During the summer Management Board meeting, the board and staff had the opportunity to visit the May Ranch of Lamar, the recipient of the 2021 Colorado Leopold Conservation Award, and hear from Dallas May about how conservation and stewardship is fundamental to his operation. Conservation partners Jonathan Reitz of Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Anna Gaw from Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, also talked about the many examples of how their collaborative efforts on the ranch are resulting in habitat gains and wildlife benefits.
“When I think about Leopold’s words, the May family comes to the forefront of my mind,” said Reitz. “To me, they stand out as some of those rare landowners who endeavor to balance the needs of their farming and ranching business with the needs of the wildlife living on the ranch. The Mays see wildlife as a natural part of the ranch, that they belong on the ranch even when there may be conflicts with their livestock operation.”
Dallas May talking about collaborative conservation efforts on the ranch. Photo courtesy of Miruh Hamend.
“Listening to Dallas, what struck me, is the number of threats that ranchers face on a daily basis – impacts from energy development, invasive species, competition for water, pressure to break out native grass in favor of crop production, and increasing drought frequency,” said Matt Smith, PLJV Conservation Delivery Manager. “That is a heavy burden to carry.”
According to Dallas May, while there is intense pressure to develop native grasslands, the family is committed to protecting their land’s biodiversity. The May’s have partnered with wildlife and conservation organizations, including Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, to improve water quality and quantity by restoring streams, wetlands, and eight playas. Managed grazing on grasslands, installation of wildlife-friendly fencing, native tree plantings, and expanded watering locations have produced a model of how livestock and wildlife can thrive together.
For many participants, the highlight of the field trip was hearing a Black Rail during the day during a stop at a marsh area created by seepage from an irrigation canal. The Eastern Black Rail, which includes the population in Colorado, was listed as threatened by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2020. At that time, there were an estimated 2,930 birds along the eastern and Texas coasts; the population of Eastern Black Rails in Colorado and Kansas were unknown at the time. Today, in Colorado, the population is estimated to include 500-700 birds, which is a significant portion of the entire subspecies; and a large portion of the Colorado population is located on the May Ranch.
“Having a Black Rail call at our feet was a very fulfilling experience for this birder,” said Justyn Foth, National Joint Venture Coordinator. “It was also an incredible experience coming to an arid landscape and interacting with an engaged landowner like Mr. May. His embracing of beavers and sub-irrigated wetlands to meet the mission of the operation and to support Black Rails was a great demonstration of using nature-based solutions.”
To learn more about Black Rails and conservation efforts in South Carolina, watch this video by Cornell Lab of Ornithology.