Grants, donations put nonprofit on brink of acquiring Silver Mountain Mine property
Ouray County is much closer to getting a new open space park on the Silver Mountain Mine property.
The Trust for Land Restoration has received a $180,000 Great Outdoors Colorado grant. Couple that with $215,000 from Colorado’s Idarado Natural Resource Damage Fund and donations from private citizens, Ouray County and the Telluride Foundation, the trust is close to what it needs to pay for the 104 acres. The property will cost $400,000, plus another $180,000 in other costs for some cleanup and a conservation easement, said Pat Willits, the trust’s executive director. “Our goal is for the trust to buy and own the property, put a conservation easement on it, then donate it to Ouray County,” Willits said. Commissioners sent a letter of support for the trust’s application for a GreatcOutdoors Colorado grant. GOCO invests up to half of Colorado Lottery proceeds in conservation and recreation projects across the state, according to the GOCO website. Willits said he has been working for eight years to try to buy the 14 mining claims that comprise the Silver Mountain Mine property on Brown Mountain above Ironton Park. It is accessible via County Road 20 and is surrounded by U.S. Forest Service land.
According to the Trust for Land Preservation’s website: “The property includes mixed-conifer/aspen forest, large meadows, freshwater springs, big views and several historic mining features. Spanning elevations of 10,400–11,400 feet, the landscape provides year-round habitat for lynx, elk, moose, mule deer, black bear and mountain lion.” Willits said conserving the cluster of properties will prevent more development in the high-alpine area.
“We thought it was important to try to conserve this land partly because we have seen more ski lodges and cabins being built in the high country,” Willits said. “It’s important to try to eliminate one or two of those ski lodges or cabins. The Silver Mountain Mine property had been on our list for years as an important site.”
Commissioners say they are thrilled to get this property for an open space park. “I am so thankful to have (the trust) doing this work in the county because we are obviously seeing attempts around the nation and in the state to privatize public lands,” Commissioner Jake Niece said. “This is really exciting and refreshing and inspiring to see some private lands being turned into public lands.” He said whenever Willits comes to the commissioners to ask for support, he makes it easy to say yes. “He asks for a letter of support or a small (financial) match for a big re- turn,” Niece said. “We are in alignment with what the trust is working on.” Commissioner Michelle Nauer agreed. “I think it’s awesome because I love the fact that Ouray County has so much public land,” Nauer said. “I don’t want that urban sprawl. I don’t want to see a ski area up in the Red Mountain Pass area. It lessens the chances of commercial properties or even private properties up there.”
Commissioner Lynn Padgett could not be reached for comment.
History of the project According to previous reporting in the Plaindealer, the purchase comes after more than 20 years of trying to strike a deal with the former property owners as part of the original Red Mountain Project — a collaborative effort led by Ouray resident Bob Risch to acquire and protect around 10,500 acres of historic\ mining and recreation areas along Red Mountain Pass. By 2006, the project successfully reached agreements with private landowners and mining companies to acquire around 9,000 acres of land in the project area. This left a remaining 1,500 acres in the hands of private owners, including the Silver Mountain Mine owned by two brothers whose grandparents had worked in the area.
After the brothers pulled out of a deal with the trust to sell the mining claims for around $275,000, they listed the land for around $1 million, keeping the sale out of reach for the nonprofit until now. After the brothers died, their heirs agreed to sell the mining claims to the trust for $400,000. The trust has until Dec. 31 to complete the deal.
Deb Hurley Brobst is a longtime, award-winning journalist. Email her at deb.hurley.brobst@gmail.com.