{"id":25355,"date":"2024-10-11T11:42:59","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T17:42:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/residents-remove-free-land-holder-fence-from-forest-north-of-mancos\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T05:15:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T05:15:22","slug":"residents-remove-free-land-holder-fence-from-forest-north-of-mancos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/residents-remove-free-land-holder-fence-from-forest-north-of-mancos\/","title":{"rendered":"Residents remove Free Land Holder fence from forest north of Mancos"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Bruce
Bruce Tozer grazing permit holder on disputed forest land northeast of Mancos, takes down fencing Thursday on 1,460 acres near Chicken Creek. The fencing was put up by the Free Land Holder Committee. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Dozens of people from Mancos and the surrounding area headed into the forest Thursday afternoon to remove a fence recently put up by a group called the Free Land Holder Committee.<\/p>\n

The fence is on disputed land between the group and the U.S. Forest Service. The Free Land Holder Committee erected it to claim it as their own.<\/p>\n

In a matter of a few days, they constructed 4.5 miles of the intended 6.6 miles of fencing, with the end goal of blocking off 1,460 acres near Chicken Creek and claim it as theirs.<\/p>\n\n

They left openings in the fence for thru traffic and made it clear the public still had access, according to proclamations they posted around town.<\/p>\n

The Chicken Creek area is a popular recreation area in the San Juan National Forest.<\/p>\n

Public access or not, outspoken members of the community made it clear they were outraged by the fence, and they decided to take it down.<\/p>\n

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