Editor’s note: The Ouray County Plaindealer is continuing its tradition of featuring nonprofit organizations based in Ouray County, serving Ouray County in a series of profiles called Season of Sharing. The purpose is to highlight the meaningful work these organizations perform and let the community know how they can help them even more, as the holidays approach and we reach the end of 2025. Look for these profiles published weekly from now until Dec. 31. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of nonprofit organizations in Ouray County.
Year established as a nonprofit: 2000
What does your organization do for Ouray County?
We are a specialty land trust that works statewide to help communities and local governments clean and preserve historic mine sites, including the Red Mountain Mining District and the U.S. Highway 550/Million Dollar Highway corridor.
As a member of the Red Mountain Project, the trust helped Ouray County acquire 14 mining claims including the Garard/Larson Brothers Mine open space and two parcels including the historic Ironton town site. We monitor the conservation easements protecting these properties. In 2006, the private owner of the Yankee Girl Mine placed a conservation easement with the trust, protecting the property and preventing the head-frame from being bulldozed. In 2016, the trust acquired and donated 12 Red Mountain-area mining claims to the US Forest Service plus 2 mining claims containing the historic Corkscrew Turntable to Ouray County. In 2018, the trust purchased and donated the mining claim on the south side of Red Mountain Pass containing a snowpack monitoring station to the Southwest Water Conservation District. In 2020, the trust negotiated the donation of four Idarado houses to Ouray County and has raised more than $180,000 to stabilize and preserve them.
What do you list as your greatest accomplishments in 2025?
In Governor Basin we engineered a mining claim donation to Ouray County to be preserved as open space and possibly traded to the U.S. Forest Service for land under Idarado houses 3 and 4. We coordinated a volunteer work day at the Idarado houses, funded an artisan-welded entrance gate and maintained the on-site interpretive kiosk. In the Red Mountain Mining District we monitored and documented conditions and advocated for preservation of more than a dozen historic sites. We worked with the Ouray County Sheriff’s Office to add three county-owned sites to its Highway 550 patrol route.
What are some goals or projects you have planned for 2026?
After eight years of negotiating, the trust is under contract to purchase the Silver Mountain Mine, a block of 14 mining claims totaling 104 acres in the Red Mountain Mining District. These were first identified as important to conserve in 2003 by Bob Risch and the Red Mountain Project. Surrounded by National Forest, the Silver Mountain claims are on the south-facing flank of Brown Mountain, above the Ironton Park cross-country ski trails. The property includes mixed-conifer/aspen forest, large meadows, freshwater springs, big views and several historic mining features. Spanning elevations of 10,400–11,400 feet, the landscape provides year-round habitat for lynx, elk, moose, mule deer, black bear and mountain lion. Brown Mountain Road (CR20) travels through the property, providing 4WD public access, making the property popular with hikers, four-wheel-drivers, skiers and snowshoers. The total project fundraising goal is $540,000, including the purchase price of $400,000, plus conservation easement costs and environmental due diligence. Thanks to a $215,000 commitment from the state of Colorado’s Idarado Natural Resource Damage Fund, donations and possible grants, we are now within sight of our goal.
Tell us how the community can help you do more here in Ouray County.
For the Silver Mountain Acquisition Project, volunteers are needed to help study the property and solicit donations. For more information, visit restorationtrust. org or call Pat Willits at 970-626-3236 to donate, volunteer and/or be added to our email list. Donations may also be mailed to Trust for Land Restoration, P.O. Box 743, Ridgway CO 81432.
The trust is also recruiting volunteers to monitor conditions at historic sites in the Red Mountain Mining District and to assist with stabilization projects at the Idarado houses and other historic sites. Please contact Rachel Griego at trustforlandrestoration@gmail.com for more information and to volunteer.
