CONSERVATION & STEWARDSHIP

Brumley Ranch

Brumley Ranch

Acres Protected:
4,119
County:
Dolores
Year Protected:
2008
  
“He preserved it his whole life. He could have done what he wanted to with it, he could have sold it or whatever, but he wanted to preserve it."
— Aryol Brumley speaking of his father Wilson

The Brumley Ranch, located in Dolores County between the Groundhog Reservoir and the iconic Lone Cone mountain, has been preserved and stewarded by three generations of the Brumley family since the early 1900s. In those early days, Irvin Brumley began homesteading on part of the property. Realizing the many values of this special landscape, Irvin soon began purchasing additional plots from other neighboring homesteaders, increasing the size and connectivity of the land, eventually amassing what is now the 4,119-acre Brumley Ranch, one of the largest conserved properties held by MLC. When Irvin died in 1955, his son Wilson took over and dutifully preserved the land for the remainder of his life as well. The culmination of Wilson’s preservation came in 2008, with the signing of the conservation easement with MLC, just two days before he died. Aryol Brumley, one of Wilson’s children, shared with us that he thinks his father “actually hung on until it was done … once it was signed he just relaxed.” Knowing that the land was protected forever was a legacy important to Wilson Brumley. “He preserved it his whole life,” Aryol told us. “He could have done what he wanted to with it, he could have sold it or whatever, but he wanted to preserve it.”

Placing the conservation easement on the land made it possible for the current Brumley generation to build a permanent home on the ranch and have it available for all of their family members to visit and enjoy. In addition, the easement protects a habitat that supports a massive aspen grove, a large elk herd and many other wildlife habitants, as well as the ranching legacy that has been a part of the land for generations.