New Colorado Program Compensates Ranch For Hosting Migrating Elk

A Colorado ranch will keep some of its pastures ungrazed for migrating elk to forage as part of the state’s first Elk Migration Agreement, a five-year pilot program that can serve as a model for future conservation partnerships.

The innovative partnership between Eagle Rock Ranch, the Colorado Cattlemens Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT), and the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) will see the family-owned ranch compensated for leaving designated pastures ungrazed to provide vital habitat and winter forage for migrating elk.

The income stream will help Eagle Rock Ranch owner Dave Gottenborg offset the cost of hosting wildlife on his land in Jefferson, ensuring it can continue to serve as a working agricultural operation.

“The Elk Migration Agreement demonstrates how agricultural stewardship and conservation can work hand-in-hand to create lasting benefits for wildlife and the people who manage working lands,” Brendan Boepple, Director of Conservation at CCALT, said in a statement. “By supporting landowners like Dave Gottenborg and Eagle Rock Ranch, were protecting the economic sustainability of agricultural operations and conserving critical habitats that benefit all Coloradans.” 

CCALT has partnered with hundreds of ranchers to conserve more than 805,000 acres across the state, and will oversee the implementation of the Elk Migration Agreement.

“For too long, private landowners have borne the costs of hosting wildlife that the public values, potentially at the detriment to agricultural operations,” said Travis Brammer, Director of Conservation at PERC. “This voluntary agreement creates a framework where ranchers can be compensated for providing crucial wildlife habitat, making conservation an asset rather than a liability and supporting the viability of working ranches.”

PERC, which specializes in finding market solutions for conservation, developed the payment structure that compensates ranchers for their conservation efforts.

Along with improving elk habitat and migration corridors, the Elk Migration Agreement supports the long-term viability of ranching operations by offsetting the costs associated with hosting wild elk, including forage loss and fence repair. 

“Creating a reality where both private landowners and migratory wildlife can co-exist peacefully is a win-win-win for the environment, ranchers, and the general public, as working lands are the cornerstone of rural communities and play a vital role in supporting landscape-scale ecosystems,” said Dave Gottenborg. “We applaud PERC and CCALT for thinking outside the box to help solve the perennial western problem of fence and forage damage caused by winter elk. Ultimately, this first-of-its-kind agreement gives credence to Aldo Leopolds belief that conservation boils down to the private landowner who preserves the public interest.”