November 13, 2025
DENVER – Western Resource Advocates today applauded the Colorado State Land Board for its 4-1 vote to sell the 45,952-acre La Jara property in the San Luis Valley to the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
“Approval of this transfer marks a historic win for conservation, wildlife habitat connectivity, public access and the economic vitality of communities in south-central Colorado,” said Tarn Udall, senior attorney for WRA. “This vote also honors nearly a decade of community-led conversation and public engagement, including over 100 public meetings.”
The property is slated to sell for market value – $49.6 million – and will be purchased using dollars from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, marking the largest transaction enabled by the fund in Colorado to date. This transfer will expand the bordering Rio Grande National Forest and Bureau of Land Management parcels by over 20,000 acres respectively and add 2,224 acres to the La Jara Reservoir State Wildlife Area, which Colorado Parks and Wildlife will purchase with $6 million from its habitat stamp fund.
The sale not only allows the State Land Board to generate funds to support its beneficiaries, but it permanently connects and protects these remote and sensitive wildlife areas, ensures access for recreation like hunting and fishing and allows for grazing and agricultural uses that support nearby economies.
In the last few months, WRA has collaborated with coalition partners, conservation groups and sportsmen; met with commissioners and other state and federal partners; and testified in support of the sale at today’s State Land Board meeting. WRA was also a driving force behind House Bill 1332, passed in 2025, that created a work group to study and identify opportunities to advance conservation and recreation activities on state trust lands.
This was a critical juncture for Colorado. The commissioners’ decision to stay the course, rather than jettison this deal just steps from the finish line, means the state will strengthen its status as one of the nation’s foremost conservation leaders and uplift the importance of collaboration at a time when trust is eroding and public lands are under threat.
WRA appreciates the thoughtful engagement and leadership of the commissioners and looks forward to continued partnership with the State Land Board, identifying opportunities to enhance conservation and public access to incredible natural areas while generating revenue for the lands’ public beneficiaries.
