Open Space Program

Land Heritage Program

Review printable documents about the Land Heritage Program.

Open Space Commission

The San Miguel County Open Space Commission seeks to protect and conserve open space for people, natural habitat for flora and fauna, and agricultural lands for the farming and ranching communities throughout San Miguel County for this and future generations. The Parks & Open Space Director is the staff liaison.

Payment for Ecosystem Services

Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) is a pilot program which provides incentives to landowners in exchange for managing their land to provide an ecological service, such as habitat for plants and animals, soil cover, carbon sequestration, clean air, clean water, etc.

PES - CWCB Grant

Forest Health

In 2017, a regional stakeholder group, which included local governments, federal and state agencies, business and industry, community organizations, HOAs, and Colorado State University, convened to develop a forest landscape assessment using a geographic information systems (GIS) optimization process. This page outlines the process and their findings.

Gunnison Sage Grouse

The mission of the San Miguel Basin Gunnison Sage Grouse Working Group is to work together and coordinate efforts to ensure a thriving population of Gunnison sage grouse in a healthy, conserved sagebrush ecosystem while helping to ensure a sustainable community in the San Miguel Basin, Colorado. The working group conserves sage grouse habitat by writing grants, raising funds, and coordinating the donation or purchase of land and/or conservation easements; plans and coordinates habitat improvement projects; provides comments on land use decisions that effect Gunnison Sage Grouse; helps people learn more about Gunnison Sage Grouse and the threats to its survival; and holds working group and committee meetings to share information and to plan and implement strategies.