This week the U.S.Bureau of Land Management (BLM) presented to the County its outline for a land exchange, adding 2500 mountain acres to the County’s open space program. The Land Use Coalition enthusiastically endorses the County’s purchase of the land under the terms outlined by the BLM. "The BLM has responded positively to the County’s proposal, and itemized the conditions of the exchange, all of which are acceptable to us and , we believe, to neighboring landowners," stated AJ Chamberlin, President of the Coalition.

Chamberlin urges the Commissioners to appoint a citizens committee advise the Commissioners in implementing a plan.

Among the BLM’s conditions are the following:

• All existing rights of way will be made perpetual, and may be replaced by easements which will run with the land. The BLM will continue to accept and process applications for rights of way during the phase in program until a specific date;
• Any land held under unpatented mining claims shall be excluded from this transaction, unless an agreement can be reached by all parties;
• The BLM will see that all affected landowners in the area are notified and advised of deadlines;
• Access on all existing public roads and trails will remain public, and the current level of access on public roads will be guaranteed;
• A joint public communications plan will be developed with all involved parties, and public meetings will be conducted.

Much of the land is in the mining districts in the western mountain areas of Boulder County, and is adjacent to or surrounding privately owned land. Chamberlain noted that the ballot issue extending the County’s open space sales tax should provide the money to buy these mountain lands, and preserve our mountain backdrop.

The Coalition continues to urge the County to use these sales tax revenues to purchase more mountain property, instead of employing restrictive land use regulations in an attempt to prevent individual homeowners from building on their land, as they have in the past.

In short, we’d rather see the County buy the land than steal it.

Since the Commissioners’ announcement last summer of its intent to purchase the mountain land, the Coalition has expressed frustration with the County’s apparent unwillingness to take a proactive stand for preserving the land as open to the public, for preserving access to private property and use of public mountain roads.

"Once again, it was the Land Use Coalition, not the County, that took the initiative to notify all adjacent landowners, and it was the Land Use Coalition, not the County, that has taken active steps to inform the citizens of the County’s intention, and its consequences," stated Chamberlin. We now call for a public commitment from the Commissioners to join with us and the BLM to preserve open space, and to ensure rights of access to public lands and private inholdings. Until now, the County has refused to guarantee that the public land will remain open to citizens if the land is purchased as open space. Furthermore, many residents whose property is contiguous to BLM land have made or intend to make efforts to purchase such lands as a buffer for already existing homes. The BLM’s proposal will facilitate this.

We think the County can do more to assist landowners in acquiring their easements before the deadlines imposed in the plan, financially as well as providing applications, instructions and assistance in completing forms, so that no one falls through the cracks.

The Coalition released a Position Statement today evaluating the county’s proposal, and concludes that the County must openly demonstrate that it is willing to work with adjacent landowners to achieve the optimum disposition of BLM lands: A mutual plan should be developed and promoted in which the County acquires the larger consolidated parcels for parks and open space (where possible under the Recreational and Public Purposes Act) and allows adjacent landowners to purchase the smaller fractionalized parcels directly from the BLM to act as buffer or to resolve access and trespass problems.

Such an arrangement will provide for better, more efficient management of the small parcels, create actual recreational parks as well as open space for citizens, save taxpayers millions of tax dollars, resolve access and trespass problems, and create few, if any, new building sites for development. However, this approach requires the County to actually work with the landowners rather than against them, and the Coalition has offered to facilitate this process with the County.

The Land Use Coalition is a grass roots, non-partisan organization dedicated to informing, supporting and protecting citizens, and their property rights in Boulder County, while also supporting open space, wildlife and reasonable land use regulations.

The Coalition also serves as a watchdog group for property owners in Boulder County, and has been most visible this year in helping to defeat the proposed "slope restrictions", and in the passage of "takings" legislation during the state legislature’s last session.

Anyone wanting a copy of the Coalition’s Position Paper may call (303) 666-7903, or visit their web site at www.landusecoalition.org.

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