Ben Delatour Scout Ranch
Entrance to Ben Delatour Scout Ranch. Photo by Dr. Terry Quinn
At A Glance
- Ben Delatour Scout Ranch is more than 3,200-acre located near Fort Collins.
- The Fund negotiated a land preservation agreement that forever protects the the ranch from the threat of development.
- In addition to youth camp, the ranch is used as a training site for fire-fighters and emergency responders as well as an outdoor classroom for forestry students from Colorado universities.
At the Fund, we believe one of the best reasons to conserve land is to give people have access to the outdoors. In the case of children, we know that getting them “unplugged” isn’t the only challenge: they also need to learn outdoor activities and how to engage in the natural world. According to The Outdoor Foundation’s 2012 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report, the majority of adults who enjoy outdoor activities learned them as children: exposure to outdoor recreation and physical activities early in life has a lasting effect.
In 2011, we worked with the Longs Peak Council (LPC) of the Boy Scouts of America to permanently protect the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch, a more than 3,200-acre property located 40 miles northwest of Fort Collins in Colorado. Established in 1958, the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch is used by boys and girls organizations for a wide variety of programs designed to develop respect for the natural environment, and leadership and survival skills that children will carry with them into adulthood.
Christine Quinlan of the Fund’s Colorado office is proud of the conservation of the Ranch: “At a time when youth camps across the country are being sold, Ben Delatour Scout Ranch will remain available for kids and their families, continuing to fuel the local economy and provide 150 jobs each season.”
The land preservation agreement between LPC and Colorado State Forest Service forever protects the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch from the threat of development. Negotiated by the Fund in Boulder, the land agreement allows the LPC to continue its valuable programs for youth and forestry professionals and maintain its proactive forestry management practices. In addition to youth camp, the Ranch serves as a training site for fire-fighters and emergency responders from across the state as well as an outdoor classroom for forestry students from Colorado universities.
