Within the high peaks and deep river canyons of Colorado’s 44 wilderness areas are some of the most most spectacular landscapes in the West.  Within these wilderness areas are approximately 7,683 acres of private lands. They carry none of the protections of the surrounding wilderness and can be developed with mines, homes and resorts, and roads. Each one represents a tear in the fabric of wilderness protection.

The Trust was founded in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley to address these threats of development and create a better way for private landowners to convey their lands to public ownership to be protected for future generations. Thirty two years after the organization began, Colorado remains an important focus area of our work.