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White River National Forest supervisor says land exchange not advised; Pitkin County to revise conditional support letter
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Summary
Brian Glaspell, White River National Forest supervisor, told Pitkin County commissioners the Forest Service does not view the proposed mine land exchange as in the public interest and urged alternatives such as private‑land access; the board agreed to revise a conditional letter to retain a seat in any future legislative process.
Brian Glaspell, supervisor of the White River National Forest, told the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners on April 21 that the Forest Service does not believe the proposed land exchange is in the public interest as currently structured and encouraged the county to pursue alternatives.
Glaspell said he has briefed national Forest Service leadership and the undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and that those officials directed him to seek an alternative to the exchange "as proposed." He described a recent, several‑hour meeting with Ryan Chadwick, the proponent, and said the parties left with a shared goal of exploring other options.
As an alternative to a land exchange, Glaspell suggested accessing underground mine operations from adjacent private parcels rather than transferring federal surface land. He told the board that the parcel on the table did not represent an equal‑value exchange and that any viable exchange would need to be "sweetened" or resolved with cash or additional concessions.
Commissioners discussed a draft letter the board has prepared offering conditional support tied to the county’s concerns about future development, staffing impacts to the Forest Service and protections for other White River National Forest priorities. Several commissioners said including conditional language preserves the county’s ability to be "at the table" should congressional legislation be drafted; others questioned the letter’s value if the Forest Service will not support an exchange.
Board members also exchanged information about recent contacts: Glaspell said the Department of Agriculture undersecretary was involved after a personal request from a friend of the agriculture secretary; staff said the congressman’s office (Representative Hurd’s staff) had been briefed and sought Pitkin County’s input.
The board directed staff to add language making any support conditional on clearly stated contingencies and to return the revised letter for signature and forwarding to the congressional delegation.
Quote excerpts: "The Forest Service does not feel that it's in the best interest of the public generally or the forest specifically, to pursue the land exchange as proposed." — Brian Glaspell
Next steps: staff will revise the draft letter to include contingencies and submit it to the chair for forwarding to the delegation; county staff will remain engaged with the proponent and congressional staff as the process evolves.
