By Clayton Chaney
Staff Writer
A plot of land located off of County Road 193, near Chimney Rock National Monument, was recently returned to its rightful owner — the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).
The Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) unanimously approved Resolution 2025-24 during a regular meeting on March 18, canceling uncollectable tax assessments on a property located at X County Road 193.
Earlier that day, County Treasurer Elsa White briefed the BoCC on the matter during a work session, explaining that she first noticed the property when she took office in 2019 as it was listed as a “no tax sale” account due to the possibility of the USFS owning the land.
White explained that she consulted with the assessor’s office and was unable to find any documentation on the property, though she opted not to take it to tax sale if for some reason the USFS did in fact own the parcel, which is approximately 80 acres.
White then mentioned that in February, someone inquired about the property, explaining she received an email from a USFS employee providing documentation showing the land was acquired by the USFS through a quit claim deed that was initiated in 1907 and finalized in 1908.
According to a notice from the USFS attached in the March 18 BoCC meeting agenda, “Archuleta County, Colorado, erroneously foreclosed upon federal land and sold land parcels for tax delinquency. Said tax parcels were created in error, and the property therein is not subject to County taxation, nor may said property be foreclosed upon or sold for non-payment of taxes.”
White explained that her request to the BoCC was to cancel the collection of taxes from years 2018 to 2022 in the amount of $9,241.25.
“It rightfully belongs to the Forest Service,” White said.
Commissioner Warren Brown asked how a situation like this happens, to which White replied, “They really do not know how this got past them.”
County Attorney Todd Weaver mentioned that this will help “clean up the books.”
clayton@pagosasun.com
