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San Miguel County reviews draft high‑country pass opening policy after recent incidents
Summary
Road & Bridge presented a draft policy to clarify opening order, gate management, signage and intercounty coordination for high‑country passes; the U.S. Forest Service urged caution about restricting public‑land access and the board asked staff to add crew‑safety, cost and public‑facing explanation before returning with a final draft.
San Miguel County commissioners spent the bulk of a July 1 meeting reviewing a draft high‑country pass opening policy intended to make spring opening sequences, gate procedures and public communications more predictable across the region.
Road & Bridge Supervisor Ryan Regetti told the board the draft is a work‑in‑progress, not ready for adoption, and is meant to standardize when and how passes such as Last Dollar, Tomboy and Black Bear are cleared and how the county coordinates with neighboring counties and the U.S. Forest Service. “This policy really is focused at is ensuring that we can that we get good information out there,” Regetti said.
The policy would codify a typical opening order (Last Dollar → Tomboy → Black Bear) but also allows flexibility for conditions such as avalanche risk, ice on cliff sections, equipment safety and Forest Service travel‑management dates. Regetti said Tomboy Road can be particularly dangerous in years when ice forms on Royer Gulch, and that concern led crews to prioritize Over/Overpass this season to protect operators and equipment.
Megan Eno, district ranger for the U.S. Forest Service, told commissioners she has “total confidence in Ryan and his road crew” while warning that county policy should not be interpreted as a tool to restrict public access to federal lands. “We're potentially trying to restrict public access to public lands to manage private land owner expectations,” she said, and asked the county to clearly balance access rights with community impacts.
Commissioners pressed staff for clearer public communications and cross‑jurisdiction coordination after an incident in which motorists relied on a neighboring county's web page and entered a pass that was closed on the San Miguel side. The draft now includes plans for flip signs and shared barricades at county lines, coordinated press notices and an email subscription list for interested outfitters and local stakeholders.
Board members directed staff to: add explicit crew‑safety and equipment‑wear considerations to the opening criteria; clarify which agency or position is responsible for swinging each gate; ensure online status tables meet accessibility standards; and send the town of Ophir a written explanation when the county deviates from previously discussed opening priorities.
Regetti said staff will refine the draft and return to the board for further review, targeting a follow‑up in mid‑July. The board did not adopt the policy at the meeting.
