Eagle County Locks 9,500 Acres of Nottingham Ranch Forever

Aspen —The Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust closed a conservation easement on 18,484 acres of the Nottingham Ranch. The deal locks down land in both Eagle and Routt counties near Burns. No one can build on it. Not now, not ever.

The Vail Daily reported the closing happened late Friday. For Eagle County, this is a massive shift in land management. The county contributed up to $10 million from its Open Space Fund. That money came after a formal recommendation from the Eagle County Open Space Advisory Committee in February. This single transaction doubles the total conservation impact of the Open Space program since it started 23 years ago.

Eagle County Commissioner Tom Boyd called it a "great day." He highlighted the preservation of elk and deer habitat. He also pointed to the protection of ranching heritage. "Personally, I’d like to thank Ms. Nottingham without whom none of this would be possible," Boyd wrote in a text message Friday.

The numbers are stark. The portion of the ranch inside Eagle County is 9,480.49 acres. That figure represents 4.4% of all private land in the county. The total private acreage in Eagle County is 215,680 acres. To put that in perspective: this one easement protects nearly 1% of the county’s private land base.

Marcia Gilles, the Eagle County Director of Open Space and Natural Resources, confirmed the scale in a release. "Eagle County Open Space and Natural Resources has contributed to protecting nearly 9,500 acres in the county — the largest conservation easement in the 23-year history of the Open Space fund," Gilles said.

The land comes with water. Specifically, 175 cubic feet per second of senior water rights dating back to the late 1800s. In Colorado, water is land. You can’t separate them easily. Protecting the acreage protects the flow.

The Cattlemen’s Trust did not disclose the full purchase price. Eagle County valued the easement between $27 million and $30 million in February. That works out to approximately $1,054.80 per conserved acre. The exact cost is a mystery, but the county’s valuation gives you a floor and a ceiling for what this stewardship cost.

Routt County moved faster on its side of the ledger. Last month, Routt commissioners unanimously approved $3 million from their Purchase of Development Rights Open Space Fund. That covers the portion of the ranch in Routt County.

Susan Nottingham, the current owner, had a different focus at that meeting. She thanked her late parents, Bill Nottingham Jr. and Neva Snook. "They’re the ones that took 64 years of their married life and put this all together," Nottingham said. "It’s because they loved their family and they loved the land."

Nottingham explained her motivation bluntly. She refused to let the land be divided up and sold off, particularly the water rights. "I just could not see letting it go to ruin to somebody dividing it up and selling the water," she said.

The family history is deep. The Cattlemen’s Trust notes that her parents purchased their first ranch on what is now the EagleVail Golf Course. Over six decades, they amassed the holdings that make up today’s Nottingham Ranch.

Nottingham quoted 19th-century poet John Keats in the press release: "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." She added, "This will truly be a joy forever. My heart is full."

The easement protects the land from development, but it doesn’t change how the ranch operates. The Nottingham family continues to work the land. The water stays senior. The habitat stays wild. The tax base remains, but the development potential is gone forever for that 4.4% of Eagle County’s private land.

The Vail Daily noted the significance of the senior water rights. In a drought-prone region, holding onto 175 cubic feet per second of senior water is a strategic move. It ensures the land can support agriculture and wildlife even in dry years.

This isn’t just a story about one ranch. It’s a template for how local governments can use Open Space funds to lock down large tracts of land. Eagle County just spent its largest single allocation in program history on one property. The precedent is set.

The land near Burns is now off the table for subdivision. The next time a developer looks at that map, they’ll see a red line where the Nottingham Ranch sits. That’s what conservation easements do. They change the map permanently.

The full price tag remains undisclosed by the Trust. But with Eagle County on the hook for up to $10 million and Routt County contributing $3 million, the public investment is substantial. The result is 18,484 acres of protected open space.

The story ends with the land itself. It’s still there. The elk are still there. The water is still flowing. And it will stay that way, regardless of who owns the deed in fifty years.