In 1999, a group of concerned citizens organized the Rural Land Preservation Group in an effort to preserve the rural character, scenic beauty, and natural resources that make the land in and around Teller County, Colorado an ideal place to live. The RLPG is made up of ranchers, landowners, interested citizens, county officials, and representatives of parks, trails, and open space organizations. The RLPG is open to all who want to contribute to the preservation of our rural land.

The goal of the RLPG is to provide clear and reliable information on land preservation options to ranchers and other landowners who wish to keep their land in agriculture and ranching, not only for their benefit, but also as a vital asset to the community as a whole.

The work of the RLPG is guided by the following values:

Rural Lifestyle - We believe that rural lifestyle is a defining characteristic of our community, one that preserves our heritage and characterizes our culture. We dedicate ourselves to preserving this rural lifestyle.

Ranching - We believe that ranching is an integral part of our community. Ranches preserve our open space, provide unbroken vistas and contribute to our local economy. We support our ranchers in their efforts to preserve their land and their way of life.

Natural Resources - We believe that by preserving rural lands we also protect water quality, wildlife habitat and a healthy environment for future generations. We join efforts with other area agencies to safeguard these irreplaceable natural resources.

Scenic Beauty - We believe that our area of Colorado is one of the most beautiful in America. The preservation of this scenic beauty and unique landscape is one of our highest priorities.

Growth - We believe that the best way to manage the inevitable growth in our area is to maintain an informed public. Area wide strategic planning can accommodate growth while preserving rural lifestyle, ranching, natural resources, and scenic beauty. We seek to educate the public about land preservation alternatives and to influence our local government on land use decisions.

Partnership and Collaboration - We believe that land preservation efforts are most successful when the partnership involves all interested parties - landowners and, where necessary, citizens groups, land preservation organizations and government agencies. We collaborate with all parties to successfully achieve our common objectives.

The RLPG Objectives are:

• To assist ranchers and other rural landowners who wish to keep their lands in agricultural production or preserve it as open space.
• To research tools available to finance land preservation, which include but are not limited to: conservation easements, tax credits, and land trusts.
• To build public awareness of and support for agricultural land preservation.
• To advocate before the state and the county for land use regulations that support agricultural land preservation.
• To secure funding for land preservation projects and to create sources of dedicated monies to serve as matching funds for grants.

The RLPG officers are:

The RLPG Board members are:

The RLPG Technical Team includes: