ASPEN, Colo.—Pitkin County commissioners aren’t taking an official position yet on whether to back the creation of a new wilderness area in western Colorado.
The commissioners met Tuesday and were briefed about a proposal to remove about half of the Pitkin County land originally proposed for the Hidden Gems wilderness. The room was packed with people on both sides of the issue, with many wearing t-shirts and stickers supporting their cause.
The compromise was enough for one commissioner, Jack Hatfield, to endorse the proposal. But commission as a whole didn’t hold a formal vote and asked advocates to gather more public input on the proposal.
It would affect more than 340,000 acres of public land in Pitkin, Gunnison, Eagle and Summit Counties.
