Colorado ranch bought for conservation links to 100,000+ acres of public land

A 674-acre ranch on the northern flank of Colorado’s Pikes Peak, once listed as a development site for $5.9 million, has now been bought by Palmer Land Conservancy and will be protected for conservation.The Conservancy closed on the purchase of Pinestone Ranch on August 11, according to Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance. The sale price was not disclosed. The property, located just south of Woodland Park along Old Crystola Canyon Road, contains conifer and aspen forest.The conservation group said it bought the ranch as part of efforts to protect open land around Pikes Peak. The property is next to Pike National Forest and connects Woodland Park with more than 100,000 acres of public land. It also borders the 6,000-acre Pikes Peak Conservation Corridor.For now, the land will remain closed to the public. Palmer will temporarily hold the property while its partners work out long-term ownership and stewardship plans.