<\/p>\n
Thousands of acres of BLM land in Montezuma County are off-limits to the general public because they are hemmed in by private land.<\/p>\n
What will it take to improve access? And what would the impacts be on neighbors who have enjoyed exclusive access to large blocks of public lands for years?<\/p>\n
A tour of some of these landlocked BLM lands took place Friday to discuss various options and hurdles facing county government, the BLM, neighbors and user groups.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re interested in providing more public access,\u201d said Connie Clementson, district manager for the BLM\u2019s Tres Rios office. \u201cBut it will take collaboration between the county, the public, and the BLM to work out a lot of different issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Three large BLM areas within the county that lack public access, except for neighboring landowners. They include the escarpment at the base of Mesa Verde south of Cortez, an area south of Summit Lake, and a chunk of BLM land west of Cortez.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven we have to get permission from landowners to access these areas,\u201d Clementson said.<\/p>\n
The Mesa Verde land<\/p>\n
BLM land along the Mesa Verde escarpment formerly was accessed via a road through the landfill.<\/p>\n
But state regulations changed that, forcing a fence to be installed around the landfill operations to prevent unauthorized access after hours and illegal dumping. That closed the road and public access to BLM land.<\/p>\n
The county is exploring the possibility of opening up another access point there, said commissioner Larry Don Suckla.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would have to see what the costs to the taxpayer would be, and discuss it more with our road manager and landfill manager to see if it is doable,\u201d Suckla said. \u201cAs long as the safety issues are addressed, then it\u2019s worth considering.\u201d<\/p>\n
A new fence along the road would prevent access to the landfill, and the permit boundary of the landfill might need to be revised.<\/p>\n
Suckla said that if a road opened up, it would likely skirt the landfill to the south.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would not be graveled. If it were dry, people could make it back there, but if it was wet, it would not be passable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The BLM is also agreeable to a public-access point there, Clementson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the county can figure out a way to connect a road to the BLM land, it would provide an access point for foot and horseback travel,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
A small parking area on the county side would avoid a long BLM permitting process, she added.<\/p>\n
The Sanitation District owns nearby land, and manager Tim Krebs has said he\u2019s open to allowing public access through there.<\/p>\n
Seasonal closures may be put in place during the winter months and mud seasons when the road is impassable anyway.<\/p>\n
Red or green roads?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a classic question in the Southwest, and it applies to roads in Montezuma County.<\/p>\n
On the official county road map, green-signed roads are owned and maintained by the county. They\u2019re open for travel and use to the general public.<\/p>\n
Red-signed roads are typically privately held and access subdivisions and are not maintained by the county. Rather, each resident pays to maintain the road though covenants and\/or homeowner associations.<\/p>\n
Access is usually restricted to residents only. Mail delivery, law enforcement, fire and rescue have legal access.<\/p>\n
Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin said it\u2019s legal to park on the shoulder of a green-signed county road unless it\u2019s specifically prohibited or it impedes traffic.<\/p>\n
\u201cParking along the shoulder within the right of way is certainly allowed,\u201d he said. \u201cFor the general public to be parking on a red-signed road would be trespass.\u201d<\/p>\n
Road 20 access?<\/p>\n
West of Cortez, another large block of BLM land appears to be cut off from public use. However, an area off of Road 20 \u2014 a green-signed road \u2014 might qualify as a public-access point.<\/p>\n
County Road 20 appears to end at the section line between private and BLM land, said county planner James Dietrich. If the county road\u2019s right-of-way is the usual 60 feet at that point, it may provide a small public access point.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the middle of the road to the shoulder, it would be 30 feet, and that borders the BLM,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
People could presumably park on the county road, and then enter the BLM from the county right-of-way.<\/p>\n
For residents, public access to the BLM land at that point is problematic because the area is so isolated.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had my place broken into, and have seen poachers back in here,\u201d said Mike Chenard, who lives nearby. \u201cWe have a problem with kids partying here, and have to chase them off.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nowlin said he plans to meet with neighbors and the county on the issue of legal parking on green county roads.<\/p>\n
He compared it to a past situation at the Boggy Draw National Forest boundary near Dolores.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen there used to be dog-sled races there, the overflow parking would be along the shoulder of Road W,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ll need to work out where the boundaries are for public property, county right of way, and private land.\u201d<\/p>\n
Summit Lake BLM<\/p>\n
South of Summit Lake, a large block of BLM land caught the attention of recreationists. But access appears to be restricted because red-signed roads lead up to it.<\/p>\n
County Roads 35.6 and 35.9 take off from Colorado Highway 184 into the subdivision around Summit and Pruett lakes. They connect with Road N, which borders a short section of BLM land.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince they are red-signed roads, neighbors here watch it closely and run off people,\u201d Clementson said.<\/p>\n
The BLM has been meeting with the Mesa Verde Backcountry Horseman to see if there is a way to establish a trailhead into that area. They want to know if nearby roads could be changed to a green status to allow access.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re interested in accessing other public lands that are convenient,\u201d said Tif Rodriguez, president of the horse group. \u201cLocal trails we helped establish have been sort of overrun by hikers and cyclists like at Sand Canyon and Phil\u2019s World.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said her group recognizes neighbor concerns of negative impacts.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s frustrating, because people can be disrespectful,\u201d she said. \u201cBut we as users provide monitoring and maintenance. We pick up trash and worked to educate the public on sharing and respecting the land.\u201d<\/p>\n
The authority to change a red road into a green road could lie with the county, officials said, depending on a road\u2019s specific legal issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be up to the commissioners, and involve a public process,\u201d said county planning director LeeAnn Milligan. \u201cOne factor is the expense of adding more road miles to be maintained.\u201d<\/p>\n
What led to these BLM lands being cut-off from the public?<\/p>\n
It has to do with the Homesteading Act being applied in the 1920s and earlier, said Marietta Eaton, manager of the BLM\u2019s Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.<\/p>\n
Before it became BLM land, it was held under the General Land Office. To encourage settling in the area, much of that GLO land was offered to those who could prove they could make it productive farmland.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut there was no water, and many homesteaders could not prove it up,\u201d Eaton said. \u201cThe land stayed private, and led to where we are today with these isolated sections of BLM.\u201d<\/p>\n