About 191,000 people visited the Maroon Bells Scenic Area near Aspen, Colorado, between May and October last year. Now the U.S. Forest Service plans to hand operation of the site to Pitkin County, saying the agency no longer has the staff or money to run it.

This crisis was created by cuts. The Forest Service lost almost 6,000 employees in 2025. The White River National Forest, home to the Maroon Bells, dropped from 169 year-round staff in 2024 to 111. The proposed federal budget for 2027 would cut the agency by 75%. According to Pitkin County's open space director, the Forest Service said it would seek bids from private companies if the county did not step in.

Critics warn this could become the model for public lands across the country. Many counties cannot afford to take on repairs and upkeep, and critics say a private operator chasing profit would likely push fees even higher. Prices at the Maroon Bells are already set to rise: vehicle entry would jump from $10 to $30, and camping from $15 to $33.

The Forest Service also wants to approve the deal through a shortcut called a categorical exclusion, which skips a full environmental review. When the agency moved Sweetwater Lake to the state in 2024, it completed a full review and invited public input first. University of Colorado law professor Mark Squillace called the idea that this shortcut is lawful here "laughable."

White River National Forest Supervisor Brian Glaspell, the Forest Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) must drop the shortcut, complete a full public environmental review, and commit that the Maroon Bells will never be handed to a private company. Congress must reject the proposed cuts and fund the staff needed to care for public lands.

Public comments close October 9. Sign the petition to keep the Maroon Bells in public hands before this becomes the blueprint for every national forest.