Ranch Sale Protects Against Data Center Development in Colorado

Submitted by Paul Suter

Cucharas Ranch Acquisition Designed to Protect Working Lands, Grasslands and Wildlife from Surge in Data Center, Wind and Solar Development

Denver, CO (August 2026) – The Nature Conservancy advances efforts to protect working ranches across the state while conserving natural resources with the purchase of the 30,000-acre Cucharas Ranch. The Mirr Ranch Group facilitated the sale.

Located near Walsenburg in southern Colorado, Cucharas Ranch encompasses rolling native grasslands interspersed with seasonal creeks and is part of one of the nation’s most significant protected prairie landscapes. Across the region, conscientious stewardship by private landowners sustains productive ranch operations while providing important wildlife habitat for elk, mule deer, pronghorn, wild turkey, and numerous grassland bird species.

The ranch also contributes to TNC’s Southern High Plains Initiative, a collaborative effort to work with communities, partners and landowners across five states to protect native grasslands, one of North America’s most threatened ecosystems.

“At The Nature Conservancy, our goal is not to own these ranches forever, but to ensure the natural habitats are protected while being able to remain a productive part of the local agricultural community and economy,” said Matt Moorhead, Conservation Business & Partnership Development Advisor for The Nature Conservancy in Colorado. “We partner with ranchers, agricultural and conservation organizations, and public agencies to protect the grasslands, wildlife habitat, and agricultural heritage that define southeast Colorado. Sometimes that means temporarily acquiring a ranch, securing its long-term conservation future, and returning it to private ownership. Our goal is that Cucharas Ranch will be an example of how conservation and ranching can work hand in hand to benefit both people and nature for generations to come.”

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“The Cucharas Ranch sale was gratifying, as both the buyer's and seller's goals were to permanently protect the property from the surge in data center, wind, and solar development that is impacting our prairie ecosystems,” said Jeff Hubbard, Executive Vice President at Mirr Ranch Group.

Since 1966, TNC has cultivated partnerships with landowners, local communities, conservation districts, agricultural organizations, and public agencies to protect the lands and waters to benefit people and nature.

The Mirr Ranch Group team of Jeff Hubbard, Pat Lancaster, and Willy Strazza represented Cucharas Ranch in the transaction. For more information about Mirr Ranch Group, visit www.MirrRanchGroup.com.

About The Nature Conservancy in Colorado

Since 1966, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado has helped conserve more than 1.6 million acres of land and over 1,300 miles of rivers statewide. Our work restores forests and rivers, protects iconic species and connected grasslands, and advances a conservation‑aligned energy transition. We collaborate with Tribal Nations, community leaders, policymakers, land managers and other partners to deliver durable, science‑based solutions that support a livable climate, healthy communities and thriving nature across Colorado.

As climate change intensifies and biodiversity faces unprecedented threats, we are working across borders to meet this extraordinary moment, advancing innovative conservation solutions throughout the West—from Eastern Colorado grasslands to the Sagebrush Sea and Western Dry Forests, and across the Colorado River Basin.

To learn more, visit nature.org/Colorado