If the title of this article makes you scratch your head, then you are dialed in. How can we sell some of our treasured federal public lands without losing one acre of public land? What if I told you this can be done, and we can end up with even better public lands for recreation while assisting affordable housing in western counties that are made up of over 70% federal land? You are crazy, right? Well, take a look and always approach things open-minded, never attack or insult people who are trying to figure out a problem. The false information and vitriol I witnessed recently on Mike Lee’s public land bill amongst fellow hunters inspired this article. I did not support the bill (too many loose ends and poorly written), but I agree with the housing issue and tax issue. The older I get, the more I see we need to embrace those with whom we agree the majority of the time, versus going on attack mode if we disagree on one thing. Hunters are conservationists, and the majority of hunters are conservatives who embrace agriculture, schools, and their local community. But I have also been doing this long enough to know that some hunters/outdoor recreationists are willing to go full commie if it means better recreation (for them) and more public land. There are efforts from groups intended to divide us, so when the fangs come out, step back and do some research before joining the herd. Here is my research.
“The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is an 80 percent friend and not a 20 percent enemy”–Ronald Reagan
Background- I have been involved with protecting “legal” public access to our federal public lands since 2012 in Western Colorado (mainly in Mesa and Garfield County). Reporting of illegal private land signs, locked gates, and illegal ATV routes on BLM lands by private landowners. I had a meeting with the local Grand Junction BLM Office yesterday to discuss illegal ATV routes coming off private land onto public lands. We also discussed why the local BLM office no longer provides public land topo maps that show our 1036 miles of “Admin Routes” in the area (Colorado is the only state that quit topo mapping these historical BLM routes open for foot and horse). In 2015, I presented PLAA legal research to the Garfield County Commissioners. Based on the efforts of three GOAT County Commissioners, the route was determined to be an RS 2477 (federal law) right-of-way and a prescriptive easement (state law). Judge Jackson’s ruling reopened over 50,000 acres of our public lands. These are just a few things I have worked on over the years, but they give you a sense of where I am coming from. If you research this website, you will see I also research jurisdiction on our federal lands; few understand this topic. Did you know the BLM and USFS are illegally assimilating state laws- it’s on the website, I helped get my County Commissioners and all 64 County Sheriffs in Colorado to issue a letter on the overreach last year.
“Law often runs contrary to our modern expectations”–Judge R. Brooke Jackson
The Public Land and Community Growth Fix
First, you have to put yourself in the community’s shoes. I live in a community that is comprised of 72% federal land (Mesa County, Colorado), and the largest private land owners are the conservation trusts (22% of private land is in a perpetual conservation trust). If you want to understand both sides of perpetual conservation easements, please read this in-depth study from former Congressman Scott McInnis, who was also a recent Mesa County Commissioner.
The Problem: Before the passage of FLPMA by Congress on October 21, 1976, the plan was to dispose of public lands and homestead the western states like the rest of the country had been settled. Well, that changed, and Congress decided to retain federal lands, which I am glad they did. However, I also recognize the challenges that it provides for the states and counties that host our federal lands. In the past 49 years, communities landlocked by federal lands have continued to grow, and they lack taxable land compared to the Midwest and Eastern States. PILT helps, but it’s not the same. So, tax funding for the communities surrounded by federal lands must also be considered. Believe me, Mesa County lacks funding for schools, and our public school system is well below average in performance. Each time we need a new school, the School Board begs the community for a tax increase. You will not see the federal land agencies chipping in for new schools, even though they occupy 72% of the county. You’re also not going to see nonresident hunters and visitors chipping in, even though they are part owners of 72% of Mesa County. Mesa County has the 4th highest tax rate in the State of Colorado, but out of 64 counties, our median income ranks 32nd. Mesa County is growing, and our median income is $20k per year below the state average, but we are choking on local and state taxes. That being said, Grand Junction is not “landlocked” at this time, but it will be in 10-20 years, and we must be allowed to plan for our future. Limited development land will mean even higher prices, and the houses I used to buy for $120k in 2006 are now over $400k.
The Not One Acre Fix: How do we sell public lands to the communities landlocked by federal lands and not lose one acre of our treasured public lands? It’s actually kind of obvious. The BLM is buying private ranches in the western states. Since 1990, the BLM has increased by 9,000 acres or more in my area. See the articles below; the first one is going to open your eyes. Also, please note that when the BLM is buying private ranches, they are acquiring lands that are generally much more appealing for recreation and hunting than the desert scrub around towns like Grand Junction. That desert scrub still has value for my motorized friends and hikers, but if we are not losing one acre in the end, I think it’s a fair compromise. Housing growth on our federal lands should be as slow as possible, but enough to aid in affordable home ownership (not low-income).
- 2022 BLM Buys 1600-acre ranch -Mesa County, CO – Public BLM Lands have increased by about 9,000 acres since 1990 in the Grand Junction Travel Management District.
- 2024 BLM buys 480 acres Cheney -Mesa County, CO Public BLM land increased by 480 acres
- 2024, 4000 acres BLM purchase Escalante Ranch -Mesa County, CO – Public BLM land increase by 4000 acres
These are a few examples of how the BLM is growing in some states. I have also witnessed the USFS buying ranches in Colorado. “The Fix” is simple: when the federal agencies buy private land and increase the public land acreage in a western state or county, the gain should spark an equal sale of federal lands for the communities that lack housing and are landlocked by BLM and perpetual conservation easements.
If we can serve our growing western communities landlocked by federal land and not lose one acre of public lands, while ultimately acquiring “better” federal public lands for recreation, it’s a win-win. I know it’s not this easy, but the foundation to fix this problem is here.
Last note: no public lands more than 1-2 miles from a community should be considered. Keep your hands off our checkerboard BLM lands, our public land hunting brothers from Wyoming just got us legal access on those corner crossings. Any public lands sold for housing must have a perpetual housing development requirement. The last thing we want is more wealthy ranchers adding more land to their 10k-acre ranches so they can close more public land access down by closing historic rights of way. Sorry, I am a little biased since I see many more adjoining private landowner violations on our public lands than I do from the general public.