Colorado's State Trust Lands

[windymtnman]

If you're a Colorado resident, you probably already know about Colorado's State Trust Lands. Basically, they are often very good game habitat that is owned by the State, but not necessarily open for public use. Some are, but many are not. Where I live, many of these land tracts are a full section, 640 acres of land, sometimes more. Some are leased for grazing to a rancher at a nominal price. Some can be leased to a private citizen for recreational use. Otherwise, often you're TRESPASSING to step foot on them.
A few days ago, I was exploring some new areas in the nearby National Forest. It had trails open for ATV use and I was checking the area out. I came up on a section of land that came up State Trust Land on my Onx map program. I looked at my paper map, and it indeed was State Trust Land. Thing is, instead of it being signed as such, it had "No Trespassing, Violaters will be Prosecuted" signs up. That made me think a citizen had leased in for their personal hunting grounds. Years ago, I asked the area property manager how much it cost to lease Trust lands around here? He answered, "I wouldn't let it go for less than $1.00 per acre". (or $640.00/year).
This makes me angry. This is State property, where we taxpayers are locked off of it. Often this land is very good hunting country too. If they're willing to let a citizen walk and drive on it, then I think everyone should be able to use it.
Where am I wrong in my thinking here?

 

[Southern Elk]

Back in Mississippi, it’s the same way. All 16th section land is owned by the county to benefit schools. Every acre is leased and the general public would be trespassing if they set foot on it. I think the distinction from other public land, in most cases, is that state land is supposed to generate funds for schools.

 

[nrpate05]

Interesting. You're onX should tell you if the parcel is open to hunting or not. CPW leases certain parcels that they open to hunting. For a state that pushes recreation so hard you'd think they would be into the public accessing state trust land. I don't see why sections can't be leased for agriculture use and be open to public hunting, kinda like federal public land grazing. I don't know the nature of a lot of the ag. tho. Maybe it would screw it up to have people running around. My grad school colleague wrote this article about it a couple years back. She now works for TRCP.

Opinion: Colorado’s outdoor opportunity: Open state lands to public access

Colorado’s population and recreation economies are booming. The state’s outdoor opportunities are the catalyst behind this growth. A side effect of this growth is the strain on existing public lands and recreational infrastructure. Permit systems have been proposed for the Maroon Bells...

coloradosun.com

 

[Jorgy]

I have done a few deep dives into this in years past. The state holds these lands and it's purpose is to create revenue. We are hunters, we don't do much except devalue land.

 

[LuketheDog]

If you're a Colorado resident, you probably already know about Colorado's State Trust Lands. Basically, they are often very good game habitat that is owned by the State, but not necessarily open for public use. Some are, but many are not. Where I live, many of these land tracts are a full section, 640 acres of land, sometimes more. Some are leased for grazing to a rancher at a nominal price. Some can be leased to a private citizen for recreational use. Otherwise, often you're TRESPASSING to step foot on them.
A few days ago, I was exploring some new areas in the nearby National Forest. It had trails open for ATV use and I was checking the area out. I came up on a section of land that came up State Trust Land on my Onx map program. I looked at my paper map, and it indeed was State Trust Land. Thing is, instead of it being signed as such, it had "No Trespassing, Violaters will be Prosecuted" signs up. That made me think a citizen had leased in for their personal hunting grounds. Years ago, I asked the area property manager how much it cost to lease Trust lands around here? He answered, "I wouldn't let it go for less than $1.00 per acre". (or $640.00/year).
This makes me angry. This is State property, where we taxpayers are locked off of it. Often this land is very good hunting country too. If they're willing to let a citizen walk and drive on it, then I think everyone should be able to use it.
Where am I wrong in my thinking here?

Read up on Colorado State Trust Land history and revenue mandates.

 

[old roper 42]

Nearly 300,000 Acres of Public Land Are Inaccessible in Colorado

According to a recent report, millions of acres of federal public land across the West are “landlocked” by private property holdings. And here in the Centennial State, there are unique barriers to opening up more land for recreation.

www.5280.com

 

[Oak]

You can look up any state land parcel on the interactive map linked on the page below. It will tell you who holds leases on the parcel. Some have several different leases.

Maps | State Land Board

As the second-largest landowner in the state, we rely on maps. A lot. Our Geographic Information System (GIS) is publicly available and provides a catalog of:

slb.colorado.gov

 

[old270hunter]

OnX does list which ones are open to hunting.

 

[Falcon75]

Why not charge $10 stamp for every license sold and then open them all up for hunting. I bet more money would be made with that the current operating procedure. Heck charger residents $5 and the cash cow $10 and require any users of land to have a hunting or fishing license and bump numbers to get those federal dollars for the state.

 

[Neumie]

Some are open to hunting as mentioned above. Believe CPW leases these for hunter access.

