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Public Lands Day

September 26

Let's celebrate. While we are still socially distancing, here are three ways you can celebrate our public lands.

1. Enjoy the Fall colors on your favorite public lands. We are lucky to have access to local trails like the Rio Grande or Crown Mountain trails, as well as the extensive White River National Forest lands.

2. Prepare to vote. Check your registration, and read up on issues in the blue ballot book that will arrive soon via mail. Reintroduction of gray wolves is a ballot question relating to public lands.

3. Make your voice heard. Colorado Wild Public Lands is analysing and submitting comments on the Valle Seco proposed land exchange in the San Juan National Forest near Pagosa Springs. Speak up on this or another public lands issue.

Tour the Trails with Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers and COWPL

July 12, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Lake Christine

"Remembering the Past, Imagining the Future", is the theme for this visit to the Lake Christine burn area. ACES's forest and climate director will be on hand to talk about the science of wildfire regrowth. Suzanne Jackson of COWPL will lead a creative art and visioning activity. Sign up with Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers by emailing jbaker@rfov.org

Next Board Meeting

July 1, 5:30 PM in Basalt

Join us at 23272 Two Rivers Road, Basalt on Wednesday July 1 from 5:30-7:30 pm. Please email us at if you have any items you'd like us to discuss and/or if you'd like to join the meeting via Zoom.

Buffalo Horn LEX Appraisal Comments Submitted

We received and analyzed the appraisals for the private and public lands in the proposed land exchange. COWPL’s analysis determined that the appraisals for the private and the federal lands have been treated differently and inconsistently, particularly the question of access. In addition, parcels C1 and F5 are undervalued. These are a few highlights from our report.

• The appraisal instructions incorrectly create an aggregated “larger parcel”. COWPL’s analysis shows that the criteria for creating a “larger parcel” are not met in this case. The sizes and values of parcels C1 and F5 are considerably greater than the other parcels and merit separate appraisals.
• Provide the rationale for calculating the value or amount of land that is owed by the Colorado BLM to the State of Colorado today.
• The appraisals over-emphasize the value of motorized access to properties in the exchange, inappropriately discounting the value of the federal lands and over-valuing the non-federal parcels. Several of the 16 selected comparable sales share similar access to C1 and F5 and support buyers’ willingness to acquire these properties at market prices.

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Colorado Public Lands Day

May 16

We received a wonderful selection of photos for our "Bring the Wild Inside" Photo Contest in honor of Colorado Public Lands Day. We loved them all! Congratulations to the winner, Sarah Emery (an intern at COWPL) for her photo titled "Camping season so far and we’ve found some wonderful views from the yard". And thank you to all the entrants.

We wish everyone a happy Colorado Public Lands Day. Enjoy the opportunity to celebrate responsibly outside.

Bring The Wild Inside - Photo Contest

Deadline May 11, 2020

To celebrate Colorado Public Lands Day, email us a photo taken inside your home or outside in your yard of how you love to use your public lands for the chance to win a gift certificate! Entries are due by May 11th and the winners will be announced on our website on Colorado Public Lands Day, Saturday May 16, 2020.

Get creative, and please be mindful of your fellow public lands users by respecting the state’s coronavirus guidelines.