BLM seeks to resolve residential encroachment through sale of small parcel of public land

Organization

Bureau of Land Management

BLM Office:

Uncompahgre Field Office

Media Contact:

D Maggie Magee

Montrose, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Uncompahgre Field Office plans to sell a small parcel of public land to resolve a long-standing residential encroachment. The parcel is managed by the Uncompahgre Field Office within the planning area for the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (NCA), although not within the NCA itself.

“The BLM hopes to resolve this long-lasting and unintentional trespass on public lands by selling this small parcel of public land to a private party,” said Uncompahgre Field Manager Suzanne Copping.

The 0.70-acre parcel is located in the Bostwick Park area of Montrose County. In the late 1990s, a house was built on what was thought to be private property bordering public lands. In 2009, a private land survey revealed that the house might encroach onto public lands by as much as six and a half feet. The BLM confirmed and determined that a direct sale would be the most effective way to resolve the trespass.

The BLM released a draft of the preliminary environmental assessment for a 21-day public comment period in September 2020 to provide an opportunity to gather additional input from the public regarding the project and issue analysis. The EA was approved in 2020 after no comments were received.

More information about the proposed land sale, including maps, is available online at: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2000347/510.


The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.