Chaffee County has announced the awardees of the 2025 Common Ground Initiative Competitive Grant Program, which supports conservation, forest health, wildfire mitigation, and agricultural sustainability.

This year, the program received 20 full applications and 9 mini-grant applications. Of those, 18 projects were approved, with a total of $670,000 awarded.

The funded projects will:

  • Treat 1,500 acres for wildfire mitigation,
  • Protect 484 acres through permanent conservation easements,
  • Ensure irrigation for over 2,000 acres of agricultural land, and
  • Protect and maintain key recreation areas, including Brown’s Canyon and Lost Trail.

“The Common Ground Initiative exemplifies what we can accomplish when the community comes together around shared goals for conservation, forest health, and sustainable agriculture,” said Commissioner Gina Lucrezi. “These awards from Common Ground’s Competitive Grant Program will not only protect our natural resources and working lands, but also help ensure that Chaffee County remains a resilient, vibrant place to live, work, and play.”

The Chaffee County Common Ground Initiative supports projects and programs that address critical local priorities, including forest health, wildfire risk reduction, agricultural conservation, and the sustainable management of recreation and natural resources. By funding collaborative, strategic initiatives, the Initiative helps preserve the county’s natural and working landscapes for generations to come.

The Chaffee County Commissioners would like to specially acknowledge the members of the Common Ground Citizen Advisory Committee who each dedicated over 50 volunteer hours through the review process for the 2025 Competitive Grant Program. Their attentiveness, along with thoughtful and professional administration by the Chaffee County Community Foundation, ensured funding decisions were thoughtful, clear, and focused on meaningful outcomes connected to the Common Ground Initiative.

Salida Fire Department – South Arkansas FPD Wildfire Mitigation
$66,500 Year 1 ($199,500 total) – This program will shift wildfire response from reactive to proactive, protecting lives, homes, and the local economy through planning and regional collaboration.

Colorado Firecamp – Community Forestry
$76,095 Year 1 ($228,285 total) – Colorado Firecamp combines vocational training and forest treatment to reduce wildfire risk and restore forest health, treating 400 acres annually in high-priority areas.

Guidestone Colorado – Strengthening the Hutchinson Ranch Partnership
$34,000 – Supporting the historic Hutchinson Ranch, this grant funds capital improvements to expand educational programming, community events, and revenue opportunities while preserving agricultural productivity.

Hutchinson Ranch – Del Monte Ditch Diversion & Headgate Improvements
$47,500 – This project repairs critical irrigation structures, improving water management, reducing erosion, and ensuring long-term irrigation viability for the Hutchinson Ranch and Massey properties.

Lowland Ditch – Headgate System Upgrade
$26,244 – Funds will install a new headgate system to optimize water use, support local agriculture, and protect community water rights.

Post Office Ranch – Ranch Bot Water Storage Indicator
$5,300 – This technology monitors water tank levels on three grazing allotments, saving ranchers time while ensuring cattle and wildlife have sufficient water.

TN Bar Cattle Company – TN Bar Pipeline Project
$52,706 – Streamlining 3,200 feet of the Sunnyside Ditch into a pipeline will reduce erosion, improve irrigation efficiency for over 300 acres of grazing land, and enhance safety along Hwy 291.

Central Colorado Conservancy – Virtual Fencing for Ranch Management
$40,000 – This project supports six existing and three new livestock producers in using virtual fencing technology, improving sustainability while saving time, labor, and fuel on large pastures.

Riverside Ditch & Allen Extension Company – Ditch Infrastructure Upgrades
$153,436 – Funds will replace aging gates, flumes, and lining, and upgrade a siphon and trash rack to improve water flow, efficiency, and long-term durability of the ditch system.

Central Colorado Conservancy – Frenchman’s Creek Ranch Conservation Easement
$71,250 – This grant helps secure a perpetual conservation easement on a 448-acre historic ranch, protecting working land, water rights, and river frontage while preserving open space and supporting sustainable agricultural practices.

Central Colorado Conservancy – Williams Ranch Conservation Easement
$71,250 – Funding will help place a 37-acre parcel in Salida under permanent easement, preserving productive agricultural land, open space, and wildlife habitat threatened by rapid urban development.

Mini Grants support one- to two-year projects requesting $5,000 or less that align with the goals of Chaffee Common Ground. Designed to fund smaller initiatives, these grants encourage broader participation through a streamlined application process.

Arrowpoint Cattle Company – Arrowpoint Fencing
$5,000 – Improving fencing infrastructure to support grazing plans, particularly on smaller pastures where virtual fencing is less effective.

Friends of Browns Canyon – E-bike Patrols
$4,250 – Acquire electric mountain bikes to monitor Browns Canyon National Monument in an environmentally friendly and efficient way.

GARNA – Chaffee County Phase 2 E. Coli Monitoring
$4,240 – Assess E. coli levels in local streams to help manage human and animal waste, protect public health, and mitigate recreation impacts.

Guidestone Colorado – Expanding Chaffee Provides
$2,698 – Enhance the Chaffee Provides website to increase visibility of local food producers, expand markets, and boost local food access.

Hoosier Ditch Owners – Willow Removal Project
$2,500 – Clear willows along a quarter-mile stretch of the Hoosier Ditch to improve irrigation for agricultural lands.

Salida Mountain Trails – Lost Trail Rock Armoring
$2,000 – Install rock armor on an eroded section of Lost Trail to maintain a popular, sustainable, and resilient downhill trail experience.

Upper Arkansas Conservation District – Dew Drop Drill
$4,800 – Purchase a compact Dew Drop Drill for the no-till drill program, increasing usability across diverse terrain and for a wider variety of producers.