Gunnison Library

Gunnison Ranchland Conservation Legacy (GRCL) is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization based in Gunnison County, CO. Acting on behalf of landowners in conjunction with established land trusts, GRCL works with ranching families to protect their lands with conservation easements. GRCL was started in 1996 by two individuals with different backgrounds but similar concerns and objectives for protecting agricultural lands in their area: Bill Trampe, an area rancher, and Susan Lohr, the former director of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. Together, they began investigating the opportunities and services that a traditional land trust might offer to ranch families. In the end, they realized that the best way to protect agriculture was to keep families on the land by raising the funds necessary to purchase conservation easements. GRCL strives to meet landowners' needs and offer information to further understanding of the conservation easement process.