 

[Zach]

If you're a Colorado resident, you probably already know about Colorado's State Trust Lands. Basically, they are often very good game habitat that is owned by the State, but not necessarily open for public use. Some are, but many are not. Where I live, many of these land tracts are a full section, 640 acres of land, sometimes more. Some are leased for grazing to a rancher at a nominal price. Some can be leased to a private citizen for recreational use. Otherwise, often you're TRESPASSING to step foot on them.
A few days ago, I was exploring some new areas in the nearby National Forest. It had trails open for ATV use and I was checking the area out. I came up on a section of land that came up State Trust Land on my Onx map program. I looked at my paper map, and it indeed was State Trust Land. Thing is, instead of it being signed as such, it had "No Trespassing, Violaters will be Prosecuted" signs up. That made me think a citizen had leased in for their personal hunting grounds. Years ago, I asked the area property manager how much it cost to lease Trust lands around here? He answered, "I wouldn't let it go for less than $1.00 per acre". (or $640.00/year).
This makes me angry. This is State property, where we taxpayers are locked off of it. Often this land is very good hunting country too. If they're willing to let a citizen walk and drive on it, then I think everyone should be able to use it.
Where am I wrong in my thinking here?

On the other hand, if you do your homework and invest, you can have a nice little spot that no one else can hunt except you and those you allow.

Property managers job is to create revenue. Lots of these State lands the AG lease and Rec lease are held by the same person. Sometimes to outfit, sometimes to keep some idiot from shooting bovine.

 

[Bwarren86]

If you're a Colorado resident, you probably already know about Colorado's State Trust Lands. Basically, they are often very good game habitat that is owned by the State, but not necessarily open for public use. Some are, but many are not. Where I live, many of these land tracts are a full section, 640 acres of land, sometimes more. Some are leased for grazing to a rancher at a nominal price. Some can be leased to a private citizen for recreational use. Otherwise, often you're TRESPASSING to step foot on them.
A few days ago, I was exploring some new areas in the nearby National Forest. It had trails open for ATV use and I was checking the area out. I came up on a section of land that came up State Trust Land on my Onx map program. I looked at my paper map, and it indeed was State Trust Land. Thing is, instead of it being signed as such, it had "No Trespassing, Violaters will be Prosecuted" signs up. That made me think a citizen had leased in for their personal hunting grounds. Years ago, I asked the area property manager how much it cost to lease Trust lands around here? He answered, "I wouldn't let it go for less than $1.00 per acre". (or $640.00/year).
This makes me angry. This is State property, where we taxpayers are locked off of it. Often this land is very good hunting country too. If they're willing to let a citizen walk and drive on it, then I think everyone should be able to use it.
Where am I wrong in my thinking here?

Im in Colorado by the Routt Forest. There are some trust land around there

 

[TN_Rifle_Junkie]

Im in Colorado by the Routt Forest. There are some trust land around there

Welcome to HT!

 

[Bwarren86]

Welcome to HT!

Thank you

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

On the other hand, if you do your homework and invest, you can have a nice little spot that no one else can hunt except you and those you allow.

Property managers job is to create revenue. Lots of these State lands the AG lease and Rec lease are held by the same person. Sometimes to outfit, sometimes to keep some idiot from shooting bovine.

Not necessarily, I did my homework called the office, got together all the necessary paperwork and filled it in a timely manner.

Land office never respond, just didn't do anything. I called several times... nope.

My 2cents they only lease them to outfitters or adjacent landowners, it's a joke.

Pronghorn Tag Soup Pic Heavy - A vain attempt for 'likes' to keep Noharleyyet from passing me up

www.hunttalk.com

 

[Zach]

Not necessarily, I did my homework called the office, got together all the necessary paperwork and filled it in a timely manner.

Land office never respond, just didn't do anything. I called several times... nope.

My 2cents they only lease them to outfitters or adjacent landowners, it's a joke.

Pronghorn Tag Soup Pic Heavy - A vain attempt for 'likes' to keep Noharleyyet from passing me up

www.hunttalk.com

So you were looking for temp access? or actually looking to bid on the rec lease? Did you ever contact the existing lease holder?

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

So you were looking for temp access? or actually looking to bid on the rec lease? Did you ever contact the existing lease holder?

They don't grant temp access, you have to bid on the lease, but can do so for any period of time. I filled the paper work to bid on the rec lease.

There wasn't an existing leaseholder for recreation it was unleased.

 

[Zach]

They don't grant temp access, you have to bid on the lease, but can do so for any period of time. I filled the paper work to bid on the rec lease.

There wasn't an existing leaseholder for recreation it was unleased.

Hmmm, different experiences then. I know not all STL's have both Rec and Ag. I know a lot are owned by the one primarily using it for Ag.(and depending on who they are they can get downright nasty if you try to bid against them for the Rec lease). And I know that if you call and talk to the Admin now they are very open to conversation. Their goal is, after all, to create revenue for the state.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Hmmm, different experiences then. I know not all STL's have both Rec and Ag. I know a lot are owned by the one primarily using it for Ag.(and depending on who they are they can get downright nasty if you try to bid against them for the Rec lease). And I know that if you call and talk to the Admin now they are very open to conversation. Their goal is, after all, to create revenue for the state.

I talked on the phone with folks, my sense was that that office was an old boys club, I'm sure if I owned a ranch around Pubelo I would have gotten a response. Folks love to post public down there and the game wardens don't seem to care, apparently lots of slightly old orange hats to deal with

 

[Hockaday2017]

Im in Colorado by the Routt Forest. There are some trust land around there

Howdy neighboor!