GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - A battle is shaping up between Garfield County commissioners and federal officials over who has the right to claim local control over historic roads that pass through federal lands in the county.
About 60 percent of the land in Garfield County is federally owned, but many of the roads that cross those lands were established before Colorado became a state in 1876.
The dispute follows a similar discussion in neighboring Mesa County, which passed a resolution asserting the county’s claim to local control.
Commissioners said the county has a say under federal law in managing those roads.
That law, established in 1866, is an important protection for counties to secure emergency access to remote areas, as well as public access for recreation and commercial purposes, according to a resolution unanimously approved by the Garfield commissioners.
Mesa County commissioners adopted a similar resolution last week. Both are in response to proposals to close some U.S. Bureau of Land Management roads in Mesa County and far western Garfield County, as suggested in a draft resource management plan for the Grand Junction BLM Field Office area.
BLM spokesman Steven Hall said the agency is following well-established land management regulations and doesn’t have the authority to grant rights of way on federal lands.
“The BLM will continue to balance multiple use on behalf of the public on the public’s land. We appreciate the input of local governments in finding the right balance,” he said in a statement.
The prospect that some roads could be closed has been opposed by public lands user groups from both counties, including sportsmen, guide services and all-terrain vehicle enthusiasts.
“The big question for us is one of maintaining public access to these areas,” Garfield Commissioner Mike Samson said Monday. “If the federal government continues to shut off access, then we won’t be able to enjoy the uses we have now.”
Instead of costly litigation to keep routes open, the county’s resolution suggests coming up with a clearer, more timely process for the federal government to consider road claims under the statute, the Glenwood Springs Post Independent reported Wednesday (https://tinyurl.com/l6dv6fw).
Carbondale-area resident and former Pitkin County commissioners Dorothea Farris applauded the county for taking on the issue.
“It’s not just a county issue, it is a state issue,” Farris said.
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Information from: Post Independent, https://www.postindependent.com/
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