This 73.6-acre conservation easement donation is the largest financial donation the Open Lands Program has received to date. It includes a 16-acre pond and approximately 16 acres of wetlands. Typically, conservation easements are not open to the public, however the landowner, through a special arrangement, has graciously donated a trail easement, and trailhead. It is our vision that sometime in the future the public may have an opportunity to witness the incredible views on this site, as they hike on this future trail.

A playground for deer, elk and other wildlife, the Block Conservation Easement includes approximately 35 acres of land near the mouth of the Big Thompson Canyon west of Loveland and is not open to the public. This property provides a buffer to the existing conservation easements held by Larimer County on the Sylvan Dale Ranch and is protected because of its wildlife, ecological, agricultural, and scenic values.

Songbirds, foxes, and migratory water birds are among the assorted mix of animals that can be seen in this amazingly diverse habitat. This conservation easement however is not open to the public. It preserves a community separator between Loveland and Berthoud along with the protection of stunning viewsheds near Lonetree Reservoir State Wildlife Area. A trail easement and 50% of 3 shares of water is included in this acquisition.

Coyote Ridge Natural Area is open to the public and is an example of a transition zone between grasslands and montane forests sometimes called montane shrublands. This property is located between Loveland and Fort Collins approximately 1 mile south of the Larimer County Landfill on the west side of County Road 19 (Taft Hill Road from Fort Collins - Wilson Street from Loveland).