years old in the late 1950’s.
Part of the conservation easement, about twenty acres, around Figure Eight and Horseshoe Ponds came first to the Parks Family in a land swap with a gravel company. Years before, my grandparents who homesteaded here in 1898, lost twenty some acres of river bottom in a flood. They traded the acres of lost farm land on the river for twenty some acres we called ‘the ponds’. This area had been mined for gravel earlier on and then reclaimed into two ponds, cat tails and river bottom. This was where my brother, two sisters and I had a chance to enjoy the outdoors when we visited Grandma Cora Parks’ house.
The other part of the conservation easement was added to ‘the ponds’ in another land swap. This time with the local Auto Salvage yard owner. The two and one half acres of land that we owned close to his salvage yard was more valuable to him than the seventeen acres of river bottom cotton woods, river front and Duck Blind and Lower Ponds. We found a way to make this swap and $3,000 work.
With thirty seven acres I knew we had something worth saving. We can only hope that the property will always be a place where brothers and sisters can enjoy the outdoors. It truly is a mystical location." -- Kevin Parks
Kevin shows members of the Black Canyon Field Club his beaver-proof pond flow systems at a field trip in June 2013
