Pitkin County Commissioner Candidates Split on Federal Land Management

Gunnison —The wind off the Roaring Fork River carries the smell of pine resin and diesel. It’s a Tuesday afternoon in Pitkin County, where 80% of the land is federal. The mountains loom over the valley floor, unchanged by zoning boards or property tax rolls.

That landscape is the subject of the next county commissioner race. Four candidates are running for two seats. They all agree on one thing: keep the public lands public.

The consensus is loud, but it’s not uniform.

Wilderness Workshop, a Carbondale-based nonprofit, sent a nonpartisan voter education survey to the candidates. The responses reveal where the agreement ends and the politics begin.

Rob Ittner runs for District 1. He frames protection as a management problem. His fear is that the valley’s wildness gets “loved to death.” He wants thoughtful access. He cites wildfire risk and forest health as the real threats, demanding strong partnerships between Pitkin County, the Forest Service, and local fire districts. Ittner wants long-term funding for trails and visitor management. He believes conservation and public access can coexist, provided the access is sustainable.

John Doyle also runs for District 1. His focus is ownership, not just use. He opposes trading federal land to private entities. He points specifically to proposals in Grand Teton and Yosemite National Parks as bad precedents. Doyle opposes border walls in Big Bend National Park. He wants local control over local federal resources, not private management. For Doyle, the enemy is the deed transfer, not the hiker count.

In District 2, Ted Mahon emphasizes “active, responsible management.” He acknowledges the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management have primary responsibility. But he argues the county has a role in vigilance and advocacy.

Emily Kolbe is the fourth candidate. The survey responses show she aligns with the general consensus on keeping lands funded and conserved for future generations.

Erin Riccio of Wilderness Workshop said the public lands help define life in western Colorado. She noted they support clean water, wildlife, recreation, and local economies. “Voters deserve to know where county commissioner candidates stand on the issues that matter to them,” Riccio said.

The survey included candidates from Eagle and Garfield counties as well. The full questionnaire responses are available at wildernessworkshop.org/commissioner-candidate-questionnaire/.

Read that again. Eighty percent of Pitkin County is federal land. The commissioners don’t own it. They can’t sell it. They can’t tax it directly. Their power is indirect: they set the tone, they allocate county funds for partnerships, and they push back when Washington or Denver makes moves that hurt the valley.

Doyle’s opposition to land trades is a direct shot at federal policy trends that favor private interests. Ittner’s focus on “loving to death” addresses the local reality of overcrowding in trailheads and campgrounds. Mahon’s call for vigilance suggests the county should be a louder voice in federal budget fights.

None of these candidates are proposing to privatize the land. None are proposing to close it off entirely. The differences lie in what they think is breaking the system: private ownership, recreational pressure, or bureaucratic distance.

The survey doesn’t tell you who will win. It tells you what they are willing to fight for.

The next election is a nonpartisan contest. There are no party labels on the ballot. Just names and positions.

The land doesn’t care about your political affiliation. It cares about who is managing the fire breaks, who is funding the trail maintenance, and who is arguing with the Forest Service when a new development proposal threatens a watershed.

The candidates agree on the goal. They disagree on the method. That’s where voters need to look.

The full responses are public. Check them before you mark your ballot.