Colorado Parks and Wildlife will transform the nearly 1,900-acre Collard Ranch in South Park into a state wildlife area, with five miles of fishing and wildlife preservation on Tarryall Creek one of the prime features. (Source: Christi Bode, via Western Rivers Conservancy.)

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Colorado Parks and Wildlife will transform the nearly 1,900-acre Collard Ranch in South Park into a state wildlife area, with five miles of fishing and wildlife preservation on Tarryall Creek one of the prime features. (Source: Christi Bode, via Western Rivers Conservancy.)

Colorado will turn nearly 1,900 acres of spectacular South Park hunting and fishing habitat into a new state wildlife area later this year after Great Outdoors Colorado funded most of the $8.25 million purchase of Collard Ranch on Tarryall Creek.

Western Rivers Conservancy “jumped at the opportunity” in December to secure the ranch 60 miles southwest of Denver after it first went up for sale, then held it until GOCO and state officials could work out financing.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said public access to the 1,860 acres could begin “in months” after parking lots, signage and other wildlife area fixtures are installed. State wildlife areas are not built out with roads, trails or other amenities as in the state parks system, and are primarily offered to in-season hunters and anglers with Colorado licenses.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife will transform the nearly 1,900-acre Collard Ranch in South Park into a state wildlife area, with five miles of fishing and wildlife preservation on Tarryall Creek one of the prime features. Beaver dams and habitat are another key attraction of the property, as they improve wetlands and create habitat for more wildlife. (Source: Christi Bode, via Western Rivers Conservancy.)

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Colorado Parks and Wildlife will transform the nearly 1,900-acre Collard Ranch in South Park into a state wildlife area, with five miles of fishing and wildlife preservation on Tarryall Creek one of the prime features. Beaver dams and habitat are another key attraction of the property, as they improve wetlands and create habitat for more wildlife. (Source: Christi Bode, via Western Rivers Conservancy.)

The property includes 5 miles of Tarryall Creek, one of the larger tributaries to the South Platte River and a magnet for fly-fishing. The ranch is also a corridor for thousands of migrating elk moving to and from the surrounding high mountains, as well as mule deer, pronghorn and other wildlife. Active beaver habitat and ponds are also key features of the property on the high valley floor.

“It’s a really great win for conservation,” said Kara Van Hoose, spokesperson for CPW’s Northeast region, in an interview. “Land purchases, like everyone knows buying houses on the Front Range, is difficult to do, and we’re losing habitat in a lot of spaces. So an opportunity like this does not come up often. We’re really thrilled that it has gone our way.”

When Collard Ranch was privately held, hunting and fishing on the property, near Como, was available only by special arrangement.

“Tarryall Creek is a special area to so many people in Colorado, with easy access for Park County residents and folks living on the Front Range,” said Allen Law, a project manager for Western Rivers, in a release Monday. “We are proud to partner with CPW to forever protect this stretch of the creek, especially given its importance to a critical wildlife corridor and its iconic views of Kenosha Pass.”

GOCO uses some of the state lottery proceeds to purchase open space and fund wildlife and recreation projects. While GOCO supplied $6.25 million, CPW’s capital budget provided the remainder of the price.