Contact: Richard Mylott, richard@wildernessworkshop.org
September 9, 2026
Wilderness Workshop Statement on Forest Service Special Use Permit for the Maroon Bells Scenic Area
“The Forest Service is abandoning its responsibility to manage one of the most iconic public landscapes in America, and it is doing so without an opportunity for the public to review and weigh in. Transferring essential public lands management functions to counties and private contractors without any Forest Service public process is a dangerous precedent, and everyone who cares about our public lands should be concerned about what this means for their future stewardship and accessibility.
While we appreciate Pitkin County’s willingness to step up to fill a gap created by the Trump Administration’s devastating cuts to the Forest Service, it’s time for short-sighted bailouts on our most prized natural landscapes to stop. Public lands belong to all Americans—they are not businesses to be pushed onto local governments or private companies, managed for revenue, or made accessible only to those who can afford higher fees. If we treat our public lands as a business, tying management to the money raised from fees, we lose the essential values of freedom, connecting with the outdoors, and wild nature– the heart of what makes our public lands so universally loved.
Ultimately, Congress must fully fund the Forest Service and restore the federal government’s commitment to managing our shared natural heritage for conservation, public access, and future generations. In the meantime, the Forest Service absolutely must involve the public in management decisions affecting our public lands, particularly decisions so significant as handing off management authority to third parties. If the Maroon Bells can be treated with this level of disregard for public participation and future stewardship, no place on our public lands is safe.”
Will Roush, Executive Director
