When Gary Visintainer’s grandparents immigrated to the US from Austria in the late 1800’s, they settled under the expansive skies of northwest Colorado. Decades of monitoring and observation, coupled with their move from production-based management to “forage-based” management to improve range health, has led to diversification of livestock while maintaining an emphasis on wildlife.

After a catastrophic wildfire in 2010, the Visintainers partnered with the Natural Resources Conservation Services’ Sage Grouse Initiative, in conjunction with the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restore and rehabilitate lost sage-grouse habitat and rangelands. As a result, their 45,000 acre ranch has become one of the most significant wildlife habitats in Northwest Colorado, garnering the Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award in 2013.

In 2026, the Visintainers partnered with Colorado Open Lands to establish a conservation easement on the ranch, ensuring that its invaluable habitats be protected forever. To accomplish this goal, COL needed professional photography to capture the true value of the land, as well as the attention and awe of potential funders.