Eco-terrorist CO Land Board Director seeks to kill land sale and block public access

[bayoublaster7527]

Noted eco-terrorist and recently appointed CO Land Board Director Nicole Rosmarino is attempting to block a sale of CO Trust Lands (La Jara Basin ~45k acres) to USFS, BLM, and CPW. If the sale is blocked it would shut out public access to over 45k acres and Coloradans would lose $40 million in Land and Water Conservation Fund money that has been allocated to the sale in support of conservation, hunting, angling, and outdoor recreation.

CO Land Board votes on this at the Thursday, Nov 13 meeting. Unfortunately, they just closed written public comment but in-person and zoom during the meeting is still available.

The whole thing stinks as the Land Board refused to speak on the matter when approached by news outlets, referring them to the Gov's office and the Gov's office referred them back to the Land Board. My suspicions are Rosmarino is teeing up La Jara for a private sale to some of her wealthy "Rewilding" folks and their environmental land trust. Thereby blocking any public access along with consumptive and non-consumptive use.

A plan to sell a 46,000-acre State Land Board parcel in Colorado’s San Luis Valley could be crumbling

The Colorado State Land Board since 2017 has studied a $50 million plan to sell the 45,952-acre La Jara parcel to the Forest Service, BLM, CPW

coloradosun.com

 

[Hondo0925]

It’s kinda confusing what’s going on with this (or I’m confused anyway ) but I hope this always stays in public hands. It’s an absolutely breathtaking place. And great hunting and fishing too!!

 

[MtnW]

Colorado’s anti hunting governor Polis appointed Rosmarino a well known eco crazy as the head of Colorado’s land board. Polis did this appointment just recently in June just months before the land sale transfer vote was to take plasce. Sounds as though Polis appointed Rosmarino without a selection committee . Now it is being mentioned Rosmarino is targeting a private sale of the land to a billionaire, leaving Coloradoan’s high and dry. Sounds similar to Denver’s mayor Penya selling his own personal land he had just acquired to the new site for Denver International Airport way the hell in the middle of nowhere. Polis is a crook and can’t be trusted.

 

[buffybr]

Colorado’s anti hunting governor Polis . . . is a crook and can’t be trusted.

Polis is a democrat. That says it all.

 

[Ready2Rut]

Interesting issue. I think we can all agree that the right move is a balance of protecting the landscape, recreational access, and money for Colorado schools (the Land Board's mandate).

A few folks have mentioned a potential sale to a private, anti-hunting interest. Has the Land Board made similar sales of land to private anti-hunting groups in the past? Are there evidence that this is what they are seeking to do here?

 

[bayoublaster7527]

Interesting issue. I think we can all agree that the right move is a balance of protecting the landscape, recreational access, and money for Colorado schools (the Land Board's mandate).

A few folks have mentioned a potential sale to a private, anti-hunting interest. Has the Land Board made similar sales of land to private anti-hunting groups in the past? Are there evidence that this is what they are seeking to do here?

A few folks alluded to that in the article but no definitive evidence. Rosmarino and Land Board have refused to discus the matter which leads folks to speculate on the reason. This is a recent development as Polis appointed two new Land Board Commissioners and Rosmarino as the Director back during the summer. Community stakeholders were all in agreement on the land sale.

What causes most concern is Rosmarino’s previous work. She was Executive Director of the Southern Plains Land Trust. They purchase land as a private entity and close off any and all access, unless of course you are a wealthy donor. They are part of the “Rewilding” movement where people are removed for the landscape. Local community leaders are concerned Rosmarino is killing the land sale so they can tee it up for sale to an org like SPLT in the future. Thereby preventing any public access.

 

[Ready2Rut]

A few folks alluded to that in the article but no definitive evidence. Rosmarino and Land Board have refused to discuss the matter which leads folks to speculate on the reason. This is a recent development as Polis appointed two new Land Board Commissioners and Rosmarino as the Director back during the summer. Community stakeholders were all in agreement on the land sale.

What causes most concern is Rosmarino’s previous work. She was Executive Director of the Southern Plains Land Trust. They purchase land as a private entity and close off any and all access, unless of course you are a wealthy donor. They are part of the “Rewilding” movement where people are removed for the landscape. Local community leaders are concerned Rosmarino is killing the land sale so they can tee it up for sale to an org like SPLT in the future. Thereby preventing any public access.

I agree that the sudden turn-around on the sale, lack of transparency, and Rosmarino's previous work with private preserves are all very concerning. Your suggestion that a private sale may be coming is not a big leap of logic by any means.

I'm generally pro-rewilding and would like to see more prairie land protected from cattle grazing in order to create better habitat for wildlife. But selling off lands held by the state to a private party that will block public access in the name of "preservation" is 100% the worst way to go about protecting land. Only marginally better than selling off land to build mines.