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Commissioners stand against fed-land swaps

Conservation groups applaud resolution
The Needle Creek Trail in the Weminuche Wilderness leads into Chicago Basin, a popular destination for climbers who want to scale Fourteeners’ Sunlight Peak and Windom Peak, visible here at left center, as well as Eolus Peak. La Plata County commissioners voiced formal support for keeping federal lands, such as the newly recreated Weminuche Wilderness area, under the purview of federal land-management agencies.

La Plata County commissioners unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday to encourage keeping current federal public lands under federal ownership.

Advocates from a variety of conservation groups – including Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Trout Unlimited and Conservation Colorado – lauded the action by commissioners, saying it will help push back against recent state and national legislation.

“It will have to be stopped; it’s happening nicely from the grass-roots,” said David Petersen with Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.

An amendment supporting the transfer of federal lands to state or local governments was introduced into a nonbinding budget resolution in the U.S. Senate in March.

Federal Land Action Group has also been created to develop a legislative framework for transferring federal lands to local ownership and control.

The issue was also raised in the Colorado Legislature this session, but both bills died. One of the bills would have allowed Colorado to exercise authority along with the federal government over federal public lands.

“This is a big issue, and it’s going to get bigger,” said Commissioner Brad Blake.

All the commissioners expressed support for preserving the current management of federal lands for the economic, social and recreation benefits.

“I can’t imagine living in a landscape without public lands,” said Commissioner Gwen Lachelt.

Managing wildfires in federal lands was also raised as a responsibility that should remain with the federal government because state and local governments do not have the funds to pay for all its costs.

“A big fire, we couldn’t absorb it as a county; I don’t think we could absorb it as a state,” said Commissioner Julie Westendorff.

But Montezuma County commissioners see the value of greater local control after several debacles with the U.S. Forest Service management, said Montezuma County Commissioner Larry Don Suckla.

Montezuma County has been working to get a marina and breakwater installed at McPhee Reservoir for six years.

“How long it takes to get something done can be sped up tenfold if it were to be local government,” Suckla said.

He does not want to see any federal lands privatized; rather, he wants to see them managed effectively for recreation and forest health.

“We’re going to hurt our lands for future generations,” he said.

mshinn@durangoherald.com



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