Palmer Land Conservancy asks Woodland Park to back purchase of 685-acre Pinestone Ranch

Ally O'Neil, a project associate with Palmer Land Conservancy, told the Woodland Park City Council on March 19 that the nonprofit is under contract to buy the 685-acre Pinestone Ranch, located just south of Woodland Park adjacent to U.S. Forest Service land and local trail networks.

O'Neil said the property offers wildlife habitat, scenic open space and the potential to expand regional trail connectivity. Palmer Land Conservancy is seeking a combination of a grant and a loan from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) to fund the acquisition and said it would aim to close on the purchase this summer if due diligence and funding succeed.

The request to the council was procedural and specific: O'Neil asked the city for a letter of community support to include with Palmer Land Conservancy's GOCO application. “GOCO prioritizes projects that demonstrate and incorporate community backing,” O'Neil said, and council support would strengthen the application.

Mayor (presiding) said the council would place the item on the April 2 agenda and consider a resolution and a letter of support at that time. The council did not take a vote on the request on March 19 but scheduled the formal action for the next regular meeting.

Why it matters: GOCO funding is competitive and often weighs demonstrated local support. If the city adopts a resolution and provides a letter, Palmer Land Conservancy would include that material in its application packet; the acquisition would add publicly accessible conserved land near Woodland Park and link to existing conserved parcels and USFS property.

What happens next: The council will consider a resolution and draft letter of support on April 2. Palmer Land Conservancy told the council it will notify staff and submit the requested materials as part of its GOCO application.