In recognition of the importance of public lands to the economic well being and quality of life here in the county, Chaffee County Commissioners have declared Saturday, May 18 as Public Lands Day in Chaffee County.
Their full declaration can be accessed here: www.chaffeecounty.org/EndUserFiles/62585.pdf
Colorado first established Public Lands Day in 2016, in part to recognize the importance of Colorado’s vast public lands resources to the state’s economy, as well as the protection necessary to preserve these public resources for future generations. Colorado’s decision spurred other states to establish similar recognition of their own natural resources.
In recognizing the day, the proclamation by the Board of County Commissioners reads “…whereas Chaffee County public lands reflect many of our most noble democratic ideals because they are open and accessible to all, this uniquely America idea, that public lands do not belong to one person but are instead a collective good accessible to all, is a foundation to our nation and state….”
A significant portion of Chaffee County land mass is public land. The exact percentage is quoted at different levels by different sources. Official sources say 77 percent of Chaffee County’s 1,015 square miles is public land, managed by a combination of the U.S. Forest Service, the Colorado State Forest Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the BLM. The website for First Colorado Land Office, in the business of land sales here, says that some 86 percent of the county is public land.
Much of the nation’s public lands lie in the west. At 43.3 percent, Colorado ranks 10th in the nation for percentage of total acreage managed as public lands. The National Park Service has responsibility for 380,925 acres or 2 percent of Colorado’s forests, the majority of these lands are within the borders of Rocky Mountain National Park. Browns Canyon National Monument totals 22,000 sq. acres.
The full breakout of public lands by state is available here: www.summitpost.org/public-and-private-land-percentages-by-us-states/186111.
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