In July of 1991, the Purgatory-Durango Ski Resort in Colorado exchanged three isolated parcels of pristine mountain land with a total size 810 acres for 423 acres of Forest Service-owned property adjacent to the ski area along U.S. Highway 550. The total value of exchanged lands exceeded $2.5 million and the trade followed eight years of negotiations involving private and government agencies.
In the exchange, Purgatory-Durango traded three parcels of land, all surrounded by the San Juan National Forest, to the Forest Service:
- Needleton — 170 acres of land in the Animas River gorge flanked on the south and east by the Weminuche Wilderness Area, the largest designated wilderness area in Colorado.
- Hermosa Park — 480 acres of land at the headwaters of the East Fork of Hermosa Creek at 9,500 feet and bordering the back side of the Purgatory-Durango ski mountain.
- Big Springs — 160 acres of land located approximately three miles north of the town of Hermosa at the lower trailhead of the Hermosa Creek Trail.
In exchange for the three parcels of land, the U.S. Forest Service traded to Purgatory-Durango 423 acres of land along U.S. Highway 550 north and south of the ski resort.
“What it gives us is an additional 150 acres so we have over 600 contiguous acres at the base,” said John Ogier, president and CEO of Purgatory-Durango. “Now we can have single-family homesites and townhouses and possibly a golf course. With a golf course, we may have sufficient balance of winter and summer activities for a hotel and conference center.”
In addition, 810 acres of wildlife habitat and pristine mountain wildlands are preserved and protected. These scenic lands comprise elk wintering grounds, a unique trout stream and other natural assets. “The trade is a positive move for wildlife interests,” said George VanDenBerg, Colorado State Wildlife commissioner. “The parcel traded to the Forest Service on Big Springs is critical winter habitat for elk. It is a big concern to protect land like that.”
Discussions for this land trade started in 1983 when officials from the ski resort and the Forest Service identified parcels of land that would be desirable to the Forest Service. That year, the ski corporation purchased the Needleton and Big Springs parcels in anticipation of a future land trade. On-going talks between Purgatory-Durango and the Forest Service refined the scope of the land trade to its current form in 1988. Both parties agreed to terms of the land exchange in an exchange agreement signed in June 1990 and the closing took place last July.
The land trade required many years of planning, negotiation and public discussion plus a lengthy appraisal process to determine the fair market value of exchanged lands. In addition to federal agencies, local government agencies were consulted, including the boards of county commissioners for La Plata and San Juan counties. The La Plata Electric Association and Colorado Department of Highways also were involved in the discussions.
“This is a win-win situation,” said Ogier. “The land exchange demonstrates that the public and private sectors can work together for the mutual benefit of both parties.”
