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Colorado has a new State Wildlife Area in Chaffee County.
Chubb Park Ranch State Wildlife Area is located approximately nine miles northeast of Buena Vista on Highway 24/285. Joseph and Arlene Cogan, whose family has been ranching in Chaffee County since 1889, own the 507-acre ranch. They have agreed to open their ranch to public hunting as part of a perpetual conservation easement.
The conservation easement was jointly financed by the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Trust for Public Lands, Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas, Great Outdoors Colorado, Chaffee County, and a donation from the Cogan family.
Chubb Park Ranch SWA is comprised of a blend of mountain grassland habitat, creeks, and forest habitat. It provides critical elk winter range.
"The purpose of this project is to protect the conservation values of Chubb Park Ranch in perpetuity and allow public access for hunting," said Division of Wildlife Regional Manager Dan Prenzlow. "It will protect 84 acres of riparian habitat, 12 acres of forested habitat, over 400 acres of sagebrush/grassland habitat, as well as important winter range for elk."
The conservation easement also protects nearly 2.8 acres of stream frontage, including portions of Trout Creek, as well as some of the smaller tributaries to both Trout and Chubb Creeks, although the access easement is for hunting only.
Prenzlow said the agreement would also preserve historic ranching practices, habitat for non-game wildlife, and invaluable scenic vistas including a fantastic viewscape from Hwy. 9 to Buffalo Peaks.
The conservation easement preserves valuable habitat as a wildlife corridor between surrounding State Land Board land and the San Isabel National Forest.
The perpetual access easement allows the public to hunt the Chubb Park Ranch. Access to the 507 acre ranch also enhances access to the existing 3,640 acre Chubb Park State Land Board parcel which is open to hunting as part of the State Trust Lands Program.
The DOW is a co-grantee on this perpetual conservation easement with the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas.
The property is located in Game Management Unit 49.
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