Western states manage millions of acres of trust land – land that was granted by the federal government to states upon joining the union.
Trust lands are not the same as most public lands. Public access to them can be restricted, and they're managed primarily to make money, usually for public schools. States lease out the land for grazing, mining, logging, oil and gas production, renewable energy, commercial development and more uses.
Now, Colorado is looking to balance those fiscal responsibilities with an additional goal: advancing recreation and conservation on trust lands. A new state law set up a work group to analyze the opportunities.
State Rep. Karen McCormick (D-Longmont) sponsored the legislation to set up the work group and said it was timed in part to coincide with the state’s 150th birthday next year, which also marks 150 years of the State Land Board.
“I thought of it as like a think tank where we could bring in more voices to creatively look at ways to maybe diversify revenue streams that may not occur to the Land Board, and how to manage those lands for even greater benefit in the future,” she said.
Oil and gas is the biggest source of revenue on Colorado's state trust lands, generating $182 million for schools in fiscal year 2024. But McCormick said further studying conservation and recreation opportunities was important amid climate change and a growing population.
“I don't see it as tension; I see it as good fiduciary planning,” she said.
State leaders said the establishment of the work group won’t affect existing leases and does not change the mandate to generate income from the state trust lands.
The group met for the first time late last month. Members represent the education, agriculture, conservation, recreation, energy and housing sectors, as well as local governments and Tribal interests.
According to the legislation, they are tasked with coming up with recommendations, including to “further the long-term productivity and sound stewardship of all state trust lands,” and to identify parcels that could be used for recreation, conservation, climate resiliency, water resources, habitat connectivity and agriculture.
The group will submit an interim report by March 2026 and a final report by September to the governor and State Board of Land Commissioners.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Boise State Public Radio, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio and KJZZ in Arizona as well as NPR, with support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
