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• 1 2018-08-04T15:01:38-07:00 Resources and Development 13 plain 786464 2018-08-05T19:33:08-07:00 Ranching, it seems obvious, is closely tied to land. Cattle depend in it for food and water, and ranching families like the Hannas depend on it for their survival. This close relationship between ranching and land means not only that the industry can be hyper-sensitive to changes in the surrounding landscape, but that ranchers can also have a significant impact on the land and their environment. Though ranchers do have some control over the health of their land by maintaining responsible land management practices, some forces, such as urban development, are out of their hands. The Hanna family, and Kirk Hanna in particular, were ardent proponents of both responsible ranch management and thoughtful urban development in Southern Colorado. Scroll down to find out more.
  
  Holistic Resource Management
  Holistic resource management, as explained by Maggie Hanna, is a philosophy of management that attempts to consider "the whole picture." This includes the health of the ranching family, the health of the ranch's financial resources, the health of the animals, and the health of the land. It is a way to understand, measure, and manage the health of the entire system. 
  Holistic resource management at the Hanna Ranch began with Kirk Hanna in the 1980s. In stark contrast to the prevailing logic at the time, Kirk believed that environmentalists and ranchers were natural allies, and that together they could preserve the grasslands of Southern Colorado from continued development. The problem was that environmentalists believed that ranching was energy-intensive and polluted water systems, and ranchers believed that environmentalists were trying to over-regulate the industry and hinder their ability to function. Kirk, a member of both The Nature Conservancy and the Colorado Cattleman’s Association, made it his mission to bridge the gap between the two sides. 
   
  Rather than simply telling other ranchers how to operate (as some environmentalist groups had done in the past), Kirk changed the way that he operated his own ranch to set an example for others. He started his herds on a rotational grazing pattern based on the impact of the land, which reduced overgrazing and allowed the land to regenerate faster and healthier. He also took steps to reduce the stress on the animals by moving them shorter distances and at a slower pace, he used natural fertilizer (mostly cow patties) on his grazing lands, and he brought in 400 goats for all-natural weed control. The results were that his herds were more tolerant to drought and his pastures were in better shape than those of his neighbors. 
  
  Urban Development
  When the Hanna family first purchased the ranch in 1946 the population of Colorado Springs was about 40,000 people. Today the population is closing in on a half a million, with thousands of new residents coming every year. This means that the city has been forced to expand in every direction, and new home construction has been moving uncomfortably close to the ranch lands south of town. With the value of land rising in time with the population, many ranchers have chosen to sell their properties to developers and retire to a life of relative ease and comfort. Not only has urban development in southern El Paso County led to the loss of open space, it has led to the loss of a way of life that helped to shape the character and landscape of Colorado and the American West. Fortunately, some ranching families, like the Hannas, have chosen to stick with ranching, and have found ways to preserve the land and their traditional lifestyle.  
  
  In addition to the encroachment of land developers into the region, the Hannas and other ranchers and farmers along Fountain Creek have had to deal with the negative impact of development in the city itself. Fountain Creek runs right through the heart of Manitou Springs, Colorado Springs, and Fountain before reaching the Hanna Ranch and flowing down to Pueblo where it ends at the Arkansas River. Undeveloped grassy plains and prairies absorb moisture, mitigating the impact that large amounts of rainfall have on the creek. Developed land, however, is a different story. When heavy rain falls on the rooftops, parking lots, and other concrete structures in the cities upstream, all of that water flows unimpeded into Fountain Creek where it collects and flows like a torrent through the Fountain Valley where it erodes ranch lands, destroys property, and creates havoc for our neighbors to the south.