Allenspark Wind Article for February 2026
Roger Sherman

Last month I wrote a column that didn’t get run as I neglected to submit it before the early holiday submission date.  As they say, “my bad”, but it was probably just as well as I wrote in haste and anger.

So just what was it about the many outrageous things going on that set me off?  It was another attempt by Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) to weaken protections for our National Parks.  Thanks to the efforts of many folks and organizations Lee’s amendment was withdrawn on Dec. 20, 2025. 

I have since realized that I was only looking at the tip of a very large iceberg of striped regulations and a systematic and across the board dismantling of America’s Public Lands and the infrastructure to maintain and protect them.  This web of agencies and institutions has evolved since before Teddy Roosevelt and the attempts to gut these agencies and turn them into tools for extractive industries of all stripes is outrageous (there we go again). 

For all of us who love our Public Lands this past 2025 has been a daunting year.  From Forest, BLM and Park Service firings, layoffs and budget cuts to proposals that  literally sell off public lands to the highest bidder, we see a very alarming tread to turn back the clock to “the land of many abuses” and even worse.  Privatizing our parks and forests is not something we could go back from.

And here we thought the dangers to our homes and properties came from wild fires and insects and invasive species and drought.  We thought the problems stemmed from real estates prices and taxes, loss of insurance, water issues and over regulation.  Instead we are faced with an even more insidious threat – the very existence of the public lands that is really what makes our little corner of the world so special.  We know that the stewardship of the land is difficult and can make mistakes and it evolves but the alternative is unthinkable.  Except that we must think about it and take steps to stop it.  I don’t actually apologize for the rant – it felt good to put down on paper.  And I have learned that it is worse than I thought in December.  I highly recommend looking up the work of Jim Pattiz and More Than Just Parks if you want to share my outrage.

Our RMNP Superintendent Gary Ingram put a good face on things at TVLA’s Annual Meeting in August.  He and his staff that are left are good, dedicated hard working professionals who are and will be doing their very best to maintain the Park and its standards.  We do want to have him back in August of 2026 to see how things will be doing.  Our other stewards, in the Forest Service and in Larimer and Boulder Counties as well as volunteer organizations such as the Allenspark Fire Department and the Land Trust are similarly trying to backstop and even take steps forward.   We are indeed fortunate to have such dedicated folks.

Many good things have been done in and for the Valley since, but we need to be even more vigilant.  Unfortunately we can no longer simply enjoy our mountain home, we must defend it. 

Thank You, Roger Sherman for Tahosa Valley Landowners Association