Project Details
Area: NORTHEAST
Size: 735 acres (1st of 2 phases)
Location: San Miguel County
Eco-Region: Sangre de Cristo Range, NM Foothills
Conservation Values: Scenic Open Space, Agriculture, Wildlife Habitat, Cultural and Historic
Type of Project: Donated Conservation Easement
Date Completed: December 2020
Museo del Carrizito
Expanding the Conservation ‘Footprint’ in Northern New Mexico
Situated about 11 miles east of Las Vegas, NM, this 1,415-acre is rich in history, including a historic Spanish land grant around a small historic spring and historic homestead. Located adjacent to the Santa Fe National Forest and within view of the Rancho Del Rito and El Barro Canyon conservation easements also held by NMLC, this property adds to the connectivity of natural and wildlife habitat in the region.
Used mainly as a residence and family retreat, the property is owned now by the four siblings – Estaban, Joshua and Strelsa Muldavin and Carla Roemer – who approached NMLC in 2018 to explore the possibility of placing the property under easement to protect their legacy and with the hope of extracting some value to reinvest in the long-term management of the property. NMLC completed phase one of two conservation easements in 2020 and is working now to complete phase two in 2021.
The property is currently being grazed in a sustainable manner and contributes to the local agricultural economy, and provides wildlife habitat for deer, elk, bear and other native species. With its proximity to growth-market Santa Fe, the property becomes increasingly vulnerable to fragmentation for the development of “personal retreats” and NMLC is grateful to the owners for their shared desire and effort to preserve this family land.
Estaban & Deborah Muldavin.