Aspen Times: Aspen family donates land near Independence Pass for permanent protection
The Aspen Times celebrates the Phase 1 transfer of Champion Mine South to public ownership.
May 29, 2026
Tag Archive for: Colorado
Protecting the slopes of Colorado’s Mount Champion
May 15, 2026-
The Trust recently completed the transfer of 194 acres on the slopes of Mount Champion, just outside the Mount Massive Wilderness, to the San Isabel National Forest in Colorado.
The Champion Mine South property, which stretches from the North Fork of Lake Creek almost to the summit of Mount Champion, includes remnants of the Champion Mine which was active from 1907-1940 mining gold, silver, copper, and lead. The property is being transferred to public ownership in two phases— this first 194-acre phase, and a second 40-acre phase that will follow at a later date.
Along with the remnants of Champion Mine, a mill site where ore was processed was also located on the 40-acre portion of the property that will transfer later. The 50-ton mill used mercury to dissolve gold from ore that was pulled from the mine and crushed, resulting in a denser material that could more easily be separated from the remaining ore. It was then heated to distill off the mercury for reuse, leaving behind gold particles. This process commonly resulted in waste tailings contaminated with heavy metals.
Last year the Trust completed extensive environmental testing for mercury and other heavy metals on the property in partnership with the EPA-led Mixed Ownership Group, which consists of federal and state agencies, local governments, and non-governmental organizations focused on completing assessments and remedial actions on abandoned mine lands throughout Colorado. The testing all came back within safe levels, an important step to ensure the property is wilderness-ready before becoming public lands. With this due diligence completed, the second phase of the transfer is moving forward.
Collecting samples on the property with members of the EPA-led Mixed Ownership Group.
The property was generously donated to the Trust in 2023 by local landowner Amy Margerum Berg: “My late husband, Charles “Chuck” McLean, had the foresight to purchase these mining claims with the intent of protecting them from development. My son, Slater McLean, and I are so proud to be donating this land in his honor. He loved this land more than anything and spent hours exploring and hiking every inch of this spectacular backcountry wilderness. He would be very happy to know that the land will now be protected forever.”
The popular North Fork Lake Creek Trail leads hikers, backpackers, and horsemen into the 30,000-acre Mount Massive Wilderness and runs through the base of the Champion Mine South property. Protecting the property under public ownership ensures public access on the trail and mitigates the management and liability concerns that have recently cut off access to several of Colorado’s 14ers. The project also protects important wildlife habitat, spanning from streamside riparian zones to alpine meadows above treeline, and is home to bighorn sheep.
Aspen Times: Pitkin County makes ‘historic’ purchase to protect land near Snowmass
The Aspen Times celebrates the partnership between Pitkin County and The Wilderness Land Trust to protect Snowmass Falls Ranch
December 10, 2025
Denver Gazette: 51 acres of private Colorado inholdings secured by land trust in two popular wildernesses
The Denver Gazette celebrates the Trust’s acquisition of the Busher Claim and Great Western projects.
December 4, 2025
Aspen Times: National organization purchases property near Aspen to protect it from development
The Aspen Times celebrates the Trust’s acquisition of the Busher Claim project
December 3, 2025
Trail access protected in Colorado’s Weminuche Wilderness
September 19, 2025-
Earlier this summer the Trust transferred our 30-acre Needle Creek property, adding it to the Weminuche Wilderness. Last week we built off that momentum, transferring our 31-acre Great Western Lode properties to also be added to the Weminuche, once again growing Colorado’s largest wilderness area.
The Great Western Lode project is made up of three properties totaling 31 acres. Located about five miles north of the Needle Creek project, they protect fragile alpine tundra habitat. Like the Needle Creek project, the addition of Great Western Lode to the wilderness area secures public access on a popular trail. The 9.3-mile Whitehead Trail runs through two of the project’s three properties, and connects the Continental Divide Trail to the Highland Mary Trail and Deer Park Trails, which are easily accessible from the town of Silverton, Colorado, a year-round recreation destination.
All but 6 acres of Great Western Lode will be added to designated wilderness, enjoying the highest level of protection available to public lands that can only be altered by an act of Congress, not executive orders or other administration directives. The remaining 6 acres, which extends outside of the established wilderness boundary, will be added to San Juan National Forest to be managed as wilderness.
With the transfer of Great Western Lode, the Trust has protected a total of 15 properties covering over 265 acres in the Weminuche Wilderness.
Durango Telegraph: Win for the Weminuche
The Durango Telegraph celebrates the Trust’s addition of the 30 acre Needle Creek Property to the Weminuche Wilderness.
July 7, 2025
Denver Gazette: Colorado’s Weminuche Wilderness gains acres of public lands
The Denver Gazette celebrate the Trust’s addition of the 30 acre Needle Creek Property to the Weminuche Wilderness.
July 1, 2025
Public access protected as the Weminuche Wilderness grows
June 25, 2025-
Earlier this year we shared the news that we had acquired a 30-acre private inholding in the Weminuche Wilderness of southern Colorado. Now we are thrilled to announce that the property has been transferred to public ownership to be protected as designated wilderness.
Running through the property are both Needle Creek and the Needle Creek Trail, which is used by hikers and climbers to access the very popular Chicago Basin and its surrounding 14,000+ peaks. With flat, buildable stream-side sites, the property was previously at risk of development. Now protected, public access on the trail to Chicago Basin has been ensured for future generations to enjoy. Needle Creek is an important tributary to the Animas River. This water source, along with vibrant aspen groves that stretch from the creek up the slopes of the Needle Mountains, create habitat for a wide range of wildlife. The Needle Creek property scores high for climate change resilience, biodiversity, and landscape connectivity, all important conservation values that will be protected as wilderness.
At just shy of half a million acres, the Weminuche Wilderness is the largest in Colorado. Spanning the continental divide, with an average elevation of over 10,000 feet, its rugged terrain provides important alpine habitat. Needle Creek is the 15th property protected by the Trust in the wilderness area, and builds off the success of the nearby 7-acre Emerald Lake property that the Trust acquired in 2018 and transferred to be added to the wilderness area in 2023.
While the property is now protected as wilderness, we will continue working with the USFS to complete some remaining restoration work this summer, removing the remnants of a hunting camp left by a previous owner. We are encouraged to see transfers of property like Needle Creek still moving forward under the new administration, and are grateful for our wonderful partners at the San Juan National Forest and Region 2 USFS office for working so diligently to move this project through the transfer process.
Denver Gazette: US Forest Service acquires 19 acres of land in Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
The Denver Gazette celebrate the Trust’s addition of the 19 acre Panama Principle Lode to the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness.
October 21, 2024
