Some members of the State Land Board don’t like the Trump administration and the decisions made about conservation, which they voiced in the monthly public meeting Nov. 13. The board could have made the mistake of making an exceptionally partisan statement, something that is certainly not in the best interest of conservation or kids. The board briefly appeared to contemplate refusing to allow a sale of the La Jara property — something widely if not unanimously supported. Ultimately, the SLB commissioners, save for Commissioner Josie Heath, voted with every stakeholder who spoke, respecting the result of more than 100 stakeholder meetings and years of collaboration.

The SLB is tasked with earning the most revenue for schools from trust lands and has been since statehood. The majority of state trust lands are on the east side of the state and since the appointment of director Nicole Rosmarino, a rewilding advocate, the thousands of agriculture leasees who have been stewarding those lands for multiple generations are nervous agriculture will be shown the door.

The board thankfully voted with the San Luis Valley community. A commissioner finally admitted just prior to the vote stakeholders don’t trust what future SLB boards might decide. That’s partially true, but many don’t trust Rosmarino’s tenure and this board to allow agriculture to continue as conservation and as an important economic activity for the communities that rely upon it.

The heavy hitters were all brought to the State Land Board meeting, including the San Luis Valley’s own Ken Salazar, former U.S. senator and Interior Secretary. He aligned the importance of the La Jara sale to the creation of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. No matter their political stripes, anyone in the room left unmoved by Salazar’s testimony should check their pulse.

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s representative Hillary Henry reiterated Bennet’s support of the sale of the property. He cited widespread support for the sale, the state’s potential loss of $40 million in conservation funding, the guidelines that limit the administration to resell the property or make negative decisions apart from the public’s interests, and how the refusal to sell would also damage trust in the San Luis Valley of the SLB.

The three Conejos county commissioners drove to Denver for the meeting and shed light on the importance of the La Jara property to the community. Each summer and fall, families access the property to collect firewood, not for the ambiance of a roaring fireplace, but as fuel to heat their homes, sometimes their sole source of heat. Freezers are stocked with meat harvested from the property, not for the photo to show the fellas, but as a matter of whether the family will have enough to eat. There is cultural significance to the property and losing access to it would be devastating. Some ag leaseholders have grazed the property since the 1880s and losing their lease and the ability to graze there would force them out of the family business, which in turn, would have economic consequences for the community.

Conejos County Commissioner Carlos Garcia said if the La Jara property is pristine, it is because the ranchers in the room and multiple generations of their families who came before them took expert care of the land. It is a prime example of why the communities and the families on the land are better able to make management decisions than a board in Denver or a bureaucrat in D.C.

Political administrations thankfully don’t move at the speed of a poorly timed social post, just ask a cattle producer still flinching about packer investigations and Argentine beef imports. The federal government some members of the State Land Board and some stakeholders don’t trust is reversing actions taken by a previous administration some members of the SLB and stakeholders didn’t trust. During the Biden administration, there were decisions made in the name of conservation that had very real consequences including the misuse of the monument designation, the roadless rule, resource management plans that stripped communities of access and the ability to create economic activity on federal lands, and misguided water policies. The wild pendulum swings between administrations — be it species delisting and relisting or stripping multiple users of federal land access — isn’t good for any stakeholders.

There is mistrust of Rosmarino and the State Land Board commissioners. Throwing the stakeholders into an absolute tailspin by threatening a deal like the La Jara sale was tone deaf. Redirecting media requests about the direction of the sale to Gov. Jared Polis’ office fanned the flames of distrust. When communities don’t trust the SLB to keep agriculture uses on trust lands, that needs to be remedied. If the SLB is unaware their own stakeholders don’t trust them, they have their heads in a prairie dog hole.

Rachel Gabel writes about agriculture and rural issues. She is assistant editor of The Fence Post Magazine, the region’s preeminent agriculture publication.