Private 14ers: Protecting Access in the Mosquito Range

YouTube Excerpt: More than 10 percent of Colorado 14ers summits are on or accessed by private lands. The largest concentration--five peaks--is in the Mosquito Range. This includes Mount Sherman in the south and the Decalibron Loop (Mounts Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln and Bross) in the north. Up to 5000 acres of land in the Mosquito Range is in private hands. CFI has been working collaboratively with The Conservation Fund and Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative since 2020 to see if some of these lands can be purchased to maintain hiking access and to protect natural ecosystems. Landowner liability concerns closed the Decalibron Loop for several years in the mid-2000s, conditionally reopening in 2009 when CFI rerouted the trail onto lands owned by one supportive landowner. However, a $7.3 million award to a cyclist injured on an unofficial Air Force Academy bike path caused landowners across the state to close access again until Colorado's Recreational Use Statute (CRUS) is strengthened. The Decalibron Loop was closed in the first half of 2021 and again in 2023, opening only under a limited-duration electronic waiver system. The purchase of about 290 acres on Mount Democrat in September 2023 by The Conservation Fund reopens lands accessing Mounts Democrat and Cameron. It is hoped by the end of 2023 that the sale to the US Forest Service will be complete, putting these lands into public ownership forever. Mount Bross remains closed due to lack of permission from multiple fractional landowners. Mount Lincoln's access will be determined by the landowner once CRUS legislation is considered in the 2024 legislative session. Farther south, the entirety of the sweep from Horseshoe Mountain over Peerless, Sheridan and Sherman and on north is owned by the defunct Leadville Corp. Ownership is pending the outcome of an acrimonious lawsuit between two rival creditor groups. The fate of almost 2000 acres of high-altitude lands in Park and Lake County will be determined by the prevailing party and the bankruptcy court. CFI and our partners are positioned to acquire those lands and bring them into public ownership. Help CFI in this effort by donating at 14ers.org.

More than 10 percent of Colorado 14ers summits are on or accessed by private lands. The largest concentration--five peaks--is in the Mosquito...

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