A chunk of a controversial barbed-wire fence around some 1,400 acres on the San Juan National Forest north of Mancos was taken down Thursday afternoon. Dozens of people met at a site on the Chicken Creek Road to dismantle the fence. It was put up over the weekend by a group calling themselves the Free Land Holders, who reportedly claim the parcel of land belongs to them, not the U.S. Forest Service, under the Homestead Act of 1862. Montezuma County Commissioner Gerald Koppenhafer was one of the people carefully dismantling the fence and rolling up the wire Thursday. He told KSJD he was not there in his county capacity but because he has a cattle-grazing allotment crossed by the fence. Sheriff Steve Nowlin and a handful of deputies were also present, but the event was peaceful. The Chicken Creek area is popular with recreationists, and many locals voiced outrage about the fence, although it did leave gaps for trails. Horseback riders said they were not accustomed to having to seek gaps while riding there. Nowlin said that the matter is a civil dispute between the Forest Service and those claiming ownership of the parcel that needs to be resolved in court. He emphasized that he doesn’t have authority to stop fence-building or removal on federal lands. He said, “I’m trying to get this worked out by keeping the peace.”
KSJD Local Newscast - October 20, 2024
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