Update: Our Voices Are Being Heard ... There Is Still Work To Do

Thank you to everyone who has signed, shared, commented, emailed, called, and shown up in support of Piney River Ranch.

Because of this community, the effort to preserve Piney is gaining real momentum. In just the first 48 hours, this petition received more than 3,500 signatures, and it has now grown to more than 6,300 supporters. That response has shown just how deeply Piney River Ranch matters to locals, visitors, families, couples, businesses, and future generations.

In the past few weeks week, community members attended both the Vail Town Council meeting and the Denver Water Board meeting to speak during public comment. Both meetings were meaningful and encouraging. We are grateful to the Vail Town Council for hearing the concerns of the community, and we are also grateful to the Denver Water Board and Denver Water staff for listening respectfully and being responsive to questions and records requests.

At both meetings, the message was clear: Piney River Ranch is not just a seasonal business or a leased property. It is an iconic part of the Vail Valley’s identity, visitor economy, and community fabric. It supports local jobs, wedding professionals, outfitters, transportation providers, lodging, restaurants, small businesses, and generations of memories.

There is still work to do. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! We are now approaching the end of the season, and infrastructure and improvement takedown could begin after Piney’s final operating date. That gives the community a very short window to seek answers and advocate for a path forward.

As we continue this effort, we are asking Denver Water for transparency and clear answers on several important questions:

What are Denver Water’s future plans for the property?
The community deserves to know whether Denver Water intends to continue leasing the property, change the use of the property, declare it surplus, sell it, or otherwise offload it.

If the property may be sold, will the Vail Valley community have an opportunity to preserve it?
If Denver Water is considering selling or surplusing the property, we believe the current operators and the Vail Valley community should have a meaningful opportunity to explore purchasing or preserving the land for continued public access.

Will public access to the land or trails remain open?
Piney is one of the most beloved public-facing destinations in the Vail Valley. We are asking for clarity on whether access to the trails and Piney Lake will remain open for public use through the land.

Will the existing infrastructure be preserved while future options are being considered?
Under the current lease, infrastructure and improvements may need to be removed. But the cabins, buildings, systems, and gathering spaces are part of what make Piney function and feel like home to so many. Once they are dismantled, this place cannot simply be recreated. We are asking Denver Water not to allow irreversible changes before the community understands what comes next.

How will water use and environmental impact be considered in any future plan?
The current operation is established and uses existing systems. Any new development or future use could require significant water, infrastructure, permitting, and environmental review. We are asking Denver Water to be transparent about how those issues will be evaluated.

How will the Vail Valley community be represented in these decisions?

Denver Water’s Citizens Advisory Committee appears to have a vacant West Slope representative position. Since this issue directly affects Eagle County and the Vail Valley, we are asking Denver Water to prioritize filling that vacancy with someone who can represent the communities most impacted by decisions like this.

We are not asking Denver Water to ignore its responsibilities as the landowner. We are asking for partnership, transparency, and a meaningful opportunity for the community to be part of the conversation before decisions are made that cannot be undone.

Thank you for continuing to share this petition and speak up for Piney River Ranch!

Piney is rare. Once a place like this is lost, it cannot simply be recreated somewhere else.

Please keep sharing, keep asking questions, and keep showing up.