Opinion | 'Aggressive landowners who mistakenly believe they own the river and can restrict access have a long history in this state and the time has come for Colorado lawmakers and Gov. Jared Polis to act before someone gets hurt.'
Coloradans have known for generations that our large rivers and streams and the wildlife therein are publicly owned assets held in trust by the state for the enjoyment of all, regardless of private property status on and around the riverbanks.
We understand why courts nationwide have grappled with how to handle private property owners who mistakenly and often suddenly believe they can restrict access to navigable rivers and streams or coasts.Model legislation for making access and use of these publicly owned assets crystal clear already exists in multiple states, but we particularly like the aggressive access afforded in Montana legislation.
But aggressive landowners who mistakenly believe they own the river and can restrict access have a long history in this state – including erecting dangerous metal gates in an attempt to strain out river floaters – and the time has come for Colorado lawmakers and Gov. Jared Polis to act before someone gets hurt.
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