Photo by Xavi Fane Cattle and Conservation The seasonal movement of cattle is both a vital ranching tradition and an essential ecological strategy in managing healthy pastures and rangelands around Crested Butte and the Gunnison Valley. Each year, local ranching families orchestrate a precise, elevational migration to optimize livestock forage and protect the valley’s fragile...

Photo by Xavi Fane Thank You Volunteers and Supporters! The Crested Butte Land Trust team extends our deepest thanks to all of our volunteers, committee members, Board of Directors, and generous donors. Your time, dedication, and generosity have made this summer’s events a tremendous success and, most importantly, have helped us continue caring for and...

A New Face at CBLT Carmen BellDirector of Advancement The Crested Butte Land Trust is excited to welcome Carmen Bell to the newly created Director of Advancement position. Originally from southern Maine, Carmen has called Crested Butte home for more than 20 years. As Director of Advancement, Carmen will oversee fundraising and engagement programs to...

2026 Summer Newsletter Content:Message from the Executive Director A Year of Lasting ImpactPartners for Life: Water, Wetlands, and the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy DistrictSupporter SpotlightBy the Numbers Click here for the PDF version. Message from the Executive Director Welcome to our 35th anniversary summer newsletter — and the incredible year it captures.   When I think about what...

Photo by Xavi Fane Welcoming New Faces to CBLT Cheryl CwelichDevelopment & Communications Manager The Crested Butte Land Trust is excited to welcome Cheryl Cwelich onto the Development team! She previously worked with CBLT, and we are thrilled to welcome her back. As Development and Communications Manager, Cheryl will lead community engagement and events such as the...

Photo by Petar Dopchev Change is in the Air Spring is a season of new beginnings, and the Crested Butte Land Trust has some changes to share with you. After five years of growing the Land Trust’s fundraising capacity and telling our story, Jess Forbes is moving on to run her own business in the Crested Butte community. Saying goodbye to great people...

Photo by Xavi Fane Signs of Spring: A Few Wildlife-Friendly Reminders As the days grow longer and the snow begins to soften, many of us start itching to get back out to our favorite recreation areas. Spring is also a sensitive time for wildlife across the Gunnison Valley, and a few seasonal closures help give...

Photo by John Holder Slate River Wetlands Acquired! Thanks to the extraordinary support of this community, the Crested Butte Land Trust has acquired the Kapushion-Spehar Wetlands parcel immediately north of the Town of Crested Butte.   What began as an ambitious vision became a shared commitment to conserve 90 acres along the Slate River, protecting clean water, wildlife habitat, working lands, and the...

Photo By Trevor Bona Slate River Wetlands Campaign We’re starting the year with strong momentum and an important opportunity ahead. Thanks to the remarkable generosity of this community, we have under $750,000 left to raise to purchase and permanently protect a 90-acre parcel in the Slate River Wetlands.  This effort continues more than 30 years of conservation work along the Slate River,...

Season’s Greetings Winter has finally arrived here in the Gunnison Valley. And each year, the turn toward winter always brings a moment of pause, a chance to reflect on the year we’ve shared and the steady care this community brought to every project. At CBLT, that care is a community act. It’s a partnership on...