Pitkin County will expand its role managing the Maroon Bells Scenic Area next year, after the board of county commissioners approved a special use permit on Wednesday.
The special use permit with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) will keep the area under public management while allowing the county to oversee day-to-day operations and establish a dedicated enterprise fund.
According to the county, agreement comes amid ongoing staffing issues, funding and infrastructure challenges. Maroon Bells is one of the region's most heavily-visited public lands, and the USFS has hfaced insufficient capacity and funding to operate the area.
Deferred maintenance is estimated between $5 million and $7 million, according to the county. Without the partnership, the USFS was considering management through a private company.
“This is about building a sustainable model for caring for the Maroon Bells for the long term,” Pitkin County Manager Kara Silbernagel said in a statement. “By keeping management in public hands, we can build on decades of partnership, reinvest the revenue generated at the Bells directly into this extraordinary place and continue providing high-quality public access.”
The Maroon Bells Scenic Area will remain public federal land.
Under the agreement, there will be an updated fee structure beginning in 2027, and officials say the current $10 day-use fee has remained unchanged for nearly three decades.
“For decades, managing the Maroon Bells has taken a village,” Pitkin County Open Space and Trails Director Gary Tennenbaum said in a statement. “This agreement gives us a sustainable framework to strengthen those partnerships and make the investments in staffing, infrastructure and stewardship that this level of visitation requires.”
The proposed fee changes are below.
County officials said a new enterprise fund would also be established to collect these fees, with 100% of the revenue dedicated to the management, operations, maintenance, and improvement of the Maroon Bells Scenic Area.
Officials previously defended the price hikes, saying that costs have substantially increased while the day-use fee has stayed the same.
“If the $10 fee had simply kept pace with national inflation since 1998, it would be more than $23 today,” officials wrote. “In that context, the proposed $30 day-use fee is intended to reflect the actual costs of providing and maintaining a high-quality visitor experience at one of the most heavily visited and iconic destinations in the region.”
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