Ann Johnston - Protecting Crested Butte's Spectacular Landscapes

Ann Johnston is Executive Director of the Crested Butte Land Trust (CBLT), a conservation organization that protects land in Crested Butte and Gunnison County, Colorado. Given the focused geographic area in which CBLT operates, Ann and her team must be creative and nimble, and they use a variety methods to protect a diverse array of landscapes, from large-acreage rural ranches to small in-town parcels. CBLT must also balance the competing priorities of Gunnison County’s various stakeholders—ranchers, hikers, bikers, skiers, businesses, and tourists, just to name a few. In an area of the West that is becoming more and more popular, CBLT’s work has never been more important. • I’ve long admired Ann’s ability to think outside the box and effectively execute her plans, so I was excited to get a chance to sit down with her in CBLT’s Crested Butte office. We had a fun conversation in which we discussed her personal connection to conservation, the challenges and opportunities of operating in such a tight-knit community, conservation success stories, specific methods for saving land, advice for aspiring conservationists, and much more-- see below for a full list of the topics we discussed. Enjoy! • http://mountainandprairie.com/annjohnston/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 4:15 - How Ann describes her work 5:20 - What makes Crested Butte Land Trust unique 7:25 - CBLT’s approach to conservation on a local level 9:20 - Challenges/Opportunities of working in such a tight-knit community 11:35 - Example of win-win conservation projects 13:30 - Snodgrass Trailhead Project 18:35 - How Ann prioritizes projects 20:55 - What does “conservation” mean to Ann and CBLT 22:55 - The specific definition of “saving" land 24:30 - Why Colorado is the leader in land conservation 25:55 - Colorado conservation tax credit explained 28:20 - Ann’s personal background and connection to conservation 31:50 - Experiences that attracted Ann to conservation 33:30 - Ann’s love of surfing 36:15 - Advice to future conservationists 39:10 - Biggest opportunities in conservation 41:15 - Where conservation is going in the next 20 years 43:30 - One thing Ann would change about conservation 45:10 - Advice for future conservationists, part 2 47:25 - Book recommendations 48:50 - Documentaries 50:00 - Favorite locations in the West 50:35 - Favorite trails in Crested Butte 52:00 - Ann’s craziest outdoor experience 54:00 - Biggest challenge facing Colorado in the future 55:10 - Ann’s request of the listeners 55:50 - Connect with Ann and CBLT online