Lands at Risk
• Wildlife—Farm and ranch land provides more than 70 percent of the habitat for America's wildlife;
• Scenic views and wide-open countryside—Well-managed farm and ranch land protects soil and water. Farmland loss has visible environmental impacts
• Access to fresh local foods—86 percent of our fruits and vegetables and 63 percent of our dairy products grown in this country are produced on urban-edge farms threatened by sprawl;
• Millions of jobs both on the land and in secondary services; and
• Down-to-earth values and farming character of our rural communities—America was born a farming nation and farms help define our cultural heritage.
Way of Life
Agriculture has thrived in Sublette County since the mid-1800s.
Today's rancher is an expert in many areas, including genetics, nutrition, business, marketing and mechanical repair. Many ranchers have college degrees.
Ranchers and their families have strong ties to their local communities. Bankers, accountants, feed suppliers, veterinarians, milk testers, equipment retailers, feed mills and milk haulers all work in agriculture in Sublette County. Manufacturing, marketing and distribution of beef products employ a whole other segment of the community.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service reports that between 1997 and 2001, 2.2 million acres were lost to development each year (2001 Annual Natural Resources Inventory). The LTA land trust census reports that from 1998 to 2003, local and regional land trusts conserved open space at a rate of about 800,000 acres per year. Many of the nation’s land trusts were formed to address this problem – working with landowners to conserve our precious landscapes before they are lost forever to development. However, whether to develop or conserve a particular parcel of land is a complex decision that depends on many criteria and local concerns.
Sublette County’s scenic vistas and wide-open ranchland provide some of the most unique, beautiful views in the country. As a habitat for deer, elk and antelope, Sublette County’s ranchland provides a significant value to both the rancher and to the general public.
For Sublette County’s residents, the quality of life here is quickly beginning to change. As the rest of the world begins to discover the natural beauty of the area, more and more second homes are being constructed, consuming large amounts of ranchland and other open spaces. In the past ten years, the population of Colorado has grown 2.8 percent while Wyoming’s population has grown 1.3 percent—but Wyoming has consumed the same amount of agricultural land as Colorado. The lands that form “Big Wyoming” seem to be shrinking as this residential development eats up large parcels of land.
A recent study by American Farmland Trust found that if Wyoming does not act now to create smart growth policies that help to stall this land loss, over 2.5 million acres of ecologically, economically and culturally important ranchlands could be lost to development by the year 2020.
The study determined that Sublette County risks losing 336,000 acres of strategic ranchland by 2020 to subdivision.
Please note that a land trust must be selective in choosing land-saving projects. Unless the land trust exercises care in choosing its projects, it may find itself stuck with a property or a conservation easement that serves little public interest, is very costly to manage, or does not really fit with the land trust's purposes. A land trust that does not carefully select its projects may open itself to public criticism, credibility problems and even legal problems.
The GRVLT’s ability to offer a conservation alternative to the sale or development of ranchland is crucial to the future of agriculture in Sublette County. Thanks to the foresight and generosity of landowners, the GRVLT has been able to work with nearly 40 families to conserve nearly 20,000 acres of ranchland, which is now permanently protected from subdivision and non-agricultural development.