Sean, speaking for Chaffee County parks, provided an informational update on July 9 about the BlueTriton property and Bighorn Springs State Wildlife Area and described how the county and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) are managing public access and conservation responsibilities.

Sean said CPW and the county negotiated easements in 2011 and again around 2021 that changed the access easement into a perpetual easement, creating a lasting public‑access right recorded against the property. “Our access easement moved into a perpetual easement,” Sean said, describing the change in title and public access rights.

He said the conservation easement, held by CPW, is intended to protect habitat, viewscapes and wildlife values. The access easement requires the company that owns the parcel (identified in the meeting as BlueTriton/Primo brands, previously Nestlé) to construct parking and trails; once those improvements are in place the county is responsible for maintenance of parking, trails and regulatory signage while the company retains other obligations such as vegetation or weed control per the easement terms.

Sean said the relationship with the property owner has been “pretty good” operationally and that CPW and county staff monitor the site annually. He described wildlife use of the area, including bighorn sheep and golden eagles, and said the public has benefited from new river access created by the easement improvements.

The update was informational; no county action was requested or taken at the meeting.