The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Any chance for recreation?
by Mark Reaman
The Crested Butte Town Council has committed $1 million to the Trampe Ranch conservation project, which would put 4,348 acres of land between Gunnison and Gothic into a conservation easement. An option agreement has been signed between the Trampe family and the Trust for Public Land (TPL).
The cost of the easement is $17.6 million and the TPL hopes to raise 40 percent of the money through private contributions. The rest would come from public sources, including a hoped-for large grant from the organization Great Outdoors Colorado. Money from the town of Crested Butte would come from its open space fund, which is raised through the real estate transfer tax (RETT) in town.
Crested Butte finance director Lois Rozman said the RETT “is doing well so far in 2015 and the town is over half way to the requested goal already. A conservative estimate is that we will raise $450,000 in 2016, so I think we will be there by the time they need the money in December 2016. This Trampe parcel would be [the town’s] main open space project for the next year-and-a-half but it is a big piece of property.”
The TPL’s Justin Spring reiterated to the council that the project was receiving statewide and national acclaim for its scope. “We really feel that this is a great project but it can set the stage for even more transactions. It is big and complex but can be a model.”
Spring asked that the TPL keep open the option to return to the council in a year if they need an extra push with their fundraising efforts. “It is a good leverage for your money if we can raise the rest of the funds. This is a dynamic project and will be preserving the agricultural aspect of that land forever,” he said.
“And there is the idea that town won’t be responsible for any operating or maintenance in the future, “ added TPL state director Jim Petterson.
Keeping the ranchland strictly agricultural took a bit of the shine off the idea for some in the room. “This is a monumental project and I am very supportive of it,” said councilmember Skip Berkshire. “But I am nagged just a little bit that the money is coming from Crested Butte and real estate transactions in town and the door is not open to allow for just a bit of recreation or even recreational access—even if it wasn’t recreation on the property itself but gave access to recreational opportunities. It is a little tarnish on an otherwise brilliant achievement.”
“We have heard that concern,” said Petterson. “On the other hand, nothing in the easement prohibits a future landowner from allowing that. This easement will be there forever, and forever is a long time.”
Local real estate agent Chris Kopf argued that since public funds were being used to help purchase the easement, the public should get some access. He told the council there are plenty of examples where there was “managed recreational access” for things like fishing or biking and hiking trails, such as the Snodgrass trail.
“While I am a believer in private property rights and think Mr. Trampe can do whatever he wants with his private property, when public funds are being used then the public should get access,” Kopf told the council. “I would suggest you vote against this unless public access is part of the deal. Some managed public access wouldn’t impact the land at all. There is very little public fly fishing access up here [at this end of the valley].”
Stacy McPhail, executive director of the Gunnison Ranchland Conservation Legacy, disagreed with Kopf’s argument. “Recreational access does impact the ranching business. There is a long list of impacts that maybe you or I don’t know, but the ranchers certainly do.”
Spring pointed out that the Trampe family has allowed some managed recreation on parts of their ranch in the past.
“While I agree with Chris’ concerns and it sticks in my craw somewhat, we have done similar funding in the past,” said Schmidt. “Other projects have been funded to protect the land from development. And knowing Bill Trampe I don’t think we will change his mind right now.”
Councilman Roland Mason asked the TPL representatives if they planned on approaching Mt. Crested Butte and the city of Gunnison for some funding.
Spring said the county had committed $200,000 and “while we haven’t approached Mt. Crested Butte or Gunnison, they are on the radar,” he said.
Mason noted that Crested Butte had contributed $700,000 to the Promontory Ranch open space project at the base of Snodgrass in Mt. Crested Butte. “I hope the rest of the community can participate as well,” Mason said.
