Southwest of Florissant, another public property is being expanded through public land.

The U.S. Forest Service announced the acquisition of nearly 130 acres of formerly private property – a strip of stream-fed pine and aspen with wildlife meadows and mountain views. The property is called the Wagon Tongue Co. property and is located south of Lake George, between Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument and Eleven Mile Reservoir.

In a press release, the forestry administration described it as a “strategic” acquisition for “nature conservation, recreation and forest fire prevention.”

The move comes after the agency has focused intensively in recent years on controlled fires and logging in the populated area, which is considered at risk. The surrounding settlements “are frequently threatened by wildfires annually,” South Park District ranger Josh Voorhis said in the news release.

“We are still doing environmental impact assessments, so it won’t start immediately, but once we get the additional paperwork done, we will look at whether we can access an area through this property that we haven’t had access to before,” Voorhis told The Gazette.

Aside from the logistical interest in the nearly 130 acres, “it’s great,” he said.

He called it “quite unique” that such a riparian area was created in the Pike and San Isabel National Forests after settlers and miners had taken possession of waterfront land in the past.

“Most of it is private land,” Voorhis said. “So this was an opportunity for us to acquire water, this creek, Wagon Tongue Gulch. That’s pretty significant. It allowed us to acquire some water rights to help some of our ranchers.”

Also significant, he said, is that “it was one of the last, if not the last, undeveloped properties on the east side of the South Park District.”

The Conservation Fund purchased the property earlier this year, while the Forest Service received money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The Conservation Fund has transferred the land for an undisclosed price.

“The owner gave us a very fair price,” Voorhis said. “The family could have sold it to developers for a higher price, but chose not to.”

It is Alene Patterson’s family. Her father bought the property in the 1950s “for its beauty and recreational value,” she said in the press release.

Patterson recalled “wonderful memories” of exploring the forest and searching for animals with her siblings and later her children. “Our goal is for the public to now be able to experience this special place,” Patterson said.

Voorhis expected it to be “quite popular with people because of the creek.” He expected this to be especially true with hunters, who would be attracted by the deer and elk the water attracts.

In a statement, U.S. Senator Michael Bennet praised the parties “for their work to ensure that future generations of Coloradans can enjoy the wildlife and recreational opportunities in southern Park County.”

Local forestry officials and the Conservation Fund also partnered last year to finalize a land deal securing public access to Mount Democrat. That deal also involved the Land and Water Conservation Fund — a historic resource that was revitalized by the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020 and has since opened the possibility for public land acquisitions.

The federal government is also funding wildfire response efforts on an unprecedented scale. The Pike and San Isabel national forests are on a short list of priority landscapes in a national strategy called “Fighting the Wildfire Crisis.”

Asked if the Wagon Tongue acquisition signified a broader interest in land, Voorhis said, “It was kind of unexpected for us.” He added, “No, I wouldn’t say there’s a strategy to acquire land for fire protection or anything like that.”

But “we have a great working relationship with the Conservation Fund,” he said. “We’ll see how the partnership develops.”