Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and Representative Joe Neguse introduced legislation to prohibit the Forest Service from opening, improving, authorizing, permitting, or constructing a year-round road on public land located north of Edwards, Colorado. The legislation would also clarify that the existing unpaved, seasonal road provides adequate access to inholdings on the federal land north of Edwards. In addition, the legislation includes a provision to make it easier for the developers or a future landowner to sell the property to the Forest Service if they choose to do so.
“Over the weekend, temperatures in the Eagle Valley hit over 70 degrees, and snowpack is rapidly declining. The White River National Forest faces the possibility of a catastrophic wildfire season and is still severely understaffed following the Trump Administration’s damaging cuts,” said Bennet. “Heading into such a challenging summer, the Forest Service needs to be laser-focused on the public good. They simply do not have the capacity to divert staff time to projects that only benefit the very wealthy few.”
“The Trump administration’s deep and reckless staffing and budget cuts have stretched our land management agencies dangerously thin — including the U.S. Forest Service,” said Neguse. “At a time when these agencies are already under strain, we should be focused on protecting our public lands and strengthening community safety — not greenlighting development that already faces broad opposition across Eagle County. I’m proud to stand with Senator Bennet in defending the interests of Western Slope residents.”
“We appreciate Senator Bennet’s ongoing leadership to stop the proposed Berlaimont Estates luxury home development project in Eagle County. The Colorado Department of Natural Resources remains opposed to this project due to potential impacts of 35-acre ranchettes on critical winter range for deer and elk and possible increased wildlife risks in an area surrounded by public lands,” said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources. “We standby ready to support this important legislation and are willing to work with the current landowners and other stakeholders on options to preserve this critical landscape.”
The developers of Berlaimont Estates have long sought to build a year-round paved road through winter wildlife habitat on Forest Service lands to facilitate the construction of 19 luxury estates. The project has faced strong community opposition because of the harmful consequences the road’s construction, use, and maintenance could have on wildlife, recreation, wildfire risks, and water quality. According to the USDA Office of the Inspector General, the Forest Service lost nearly 6,000 employees in just the first half of last year. An independent analysis of publicly available data showed that the Forest Service was also nearly 40% behind on hazardous fuels mitigation nationwide compared to the previous four-year annual average.
Local elected leaders, municipal governments, and nonprofit organizations have written in support of the legislation:
“The Forest Resources Accountability Act is a direct and reasonable response to the needs of both Coloradans and Colorado wildlife,” wrote State Senator Dylan Roberts and State Representative Meghan Lukens.
“We are concerned about the White River National Forest’s reduced staffing and capacity at a time when the US Forest Service is struggling to maintain trails, address wildfire risk, reduce hazardous fuels, and protect watersheds and wildlife habitat; this has real and significant impacts at the local level,” wrote the Town of Avon. “In addition, we see that spending US Forest Service staff time to process & review the application and plans to build a new year-round, paved access road to support one private, remote residential development (Berlaimont Estates) is not a public benefit and would also take time away from more critical US Forest Service priorities.”
“Expanding permanent road infrastructure in designated winter range would place lasting pressure on public lands that support both regional ecosystems and local economic sustainability,” wrote the Edwards Metropolitan District.
“Limiting new permanent road construction in sensitive habitat, maintaining existing seasonal access and encouraging voluntary acquisition of the parcel for conservation reflect a balanced approach to public lands stewardship,” wrote the Town of Eagle.
“… This issue is about protecting the integrity, character, and function of the Berry Creek trail system,” wrote the Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance. “We seek to preserve soft surface access, reduce user conflict, prevent avoidable trail degradation, and protect the experience of the many thousands of people who already rely on this area for close to home recreation. Senator Bennet’s amendment is an important and necessary step to prevent long term harm to one of the Vail Valley’s most important and popular trail systems.”
“The use of federal resources to pave a currently seasonal road to access the Berlaimont development stands in direct contrast to the Community Water Plan by threatening wildlife, wildfire mitigation efforts, recreational viewscapes and aesthetics, and water quantity,” wrote the Eagle River Coalition.
“… the Forest Service doesn’t have the staff or budget to perform its existing responsibilities, including maintaining our local Wilderness Areas,” wrote the Eagle Summit Wilderness Alliance. “It makes no sense to have an under-staffed and under-funded agency spent time and money on the proposed private Berlaimont road…The Berlaimont development would also force already under-funded and under-staffed local governments to spend precious dollars on firefighting and emergency services for a luxury development that provides no local benefit.”
Bennet has elevated Eagle Valley’s concerns with the Berlaimont Development since 2018. In 2021, Bennet and colleagues encouraged the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to ensure they addressed local concerns before moving forward with the project. Earlier this year, Bennet introduced an amendment to the Senate Interior Appropriations bill to prohibit federal funding to be used for this project.
The text of the bill is available HERE. Letters of support can be found HERE.
###