Background story
You may have heard about the illegal land grab and construction of new illegal fencing in the Chicken Creek area which occurred in Fall of 2024. Not only were fences put up illegally, but the fence builders wantonly damaged parts of the forest by cutting down trees and brush to make roads so they could build their fence. Mancos Trails Group was been in contact with the Forest Service since it came to our attention in early October, and like many Montezuma County recreationists, we were concerned. As of Saturday, 10/12/2024, all of the fence had been taken down by loosely organized volunteers from the Mancos community. This has been a unique opportunity for virtually all citizens of the county to come together - cattle ranchers, grazing allotment holders, motorized trail users, cross country skiers, hunters, horseback riders, snowmobilers, trail runners, hikers, mountain bikers, dog walkers, and virtually every other user group worked side by side for two days to remove 4.5 miles of new fencing. We are all united in our use of and love of the national forest.
Timeline
October 5-9 – Free Land Holder Committee (FLHC) starts to erect illegal, four barbed wire strand fence on 1460 acres of the US Forest Service land in the Chicken Creek Area of USFS. Claiming their entitled ownership according to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1848. In the process they wantonly fell trees and destroy brush to make new access roads to build their fence.
October 9 – The Free Land Holder Committee ordered to cease fence building by the US Forest Service and the Montezuma County Sheriff.
October 10-16 – The citizens of Mancos rally together to take down the fence that was erected by the FLHC. Collaborating with all user groups, grazing allotment holders, equestrian, hikers, bikers, skiers, dog walkers, etc. Chicken Creek Coalition consisting of above users and groups is loosely formed.
October 18 – Patrick L. Pipkin of the FLHC posts another letter at the Mancos Post Office stating coordinates of the US Forest Service that he and his group the Free Land Holder Committee plan to secure by December 15, 2024.
November 14 - Citizens of the Chicken Creek Draft and publicly post an anti-proclamation statement to the Free Land Holder Committee and any potential other illegal land grabbers.
We, the Chicken Creek Coalition, are citizens of Montezuma County who represent different public lands users in the Chicken Creek area. We include USFS grazing allotment holders, the Mancos Valley Chamber of Commerce, Mancos Trails Group, Chicken Creek Nordic, Mesa Verde Back Country Horsemen, and numerous nearby private landowners.
We recognize no dispute in the ownership of land currently held by the United States Forest Service in the Chicken Creek area. These are public lands which have been entrusted to the United States Forest Service to manage, and we understand this management to include defending these lands against both false claims and illegal efforts to utilize them.
We will continue to expect and enjoy unimpeded lawful use of these lands now and in the future, up until such time as the United States Forest Service has lawfully made other provisions for the ownership or use of these lands.
November 26 - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado files a lawsuit alleging that Patrick Pipkin, Brian Hammon, and a group of unidentified persons unlawfully placed fencing, without permission, on federal public lands near Mancos, Colorado. The lawsuit, which was filed in the federal district court in the District of Colorado, seeks to clarify that such activity is not permitted and to prevent future unlawful fencing of the area. Read the DOJ official press release.
December 12 – The Chicken Creek Coalition was awarded the special Community in Action Award from the Mancos Valley Chamber of Commerce at The Best of 2024 Awards, held at Moondog Cafe and Bakery in Mancos.
January 9, 2025 – Free Land Holders file rambling response to lawsuit seeking to bar group from seizing public lands in Colorado. Here is an article on the filing from The Denver Post. Here is a copy of the document that was filed.
January 22, 2025 – MINUTE ORDER Plaintiff’s Motion for Telephonic Status Conference (ECF No.20 ) is GRANTED. A telephonic Status Conference is set for February 4, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. Entered by Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter on 1/22/2025.
You can follow along with the Federal lawsuit here.
October 9 – The Free Land Holder Committee ordered to cease fence building by the US Forest Service and the Montezuma County Sheriff.
October 10-16 – The citizens of Mancos rally together to take down the fence that was erected by the FLHC. Collaborating with all user groups, grazing allotment holders, equestrian, hikers, bikers, skiers, dog walkers, etc. Chicken Creek Coalition consisting of above users and groups is loosely formed.
October 18 – Patrick L. Pipkin of the FLHC posts another letter at the Mancos Post Office stating coordinates of the US Forest Service that he and his group the Free Land Holder Committee plan to secure by December 15, 2024.
November 14 - Citizens of the Chicken Creek Draft and publicly post an anti-proclamation statement to the Free Land Holder Committee and any potential other illegal land grabbers.
We, the Chicken Creek Coalition, are citizens of Montezuma County who represent different public lands users in the Chicken Creek area. We include USFS grazing allotment holders, the Mancos Valley Chamber of Commerce, Mancos Trails Group, Chicken Creek Nordic, Mesa Verde Back Country Horsemen, and numerous nearby private landowners.
