Rio Grande - Rio Grande Initiative_Application_2008

• Basin Roundtable: Rio Grande
• Applicant: Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust
• Description: Rio Grande Initiative
• Account Source: Basin & Statewide
• Board Meeting Date: 3/19/2008
• Contract/PO #: 150420
• WSRA - Doc Type: Grant Application

Part A. - Description of the Applicant (Project Sponsor or Owner);

1.

Applicant Name(s):

Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust
Nancy Butler, Executive Director

Mailing address:

P.O. Box 189
Monte Vista, CO 81144
www.riograndelandtrust.org

Taxpayer ID#: I 84-1495770
Phone Numbers: Business:

I Email

I [e-mail]

I
I
I

719-852-4015

Home:

Fax:

719-852-4027

2. Person to contact regarding this application if different from above:

Name:

Rio de la Vista, Cell: 719-850-2255, [e-mail]

Position/Title:

Coordinator, San Luis Valley Wetlands Focus Area Committee,
Co-Coordinator for the Rio Grande Initiative

3. Provide a brief description of your organization below: see "Description of Applicant" in Part 2 of
Criteria and Guidance for required information.

Aoolicant:

The Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust (RiGHT) is a 501c3 non-profit organization formed in 1999.
RiGHT is a local land trust serving the entire San Luis Valley (SLV). RiGHT's mission is to
"Conserve the Land, Water and Way of Life in Colorado's Rio Grande Basin."

With a local Board of Directors including three ranchers, RiGHT was originally developed from the earlier
Citizens for San Luis V alley Water organization, seeking a proactive way to secure the land and water of
the SL V for the long term. Over the life of the organization, RiGHT has actively collaborated with the
community's water districts, agencies, organizations and, most recently, the Rio Grande Basin Round
Table, in an effort to be a contributing part of the SL V's overall efforts to achieve water sustainability.
RiGHT currently holds conservation easements on 10,280 acres in the SLY, including five conservation
easements on 1,517 acres in the river corridor.

Since 1999, RiGHT has worked to meet the growing demand for conservation easements and provide
relevant information for area landowners and professionals. Conservation easements, which are
voluntarily placed through donations and/or combinations of donations and purchases, are individually
negotiated with each landowner and essentially restrict the land from subdivision and tie water rights to the
land, but allow the landowner to continue agricultural and most other uses.

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Rio Grande Initiative

Janual'Y 2008