New York hedge fund billionaire Louis Bacon has announced that he will donate 90,000 acres of Colorado land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for the creation of the Sangre de Christo Conservation Area.

According to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, it is the “largest single conservation easement” given to the USFWS.

The donation will help preserve the southern portion of Colorado which includes some of the state’s highest peaks.

“Thanks to Louis Bacon’s deep commitment to conservation, we will now be able to preserve a diverse mosaic of public and private lands, creating a landscape corridor for fish and wildlife unlike any place in America,” Salazar said in a statement.

Currently Bacon owns the 171,400 acre Trinchera Ranch located in the visually stunning Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range. When Bacon bought it from the Forbes family for a reported $175 million in 207 it was the largest privately owned ranch in Colorado.

The 90,000 acre donation will be portioned off from Bacon’s Trinchera Ranch. Bacon will receive tax break once the donation process has been completed, but it is unclear how much that tax break will be.

According to Forbes, Bacon is the 312^th richest man in America.

Image is of Crawford State Park in Colorado from Vicki Watkins, jakesmome on the flickr Creative Commons