The ranch, located near Burns and spanning Eagle and Routt counties, had been put on the market for $100 million in 2017 before Susan Nottingham negotiated a conservation easement.
The Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) formalized the easement, ensuring that the property remains privately owned and can continue cattle operations, while permanently restricting any future development.
The agreement also safeguards more than 175 cubic feet per second of senior water rights tied to tributaries of the Colorado River, a critical resource for the ranch’s annual 3,000 tonnes of hay and 1,200 cattle.
Susan, who grew up on the ranch after her parents Bill Nottingham Jr. and Neva Snook built it over six decades, said she chose the easement to preserve the family legacy and protect neighboring ranchers from similar pressures.
The easement, the largest in Eagle County’s 23-year Open Space Fund history, is supported by Great Outdoors Colorado, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and The Nature Conservancy.
With the easement in place, the Nottingham Ranch will remain a working cattle operation, while its wildlife habitat—home to elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, bald eagles and great sage‑grouse—will be preserved for generations. The easement now bars future development and guarantees continued agricultural use.