Colorado spends nearly $2m on 2,100-acre ranch to help prairie chickens recover

Colorado’s lesser prairie-chicken population has fallen from more than 80,000 birds in 1975 to only 89 breeding males in 2024. The Southern Plains Land Trust has acquired nearly 2,100 acres for just under $2 million to restore grassland habitat. The property, near an active breeding site, will be restored with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to support the species’ recovery.