History of the Crested Butte Land Trust

photo by kristin cook

The inspiration for the Crested Butte Land Trust came from local builder and avid environmentalist, Norman Bardeen, who served on its first board of directors. The Land Trust is a much-needed asset for the community; our clean waters, scenic vistas, and plant and wildlife habitats are valuable to our way of life.

The Land Trust is a non-political, non-profit organization that has worked on a voluntary basis with private landowners in Gunnison County.  Formed in 1991, its purpose, in the words of former board member Jackie Ingham, is “preserving the present for the future.”  To date, the Land Trust has facilitated the preservation of over 5,000 acres of land.

The history of land trusts dates back more than 100 years; today there are more than 1,700 land trusts throughout the country.  There are numerous advantages of working with the Land Trust.  Our non-profit status brings a variety of tax benefits.  Donations of land, conservation easements, or money may qualify you for income, estate, or gift tax savings.  Furthermore, because we are a private organization, we can be more flexible and creative than public agencies – and can act more quickly – in saving land.

The Land Trust is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization.  Formed in 1991, the Land Trust has preserved over 5,000 acres of land.  Almost half of this acreage has been preserved by conservation easements, voluntary agreements between a landowner and the Land Trust.

The Land Trust appreciates the support of the local community, second homeowners and visiting guests.  Currently we have over 1,700 members, and our sustaining membership program is growing.  Establishing trusting and meaningful relationships with community members has enabled us to become an extremely effective conservation organization.