We recognize no dispute in the ownership of land currently held by the United States Forest Service in the Chicken Creek area. These are public lands which have been entrusted to the United States Forest Service to manage, and we understand this management to include defending these lands against both false claims and illegal efforts to utilize them.
We will continue to expect and enjoy unimpeded lawful use of these lands now and in the future, up until such time as the United States Forest Service has lawfully made other provisions for the ownership or use of these lands.
November 26 - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado files a lawsuit alleging that Patrick Pipkin, Brian Hammon, and a group of unidentified persons unlawfully placed fencing, without permission, on federal public lands near Mancos, Colorado. The lawsuit, which was filed in the federal district court in the District of Colorado, seeks to clarify that such activity is not permitted and to prevent future unlawful fencing of the area. Read the DOJ official press release.
December 12 – The Chicken Creek Coalition was awarded the special Community in Action Award from the Mancos Valley Chamber of Commerce at The Best of 2024 Awards, held at Moondog Cafe and Bakery in Mancos.
January 9, 2025 – Free Land Holders file rambling response to lawsuit seeking to bar group from seizing public lands in Colorado. Here is an article on the filing from The Denver Post. Here is a copy of the document that was filed.
January 22, 2025 – MINUTE ORDER Plaintiff’s Motion for Telephonic Status Conference (ECF No.20 ) is GRANTED. A telephonic Status Conference is set for February 4, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. Entered by Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter on 1/22/2025.
You can follow along with the Federal lawsuit here.
MAP - Chicken Creek Area, mancos, colorado
What can the public do to Help?
With the ongoing situation at Chicken Creek, and even though the government has filed a lawsuit, we want to remind people of the continued importance of writing the Forest Service and your elected representatives expressing your desire to keep public lands open to the public. Perhaps thank them for their efforts so far but also stress that you expect continued oversight and action on this situation. It's important that word gets out that the people of Mancos LOVE our public lands, and that we LOVE Chicken Creek and won't stand for others trying to steal our lands! Please, take a moment to contact your elected officials and please also consider subscribing to our newsletter to stay up to date on this and other topics regarding our local lands and trails.
Stay Up to Date
Now that the Chicken Creek Coalition has been formed, you can stay up to date on this matter and become involved at their website: https://chickencreekcoalition.org/
Contact your elected officials and the USFS
USFS
Dolores District Ranger
Nick Mustoe
928-266-5226
[email protected]
San Juan National Forest Supervisor
Dave Neely
[email protected]
Federal
Senator Michael Bennett
202-224-5852
https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Building
1244 Speer Blvd.
Denver, CO 80204
Senator John Hickenlooper
202-224-5941
https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/email-john/
Byron Rogers Federal Building
1961 Stout Street
Suite 12-300
Denver, CO 80294
Representative Jeff Hurd
202-225-4676
https://hurd.house.gov/contact
1641 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Representative Doug Lamborn (use zip code 80906 to access his contact form)
https://lamborn.house.gov/contact
1125 Kelly Johnson Blvd.
Suite 330
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
State
Governor Jared Polis
303-866-2885
https://dashboard.colorado.gov/connect-with-us
Colorado State Representative Barbara McLachlan
303-866-2914
[email protected]
Montezuma County Commissioner:
Gerald Koppenhafer (District 3 - Mancos area)
970-749-0262
https://montezumacounty.org/board-of-county-commissioners/
Dolores District Ranger
Nick Mustoe
928-266-5226
[email protected]
San Juan National Forest Supervisor
Dave Neely
[email protected]
Federal
Senator Michael Bennett
202-224-5852
https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Building
1244 Speer Blvd.
Denver, CO 80204
Senator John Hickenlooper
202-224-5941
https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/email-john/
Byron Rogers Federal Building
1961 Stout Street
Suite 12-300
Denver, CO 80294
Representative Jeff Hurd
202-225-4676
https://hurd.house.gov/contact
1641 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Representative Doug Lamborn (use zip code 80906 to access his contact form)
https://lamborn.house.gov/contact
1125 Kelly Johnson Blvd.
Suite 330
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
State
Governor Jared Polis
303-866-2885
https://dashboard.colorado.gov/connect-with-us
Colorado State Representative Barbara McLachlan
303-866-2914
[email protected]
Montezuma County Commissioner:
Gerald Koppenhafer (District 3 - Mancos area)
970-749-0262
https://montezumacounty.org/board-of-county-commissioners/
sample letters
Mancos Trails Group specific letter #1 - Word format - Click here to download
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Mancos Trails Group specific Letter #1 - Pages format - Click here to download
Mancos Trails Group specific Letter #1 - PDF format - Click here to download
Generic sample letter #2 - Word format - Click here to download
Generic sample letter #2 - Pages format - Click here to download
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