A federal judge has rejected a group’s attempt to claim more than 1,400 acres of the San Juan National Forest, preserving federal control of land used for grazing and other public purposes. Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Domenico ruled that the Free Land Holder Committee and representatives Patrick Pipkin and Bryan Hammon have no ownership claim to the land near Mancos in southwestern Colorado. The ruling prohibits the group from rebuilding fences or blocking public access, according to the Denver Post. The dispute began in 2024 when the group posted notices asserting ownership and erected about 4.5 miles of barbed-wire fence around approximately 1,460 acres near Chicken Creek. The decision is significant for agriculture because National Forest lands across the West provide grazing opportunities for livestock producers operating under federal permits. Maintaining federal ownership and access preserves the established system under which ranchers can use authorized public lands for livestock grazing.
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