HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-122-10/01/1996-AMENDING COLORADO CONSTITUTION MANAGEMENT PUBLIC TRUST LANDS RESOLUTION 96-122
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
SUPPORTING AMENDMENT 16, AMENDING ARTICLE IX OF THE COLORADO
CONSTITUTION REGARDING THE MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC TRUST LANDS
WHEREAS, under Article IX of the Colorado Constitution, the State Board of Land
Commissioners ("State Land Board") is responsible for the location, protection, sale or other
disposition of all lands granted to the State by the Federal government; and
WHEREAS, under this Constitutional provision, the State Land Board is obligated to secure
the maximum possible amount of revenue available from the use or disposition of such lands, with
such revenues to be held in trust for the use and benefit of the respective objects for which the grants
of land were made; and
WHEREAS,although ninety percent(90%)of the lands held in trust by the State Land Board
are for the benefit of Colorado schools, such schools presently have no access to those lands or the
money generated from them; and
WHEREAS, current income from the management of Colorado's public trust lands is less
than one-half of one percent of the State's public education budget; and
WHEREAS, over one-third of the original public trust lands in Colorado have been sold and
developed and plans are presently underway to develop sixty thousand (60,000) acres of trust lands
presently used as urban open space; and
WHEREAS, approximately forty-six thousand (46,000) acres of property managed by the
State Land Board are located in Latimer County; and
WHEREAS,the City Council is committed to the prudent stewardship and protection of such
lands and, on November 16, 1993, adopted Resolution 93-180, opposing the development of the
Seven Utes Ski Resort on public trust land managed by the State Land Board; and
WHEREAS, the City has also previously supported expanded representation on the State
Land Board to include citizens with expertise in land use planning, natural resource conservation and
public education; and
WHEREAS, in the upcoming November general election, the voters of the State will be
asked to consider a citizen-initiated amendment to Sections 3, 9 and 10 of Article IX; and
WHEREAS, Amendment 16 would restructure the composition of the State Land Board and
change the constitutional mission of the State Land Board with respect to the public trust lands from
one of securing the maximum value from the disposition of such lands to one of producing
reasonable and consistent income from the management of such lands; and
WHEREAS, Amendment 16 would require the State Land Board to protect the long-term
productivity and sound stewardship of the public trust lands by such measures as establishing and
maintaining a long-term stewardship trust of up to three hundred thousand (300,000) acres of land
that the State Land Board determines through a state-wide nomination process to be valuable
primarily to preserve long-term benefits and returns to the State; and
WHEREAS, the conservation provisions of Amendment 16 would not preclude the future
or continued economic use of public trust lands for such purposes as agriculture, recreation, or open
space leases; and
WHEREAS, the goals of Amendment 16 complement state-wide efforts currently being
undertaken at the municipal and county level to preserve open space, conserve agricultural and ranch
land and maintain physical separation between communities; and
WHEREAS, City Council believes that Amendment 16 would bring about critical changes
to the management of public state lands that would benefit all citizens of the state while enhancing
the long-term economic return from such lands to the public school system.
NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS, that the City Council enthusiastically endorses and supports the passage of Amendment
16, the Public Trust Lands Initiative and urges its approval by the voters.
Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council held this 1st d ctober,
A.D. 1996.
ayor
ATTEST:
a
City Clerk