Agenda
Friday, September 18, 2026
Westcliffe, Colorado
| Time | Activity | Location |
| 9:00 AM | Arrival and check-in | 1358 Co Rd 140
Westcliffe, CO 81252 |
| 9:30 AM | Westcliff Meats, Bison Carcass Cutting Demonstration and Processing Floor Tour | |
| 12:00 PM | Bison Lunch at Tony’s Steak and Tavern | 630 Main Street
Silver Cliff, CO 81252 |
| 1:30 PM | Wolf Springs Ranch, Ranch Tour | 38198 Highway 69
Westcliffe, CO 81252 |
| 5:30 PM | Bison Dinner | |
| 6:30 PM | General Bison Q&A with Attendees |
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Mosca, Colorado
| Time | Activity | Location |
| 9:30 AM | Arrival and check-in | GPS Point: 37.66347, -105.6913 or
19667 Medano Lane Mosca, CO 81146 |
| 10:00 AM | Zapata Ranch Preserve, Tour of Bison Herd and Facilities | |
| 12:30 PM | Bison Lunch at Dune Valley Distillery | 5301 Terry Street
Mosca, CO 81146 |
| 1:30 PM | NRCS Programs and Assistance for Bison Ranchers |
Our Hosts
Westcliffe Meat Company: Westcliffe Meats is a locally owned and operated meat packing plant that has been in operation since 2015, nestled at the foot of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in Westcliffe, Colorado. As the only USDA-inspected facility in the Wet Mountain Valley, they provide a safe and humane processing program for Custer County and the surrounding areas. Their operation offers USDA-inspected slaughtering and processing for a variety of livestock—including beef, pork, lamb, goat, yak, and bison—and they provide vacuum-sealed packaging, custom labeling, and various retail cuts available for purchase.
Wolf Springs Ranch: Wolf Springs Ranch is a 28,855-acre tribal enterprise owned by the Navajo Nation and managed by its Department of Fish and Wildlife at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Westcliffe, Colorado. Operating within ancestral homelands, the ranch focuses on ecological stewardship and food sovereignty by raising cattle and a resident herd of more than 300 grass-fed, hormone-free bison on high-elevation pastures ranging up to 9,400 feet. The ranch serves as a vital hub for cultural preservation and genetic restoration—recently welcoming a transfer of 11 bison from Denver Parks and Recreation in March 2026 to diversify its herd—while simultaneously operating private big-game hunting programs and supplying premium, organic bison meat to specialty Southwest markets, casinos, and regional restaurants.
Zapata Ranch Preserve: The Nature Conservancy’s Zapata Ranch Preserve is a 100,000-acre landscape bordered by the Great Sand Dunes and Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, serving as a model for culturally grounded conservation that interweaves Western science with traditional ways of knowing. The preserve is home to a resident bison herd that TNC is actively working to manage for health and ecological resilience. Looking toward 2030, the ranch’s bison operation is shifting toward a co-management model with the Inter Tribal Buffalo Council (ITBC) to demonstrate the impacts of Tribally-led stewardship. This collaborative operation aims to build local management capacity, host cultural harvests that support food sovereignty, and directly contribute to the rematriation of bison to Tribal Nations.
All attendees must complete this waiver to visit Zapata Ranch Preserve.
Lodging
Please contact hotels in each town directly to reserve a room that meets your travel needs.
Driving
Please use the addresses listed in the agenda for the best direct route to each location. The stops in Westcliffe are all within 30 minutes of each other. From Westcliffe to the Zapata Ranch is about a 2 hour drive.