Feds sue group that claimed Colorado forest

Plus: Polis vs. Democrats, how paying water users is working out, and more Colorado news

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Nov 27, 2024 - 10:00
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Feds sue group that claimed Colorado forest
People working together in a forest clearing, gathering twigs and brushwood, surrounded by tall trees under a clear blue sky.
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Good morning, Colorado.

With family all together for the holidays, I got the joy of waking up my little niece this morning. Let me tell you, she’s a yapper. Just like her mother who herself was yapping at me yesterday with a whole bunch of odd questions like: “which vegetable should I get,” “why do you always pick recipes with the hardest to find ingredients,” and “wait, why do I have to do your grocery shopping.”

Silly sister with so many silly questions. Anyhoo, we have a newsletter to read. Let’s get through it quickly so you, too, can spend time with your family this morning, even if they are the yapping kind.

Ryan Borchers coils barbed wire that was part of a fence installed in early October in the San Juan National Forest north of Mancos by a group calling itself the Free Land Holders Committee. The group contends that historic treaties and deeds give it ownership of about 1,400 acres inside the national forest. Several Mancos area locals gathered Oct. 10 to dismantle the fence. (Benjamin Brewer, Special to The Colorado Sun)

You may recall that last month, a group calling itself the Free Land Holders Committee put up fencing claiming 1,400 acres of the San Juan National Forest north of Mancos. Now, the feds have an opinion on the matter — and they’re not happy. Olivia Prentzel and Jason Blevins have more.

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Union workers listen to speaker during a news conference where Colorado labor leaders unveiled a union security bill that will be debated during Colorado’s 2025 legislative session. The news conference was held Nov. 19, at the Colorado Capitol in Denver. (Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun)

Gov. Jared Polis is once again on a collision course with fellow Democrats in the state legislature and the Colorado labor movement. And after failures at the end of last session, unions are starting their pressure campaign early. Jesse Paul has more.

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Conscience Bay President Eli Feldman, center, walks across a field that was partially fallowed Sept. 13, near Olathe in Montrose County. Conscience Bay’s agricultural branch, Western States Ranches, enrolled in the 2024 System Conservation Program. (Shannon Mullane, The Colorado Sun)

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How much the cutbacks equal of Colorado’s typical water use each year

Dozens of farmers, ranchers and other water users across Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming got paid to cut their water use. Our reporter Shannon Mullane was curious to see how it worked out.

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The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy and submit columns, suggest writers or provide feedback at opinion@coloradosun.com.

Each week as part of SunLit — The Sun’s literature section — we feature staff recommendations from bookstores across Colorado. This week, the staff from Explore Booksellers in Aspen recommends:

Read what the bookstore staff had to say about each. Pick up a copy and support your local bookstores at the same time.

RECOMMENDATIONS

I have a niece to go chase around with a stuffed cat. Happy day before Thanksgiving!

— Danika & the whole staff of The Sun

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Notice something wrong? The Colorado Sun has an ethical responsibility to fix all factual errors. Request a correction by emailing corrections@coloradosun.com.

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