Nancy’s Life Work
Rio Grande Land Management
Our Mission
To conserve our land, water, and way of life in Colorado’s San Luis Valley.
Founded in 1999 to help secure water for the future, the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust (RiGHT) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is the only local land trust that serves the entire San Luis Valley. As the community’s land trust, RiGHT is committed to working with private landowners, public agencies, and other conservation organizations to preserve the natural beauty and wildlife habitat of the area and to promote a sustainable agricultural way of life. Our goals are to protect and support working ranches and farms, water resources, wildlife habitat, and scenic landscapes while inspiring a culture of conservation in the San Luis Valley.
Nancy’s Legacy in Statistics
Nancy Butler worked for the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust (RiGHT) from 2002-2019, starting 3 years after its founding in 1999. For the majority of those years Nancy worked as the Executive Director of the organization, guiding RiGHT through years of growth and prosperity with her dedication, intelligence, and amicable leadership. Under Nancy’s leadership RiGHT grew to be a trusted partner in conservation and achieve its Rio Grande Initiative goal of protecting 25,000 acres along the Rio Grande and its tributaries.
- 38 conservation easements were facilitated (from 3 in 2002 to 41 in 2018)
- 25,700 acres of land became protected by RiGHT’s conservation easements
- 27,000 acres of land became protected by the Rio Grande Initiative by RiGHT
- 40 miles of river became protected by RiGHT and its partners
- 34 families were helped through RiGHT’s conservation easements
- RiGHT grew from .5 employees in 2002 to 4.5 in 2018
- Garnered roughly $40million in conservation projects
Tributes
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
― Mahatma Gandhi