With help from two other groups, the Rocky Mountain Conservancy was able to purchase a 12.5-acre parcel of land within Wild Basin at Rocky Mountain National Park. This is one of the views from the parcel/Rocky Mountain Conservancy

A 12.5-acre privately owned tract of land in the Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado was poised to go on sale, a move that could have led to a bigger developed footprint in the park, when the Rocky Mountain Conservancy stepped in to purchase it with help from the Wilderness Land Trust and the National Park Trust.

With a 2,000-square-foot house perched on a rocky overlook and easy motorized access, the demand for this unique private property would have been great, the Conservancy said. Instead, the Conservancy was able to buy the land on December 14.

"We are extremely grateful to the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, The Wilderness Land Trust, and National Park Trust in acquiring this private piece of land inside the park," said Rocky Mountain Superintendent Darla Sidles. "This is a gift that will live on forever as protected wilderness."

Saving this land for permanent protection had been a high priority for the Conservancy since 2009, when the property was originally listed for sale. At that time, a generous conservation buyer agreed to purchase and hold the property until the Conservancy or the park was in a position to purchase it for final protection. That buyer decided that they wished to sell and transfer the property this year.

"We knew right away that we had to step in quickly with what land protection reserves we had," said Charles Money, executive director of the Conservancy. "The last time it was on the market, there was immediate interest from many possible buyers."

Thanks to the successful completion of the Cascade Cottages Centennial Capital Campaign earlier this year, the Conservancy was able to provide $300,000 in Land Protection Fund reserves for the purchase of the Wild Basin parcel. However, more assistance was needed to meet the $750,000 purchase price. The Conservancy subsequently engaged the assistance of the Wilderness Land Trust and the National Park Trust.

The Wilderness Land Trust negotiated the purchase contract with the landowner and agreed to provide additional funds for the purchase. The National Park Trust engaged the support of a local donor who wished to make a significant gift to the park during the centennial year of the National Park Service. The financial contributions of these partners and the Conservancy enabled the purchase of the parcel.

Located approximately one mile from the Wild Basin entrance, this parcel along the access drive is within the wilderness boundary in the park. As a result of this purchase, the land will be managed as wilderness, the highest level of conservation protection for federal lands. The addition of the property to the park and removal of the access drive and house will eliminate a developed 33-acre incursion into the wilderness area, including the road. The Wilderness Land Trust will undertake the deconstruction process, which will be funded by the Conservancy. The planned deconstruction process, scheduled for spring 2017, will recycle as much of the building material as possible.