Pitkin County approves partnership with AVLT for grant application
The grant would support construction of a public trail and restoration work on Coffman Ranch
AVLT/Courtesy photo
The Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved an agreement with Aspen Valley Land Trust Wednesday to partner for a grant application that would fund trail construction and restoration work at Coffman Ranch.
Pitkin County holds the conservation easement for Coffman Ranch, which is owned by AVLT, requiring the county to be part of the application for a Great Outdoors Colorado Community Impact Grant. According to Jonathan Rose, AVLT’s Natural Resources director who presented to the BOCC Wednesday, no additional funding is being asked of Pitkin County through this grant application.
Pitkin County originally contributed to AVLT’s purchase of the land in 2021 — along with Garfield County, the town of Carbondale and Great Outdoors Colorado — and holds the conservation easement in perpetuity in order to protect the agriculture, wildlife habitat and public access to the riverfront.
“The Coffman Ranch is a huge project,” Carly Bolliger, AVLT Communication & Engagement director, said.
She noted that part of the initial vision when the ranch was purchased was to continue the agricultural operations in tandem with developing programming and ensuring public access. The trail construction will build on an existing game trail of sorts to establish a more permanent and “family-friendly” way for the public to access the Roaring Fork River.
“Part of the original intent of purchasing the ranch is that we would have public access,” Bolliger emphasized. “Public access paired with the restoration is what makes this project so special.”
The restoration work AVLT is looking to fund will include new planting and some irrigation work, primarily in response to a 2008 fire that took out a large grove of cottonwoods. With the ranching operations that have been occurring, the land was never able to full recover on its own.
“It’s been really dry and needs a lot of love,” Bolliger said.
According to Rose’s presentation, the goal is to “restore the vitality and ecological integrity of those areas” while “working on opening public access to this property.”
He noted that, pending the grant, the timeline tentatively expects trail construction to begin this summer with the restoration work completed over the course of the next three years.
Commissioners expressed unanimous support for the project.
What’s happening in Aspen, in one click.
Sign up for our morning newsletter at AspenTimes.com/newsletter
“This look fantastic,” Commissioner Ted Mahon said.
Commissioner Patti Clapper agreed, saying. “It’s a great parcel … I think it’s a perfect property.”
Clapper’s grandson has even volunteered on Coffman Ranch, she added, underscoring that access to this property gave him a deeper appreciation for what Pitkin County and many in the Roaring Fork Valley do to protect local lands.
Commissioner Francie Jacober also voiced support of the project. She noted that while her son owns the lease for ranching operations on the land, because agriculture is separate from public access and education endeavors on the property, she will not have to recuse herself from voting in favor of the agreement with AVLT.
Grant selections should be finalized and announced in early June.
“It’s not a done deal, (but) we’re optimistic,” Bolliger said.
Once granting is secured, the trail won’t be open to the public until spring or summer of 2027. This project is happening in tandem with AVLT’s development of more formalized programming this year that will include construction on a pole barn, a learning lab, a community kitchen and restoration of a historical dairy barn.
