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Garfield County commissioners say they were blindsided by SITLA meeting, pledge to seek protections for Promise Rock
Summary
Commissioners said an administrative meeting hosted by the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) excluded community input; they urged efforts to incorporate Promise Rock into state park protections, expressed surprise that Chimney Rock was not included, and discussed tightening local ordinance protections.
Garfield County commissioners told residents they felt blindsided by an administrative meeting between state agencies and private interests that touched on land around Promise Rock and nearby Chimney Rock, and said they will press for stronger protections.
An unidentified commissioner said the county had expected a broader meeting with State Parks, SITLA and local leaders to discuss preserving Promise Rock and that instead the meeting was limited to agency-level participants. The commissioner said the county "was caught off guard" and that the community's clear preference is to see Promise Rock incorporated into a state park to protect its cultural and scenic value.
Commissioners raised particular concern that Chimney Rock — a parcel commissioners expected to be part of a preservation package — was not included in the parcels discussed. A commissioner said they had been told the development proposal could total about $100 million in private investment; commissioners warned that such a project would change the landscape and local character even if proponents described it as "low impact."
County officials stressed they are not opposed to private investment in principle but said they represent residents who want protections in place. They noted the county's agricultural-protection ordinance would apply if certain trust land parcels were sold, which would make removing agricultural protections difficult.
Next steps discussed by commissioners included scheduling a follow-up work session to map nearby state trust land, seeking community briefings before any future SITLA-private developer meetings, and exploring whether state legislation or other mechanisms are necessary to prevent culturally sensitive parcels from being sold without public input.
The commissioners did not adopt any formal county ordinance at the meeting; they said they will continue pursuing administrative and legislative options and will inform the Bryce Valley community as plans develop.
