ߣÏÈÉú

For an organization that’s long relied on grants and funding from local governments, the Eagle County Conservation District has accomplished a lot. The group recently provided an update on its 2024 activity to the Eagle County Board of Commissioners.

Voters in 2024 approved a mill levy for the district that will provide about $700,000 per year for district activities, meaning it will be able to do even more.

During the Jan. 21 presentation, Laura Bohannan, the district director, went over projects with the county’s property owners ranging from work with ranchers — including soil health and virtual fencing — to work with in-town land owners including the “” program.

---

---

That program has been funded through the Colorado River District and has worked in Eagle, Gypsum and Minturn, and in just a couple of years has resulted in the removal of about 25,000 square feet of turf grass. That grass has been replaced with native and other plants that use less water.

Bohannon told the commissioners the $55,000 in replacement projects includes a pair of demonstration gardens, at the Eagle bike park and at the Edwards Riverwalk.

---

---

The program has also hosted three do-it-yourself landscape conversion workshops.

Bohannon said the next step in the program is a countywide effort and partnership with the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District.

In the broader county, the district is working with landowners on a noxious weed program. That cost-share program has treated about 900 acres to help eliminate Russian thistle, cheatgrass and bindweed, weeds that quickly spread to both public and private land.

---

Be more informed in 2025.

Sign up for daily or weekly newsletters at VailDaily.com/newsletter

---

The noxious weed efforts include a partnership with Eagle Ranch. That partnership includes gathering data on wildlife forage and ecosystem health and mapping where noxious weeds are.

Perhaps the district’s most innovative program is its virtual fencing project with local ranchers. Now in its fourth year, “There are a lot of eyes on us,” Bohannon said.

So far, ranchers have put virtual fencing collars on more than 2,100 cattle. Those collars are used for range management, to move cattle from place to place without the use of fences, which can interfere with wildlife movement.

Cattle can be moved away from creeks and other riparian areas, which can be badly damaged by grazing animals. They can also be moved to areas that haven’t been grazed but should be.

Program manager Allegra Snow said as of the third year of the program, benefits have been seen, although not to the point that ranchers are ready to take down all their fences.

With the steady income stream from the new mill levy, Bohannon said the district is now looking for a paid horticulture specialist and is starting a needs assessment to develop a forestry program for private landowners. The district would also like to start an urban agriculture program, she added.

Commissioner Matt Scherr complimented Bohannon and the district’s board for its work to get the mill levy passed last year.

“You’re setting an example for other districts,” in the state, Scherr said.