Sponsored content Roaring Fork conservation aims to achieve 'forever' Conserving lands for wildlife, food production and people is important work, but what matters perhaps even more is the work that follows 8y Lauren Glendenning oh to you by Aupen Volly Lands Conservation edorts arent just do good acts that proke ek rekant anl asting People must he hene to care for conseeved lanls 150 years rom now and beyond, sid Suzanne Stephetts,esecutive director ofthe Aspen Valley Land Trust (AVIT which works for ckean air, healthy rivees and open spaces acns the Roaring Fork and Colork River valleys or planninga avision that inclodes a bealt os km.ckan aler, nxH1. Sir w ikilife and nxen kr pogrk.". he said. "We ignore nservation at our own peril. Twenty eas foom now, the Valley will he filling up, and a oppor ties we hent deliberatedly taken toconserve the landls Parks and trails, kids connection to nature, affordable housing,locall food production,and wildife are all threatened by the rapld pace of growth in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys With its roots in opem spoes-AWET ownsseven publi parks near Aspen, and one in Marlle-AVLT espane is ork and mi ninthotoxk kapi ltil tand WHY IT MATTERS TO YOU AND HOW TO MAKE A wildlife conervation,which go hand in hand as part ofa DIFFERENCE ange-scale effict o conest currias and podert a crthre of WLT.consered peog RETURN ON INVESTMENT hes points to a staxdy last year hy Colorado State erties-whether University vested in that found a 84 to $12 return freveryin- conervato Entsuss the state This dws mass od ranchland owned by AWLT, municipolities or counties,or private land We sat down with Stephens to dieuss the carvet cners- are aceible to the public, thnigh that is far ation landscpe in the wion anl how the community can foom the only benefit they prowie The ease s clear that conseryatn akes us healthier Foe each of us, our relatlonship to lLand is personal,Ste phens added."The ety of land is that wecan all connect Iapiy, and in the tisme to imest FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR PEOPLE, FOOD AND WILDLIFE dit aandon our own tes beoe rsing odsotweh our abillt 'Ihe l®¡¡L4km in Garfkkl Cin"ity is e perin! to grow INTERDEPENDENCE OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE w alkot 6s pecent betwen 2020 and 050, whie Pitkin LANDS County is espected to gw by 29 pecent during that time. Public lands are central to our way oflife and recretional chikdren male connections to natue thit wl invest thes oing to data froen the Colornds State Demgaghersmen lt they tenal to be kxated in the Ressioxa in the cwse going irwan otfice It is up to us to ensure that the nest gemeration is with something to cane about Stophens sail, an that our tive, high devation Tuck and ioe" cones that pe ide wilife We ase facing a serous change on the horion thawl ith sammer range, To survine, big game anl oher seles ullege peoplk, water aalalality, loeal fool prodaction,o nevd access to good wintering ginds and reproda- tion areas, which tesd to be locatedl in the peivately owned Private land al'0 the valky boltMms,which includs kmer hills and valky bottonis. n vers and streams the most frtile and productive land, li' peM "ibllk and 4 nir fulnetaxingmwystems, we but it's also the mod eritical to wikldlife. Setting see oitnoed both-and we need conoetonsbetween the twa ssle now benetits both people and wikllife COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION PROJECTS BY ASPEN VALLEY LAND TRUST Last years purchase of the Chapin Wright Marble Basecamp provides outdoor education access and opportunities for schools from up and down the valley, with a focus on publk schools that are beginning to building outdoor education programs The base of Red Hill, recently acquired and given to the Town of Carbondale, will benefit tral users from across the demographic and recreational spectrum. Current projects on the Silt River Preserve, which the AVLT helped the Town of Silt acquire in 2009, will create and enhance à public nature park. The Crystal River Restoration Project is gaining steam as the Town of Carbondale and AVLT, together with partners, lead a public scoping process to help define the project along mile of the Crystal River. Conservation makes us healthier, happlet, and in many ways wealthier, which is why we must prioritine conservation now to plan for the futune. Marble Children's Park was recently donated to AVLT and officially opened to the public and for ongoing use by the Marble Charter School. A generous donor will match up to $10,000 of Colorado Gives Day donatians to AVLT DOUBLE CONSERVED Thanks to you! GIFT ON GIVES DAY! G&VESDAY 12.0418