SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "Public in Paonia say privacy doesn’t justify Bear Ranch land swap"

(See related stories and commentary here and here)

Pity poor Bill Koch.

(sigh....rolls eyes....)

Let's try a new approach to his problem up on Bear Creek Ranch, shall we?

Riddle me this:

If you owned aprx. 4,500 acres of heaven on earth in the form of a ranch in the high country of Colorado.

And there was one little strip of publically owned land that went smack down (almost, we are stretching it a bit) the middle of it, that was used once in a Harvest Moon by a mountain biker or two and some cows being moved back and forth to other land (which, BTW also has other routes that could be taken)  wouldn't you try to purchase that strip of land?

And  if the price was ratcheted up by a whipped into a frenzy mob (the mountain bikers started it) that required you to "give them something more"....would you do that?

Poor Bill Koch said:  "Well, OK."  And then went out and bought a lot more land to give 'The Mob' than they wanted in the first place.

The riddle is:

"Are the hordes of angry mobsters in the Paonia area going to dislike poor Bill Koch any less if he simply goes to the Feds and asks for help?"

Probably not.

So, our vote here on SandBox is to stick with the Feds (and) you've done all you can with the mob in Paonia so let them just simmer until some kind of decision is made.  Oh, yes.  That guardrail up on Castle Creek that will save lives?  Keep going, Mr. Koch.  Surely someone up in Aspen can help pay for it besides you.

(Read this article in the continuing trials/tribulations of poor Bill Koch?  Click title.  Comment to discuss)

"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: KKCO 11 News "Paonia residents riled up at possible land exchange "

Thank goodness.

Within a matter of a few weeks, Bill Koch gets his deal with the locals and can go live in peace.  We end this ludicrous grandstanding by environmentalists.

"A second mountain bike trail would also be built in the exchange, and opposition says this is destructive to the forest.

But those for the exchange say it would actually help the public, and improve the land they already have access to.

"We've tried to enhance that opportunity by moving up north to an area we can provide OHV access, ATV, equestrian and all users," Bear Ranch manager Rob Gill said.

Koch also just wants to have his property all in one piece.

"There's very few people I think that if they owned this ranch, they wouldn't want to consolidate it," Gill said.

The meeting gives the town council to take sides on the matter, but nothing was decided Wednesday because there weren't enough council members in attendance to make it a regular meeting.

It should all be settled at the next meeting in a few weeks.

11 News will keep you posted on what happens next....."

(KKCO)

(Learn more?  Click title. Comment to discuss)