After a controversial measure to sell federal public lands was dropped from the GOP鈥檚 big tax and spending bill earlier this summer following intense backlash, many communities in the Mountain West are considering how to protect and advocate for public land within their boundaries.
Several city councils and county boards signed resolutions and more than 300 elected leaders in Western states.
Now, one Colorado county is taking further action to ensure long-term protections. Commissioners in Pitkin County, Colo., home to Aspen, voted to rezone about half a million acres of federal land to prevent future development.
Commissioners made the move in response to Utah Sen. Mike Lee鈥檚 failed proposal to sell federal public lands to build housing.
Instead of 鈥淩ural and Remote鈥� or 鈥淎gricultural/Residential,鈥� the land will be classified as 鈥淩esource Government.鈥� Areas zoned for ski resorts are unaffected.
The commissioners also excluded all state trust land in the county after letters from Colorado鈥檚 state land board expressed concern over how the move to rezone might interfere with its mandate to generate revenue for Colorado schools.
Changing the zoning of the federal land to 鈥淩esource Government鈥� won鈥檛 affect how it鈥檚 used or managed, said Suzanne Wolff, Pitkin County鈥檚 community development director. But it will likely make it harder to develop that land for housing, for example, if it is ever transferred to private ownership.
鈥淚f there's something you want to do with that piece of property that's not allowed, then you would have to go through a rezoning process with the county,鈥� Wolff said.
The 鈥淩esource Government鈥� zone district has been on Pitkin County鈥檚 books since 2006 and is intended to 鈥減reclude residential development on lands in federal ownership鈥� and 鈥渞eflect the resource conservation uses that exist on those lands.鈥� However, it has never been used.
Wolff said the rezone effort, which goes into effect on Sept. 20, fits in with the county鈥檚 community development goals of protecting rural, open spaces.
鈥淧ublic lands are really critical to our area, and so we want to protect those,鈥� she said.
About 85% of Pitkin County is federal or state public land.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, 萝莉少女 in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the .
