Eagle County commits $5 million toward preserving East Vail open space

Eagle County on Wednesday issued the following press release on its $5 million toward preserving nearly 147 acres of open space in East Vail:

On April 8, the Eagle County Board of Commissioners approved a $5 million contribution toward the preservation of wildlife habitat and scenic open space in the Town of Vail. Four parcels in East Vail totaling 146.872 acres will be placed under a conservation easement per an agreement between the county and the town.  

“This acquisition is the culmination of a long process that was led almost entirely by the community to save essential wildlife habitat for a herd that has been there since at least the last Ice Age,” said Vail Town Council Member Jonathan Staufer. “I want to thank the staffs, the Open Space Committee, the Eagle Valley Land Trust, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and all of the Eagle County Commissioners for their efforts in acquiring this parcel.” 

During Tuesday’s meeting, the county commissioners agreed with the Eagle County Open Space Advisory Committee’s (OSAC) unanimous recommendation of support. In making its determination, OSAC cited the property’s outstanding conservation values, most notably the natural habitat for bighorn sheep as well as other wildlife including lynx, elk, black bear, mountain lion, mule deer and golden eagle. 

“Wildlife habitat, to me, is the thing that we’ve probably lost the most of since I was a kid. It’s the thing most in need of preservation,” said Eagle County Commissioner Tom Boyd. 

The parcel will be known as the Vail Bighorn Preserve. A conservation easement will be held by the Eagle Valley Land Trust. 

“I want to echo gratitude and thanks to all the partners involved in conserving this beautiful property and the habitat for the bighorn sheep,” said Jessica Foulis, executive director of the Eagle Valley Land Trust. “We are really grateful for the foresight of the Town of Vail as well as the county in protecting this habitat and this endemic herd forever. There’s a lot of thoughtful work that’s gone into this and it’s an honor to be able to support the goals of the community to support the wildlife and the scenic vistas of Vail.”  

Two of the parcels which will now be conserved were the subject of a previous condemnation action by the town. However, a resolution was reached with Vail Resorts in October of 2024 resulting in an agreement by the two entities to work together on a plan for a new base area west of Lionshead which will include community benefits such as workforce housing, public spaces, transit and parking. With Eagle County’s pledge, the Town of Vail’s net cost for the acquisition of the Booth Heights property is $14.8 million.  

This week’s conservation action will bring the total number of acres permanently preserved in the Town of Vail to 606. For more information on Eagle County’s Open Space Program, visit www.eaglecounty.us/openspace. For information on the Town of Vail’s Open Space Program, visit www.lovevail.org. For information about the Eagle Valley Land Trust, visit www.evlt.org.