COLORADO LAND
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ABOUT COLORADO
It's been some time since a certain silver bullet beer company asked us to "tap into the Rockies," and even longer since the Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 established the frontier mining cities of Denver and Boulder. Outdoorsmen have been staking their claim to Colorado since the earliest days of America's westward expansion. In the mid 1800s, the lure of gold and silver in the mountains and streams west of Denver led to the state's first population boom. Today, eager land buyers still find the Colorado Rockies enticing, but are now drawn to other hot spots, including the great grassy plain that blankets the eastern edge of the state and the sunny Four Corners region, where Colorado meets New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Miles of streams and rivers provide excellent fishing for the freshwater angler, while elk, deer, and mountain lions are the big game to bag. Avid skiers have long known about Aspen, Vail, and Telluride, with the latter hosting an annual film festival that rivals the indie clout of Sundance. And if you are inclined to tap into an adult beverage now and then, you'll be happy to know that those acres of farmland provide excellent hops for all the suds brewed in Colorado, the United States' largest producer of beer.
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Regional Breakdown. Colorado can be divided into four easily identifiable geographic regions: the Colorado Rockies, the Front Range, the Western Slope, and Eastern Colorado.
The Colorado Rockies need no introduction. From Wyoming to New Mexico, the Continental Divide splits the state in two. Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge, Steamboat Springs, Crested Butte – countless world class resorts feature mountain living at its finest. The best news about these fabled getaways is that over the last few decades they have matured from seasonal ski towns into full-fledged four-season communities. National forests and federal and state parks surround most mountain towns thus limiting available acreage. That's one of the many reasons this is Colorado's priciest market. Thousands of dollars per acre can be a steal. Tens of thousands is a more typical price and hundreds of thousands not uncommon.
Think of the Front Range as the long line where the Great Plains meet the Rockies. A majority of Colorado's 5 million citizens live in and around the Denver metropolitan area, and the state's other principal cities can be found here as well, including Colorado Springs, Boulder, Pueblo, and Fort Collins. Yet a surprising number of small towns and rural enclaves do exist and offer residents the opportunity to combine country living with easy access to city services and cultural attractions. Prices here can often be measured in square feet, not acres.
Although the Rockies are the state's best known destination, half of Colorado is as flat as a pancake. The Great Plains extends across Eastern Colorado to form an important part of the great American breadbasket. Native grasses proved ideal for beef cattle and other livestock, but it was the discovery of a vast shallow underground basin known as the Ogallala Aquifer that transformed this semi-arid prairie into a key component of the Wheat Belt. Once the crops are in, many of these same farming communities become hunting meccas.
Investment Opportunity. Colorado's most diverse region geographically is the Western Slope. From fruit farming and cattle ranches to high desert savannah and long winding rivers, this portion of the state seems to have more in common with its neighbors 7ndash; Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico – than the rest of Colorado. It also has the fewest people too. The largest city in the region, Grand Junction, has a population of just 50,000. There are plenty of land investment grade opportunities to buy and hold here.
Landowner Issues. The biggest debate roiling the state is the U.S. Army's attempts to use eminent domain to acquire more than 600 square miles (418,000 acres) of family-owned ranches in southern Colorado to expand an existing training center called the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site. Opposition to this government land grab has united Republicans and Democrats at the state level and even in Washington. The most vocal critics have gone so far as to create the Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition (www.pinoncanyon.com).
Major Private Landowners. One of the biggest real estate transactions in the U.S. took place in Colorado in 2007 when hedge fund manager Louis Moore Bacon bought the 171,000-acre Forbes Trinchera Ranch for $175 million from the Forbes family. Acquired by Malcolm Forbes in 1969 and subsequently expanded, the ranch ranges from sub-alpine at 8,000 feet, site of the headquarters, to more than 14,000 feet above sea level atop Blanca Peak.
Public Lands. The Bureau of Land Management oversees 8.3 million acres of public land in Colorado with a substantial portion in the western reaches of the state. Colorado has an excellent state park system as well as national treasures such as Rocky Mountain and Mesa Verde National Parks.
Best Hunting. Big game is big business in Colorado with numerous outfitters and guides specializing in Rocky Mountain elk, pronghorn antelope, and majestic mule deer. Elk are usually hunted at elevation, spot-and-stalk style, with hunters trekking out of base camps established prior to hunting season. Pronghorn antelope – or speed goats, as many locals call them – are hunted on the prairies and plains. Mule deer can be found in river bottoms, large alfalfa fields, or caught at elevation. Other species include mountain lion, wild turkey, pheasant, duck, geese, prairie chickens, jackrabbits, squirrels, and chukar. See all Colorado hunting properties..
Best Fishing. Colorado is a fisherman's paradise, thanks to 6,000 miles of streams as well as countless lakes and reservoirs. These waters offer more than 80 species of warm- and cold-water fish. You can fish for rainbow trout in a cool Rocky Mountain stream or troll for walleye on a large plains reservoir. Favorite river fishing destinations include the Arkansas River, the South Platte, the Colorado, the Big Thompson, and the Williams Fork. Fly fishermen and spin-fishermen target brown trout, rainbows, and the elusive brook trout in these famed waters. See all Colorado fishing properties.
Crops and Farming. Although some fruits and vegetables are grown in western Colorado, the eastern half of the state is home to most major farming operations. In addition to winter wheat, Colorado farmers produce significant amounts of corn and sorghum. On the hoof, beef cattle outnumber hogs and sheep. The state also has a thriving dairy cattle industry. See all Colorado farms and ranches.
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