Kebler

In April, 2001, the Crested Butte Land Trust purchased 320 acres of incredibly beautiful forested land just six miles from Crested Butte up Kebler Pass, on the West Elk Scenic Byway just before the turn-off to Lake Irwin. Surrounded by National Forest, the property straddles Coal Creek, the water source for the Town of Crested Butte. There are several tributaries on the property which also feed into Coal Creek. In addition to the associated wetlands, it is heavily timbered with spruce and aspen trees. This forest is home to beavers, elk, deer, marmots, coyotes, black bears, skunks, great horned owls, and more.

The Crested Butte Land Trust works to be as innovative as possible to parlay funds into open space conservation, and in two separate transactions in 2005 and 2009, the land trust was able to trade the entire property to the Forest Service for management and protection. (In 2005, the land trust conveyed 157 acres for $690,000, and in 2009, the land trust conveyed the remaining acreage for $609,001). Transferring this property into the Forest Service is consistent with the Forest Service’s long-term management strategy and the Kebler Pass Corridor.