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· collected 2026-09-05 · by TOI World Desk
The Colorado Governor's Office is addressing a land dispute dating back to an 1844 Mexican land grant over the Cielo Vista Ranch, which covers about 80,000 acres in Costilla County. The dispute involves access rights held by heirs of the original land grant and community members, with recent efforts led by Governor Jared Polis naming former US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar as a special envoy to mediate the issue. The long-running dispute has been ongoing for approximately 40 years, according to the Keystone Policy Center. A key aspect of the dispute is access to grazing and collecting firewood on the property, with a recent ruling in May 2026 allowing heirs to continue grazing sheep and cattle.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
A land dispute in Colorado dates back to an 1844 Mexican land grant and continues to involve questions over who can access the property and for what purposes.
asserted
who → date → purposes
The land, now known as Cielo Vista Ranch and traditionally called La Sierra, covers about 80,000 acres in Costilla County.
asserted
land → know → County
According to the Colorado Governor’s Office, the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant was established in 1844 in connection with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo between the United States and Mexico.
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Grant → accord → States
The property has since become the centre of a long-running legal dispute involving heirs of the original land grant and the owners of the ranch.
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property → become → ranch
The dispute has focused on access rights held by land grant heirs and community members.
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dispute → focus → heirs
These rights include access for activities such as collecting firewood and grazing livestock.
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rights → include → livestock
Over the years, landowners have restricted access to parts of the property, leading to repeated legal battles over the extent of those rights.
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landowners → restrict → rights
The latest attempt to address the dispute came as Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order on Wednesday, naming former US Interior Secretary and Ambassador Ken Salazar as a special envoy.
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Polis → address → envoy
Salazar has been asked to help bring the different sides together and develop a recommendation on the long-term disagreements.
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Salazar → ask → disagreements
This Executive Order is about creating an open dialogue, bringing together heirs of the original land grant, residents of the wider community and the property owner to find a path forward that improves quality of life in the valley.
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that → create → valley
Coloradans in the San Luis Valley deserve a real seat at the table when it comes to decisions that shape our communities" Polis said in a statement.
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Polis → deserve → statement
Salazar, meanwhie said, "I've spent my life in the San Luis Valley, and that's why I know how much this land means to the people who have called it home for generations.
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who → say → generations
I'm looking forward to working alongside the community to listen closely, ask the right questions, and help find a path forward that works for all parties," he said.
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he → look → parties
According to the Keystone Policy Center, the Cielo Vista Ranch/La Sierra dispute has been running for about 40 years, making it the longest-running legal dispute in Colorado.
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it → accord → Colorado
The organisation became involved after the new landowner and land grant heirs agreed in December 2018 to pause litigation and try to work through their differences.
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landowner → become → differences
It facilitated meetings and discussions between the sides in an effort to find areas of common interest.
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It → facilitate → interest
The dispute, however, has continued through separate legal proceedings concerning access and the use of the property.
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dispute → continue → property
A ruling reported in May 2026 also dealt with access for grazing.
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ruling → report → grazing
In that case, a special master, David Tenner, found that heirs could continue grazing sheep and cattle on La Sierra.
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heirs → find → Sierra
At the same time, firewood gathering would end in a 233-acre area around the house.
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gathering → end → house
The ruling examined how people tending sheep could reach grazing areas.
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people → examine → areas
Testimony from sheep owners Alonzo Lobato and Richard Kuhn said handlers needed to pass through the disputed area to reach Perdido Canyon, an important grazing area.
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handlers → say → Canyon
Tenner found that sheep required regular attention from the people looking after them.
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sheep → find → them
He also concluded that blocking access around the homesite would effectively prevent a reasonable route to Perdido Canyon.
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blocking → conclude → Canyon
According to the ruling, older sheep trails had become overgrown during the prolonged dispute.
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trails → accord → dispute
A road built for the ranch owner's house about five years earlier had become the only workable route to the canyon.
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road → build → canyon
Tenner said the privacy area sought by the owner should be accompanied by an extended road or path that would allow access-rights holders to reach the canyon without going directly through the home area.
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holders → say → area
The Cielo Vista Ranch dispute is linked to the wider history of the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant.
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dispute → link → Grant
Keystone describes the 1844 grant as an 80,000-acre Mexican land grant along the Sangre de Cristo range and the only land grant of its kind in Colorado.
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Keystone → describe → Colorado
The property is now privately owned, while heirs of the original land grant continue to assert historic access rights.
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heirs → own → rights
The disagreements have included access for grazing and collecting firewood.
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disagreements → include → firewood
In 2025, Polis signed HB 25-1023, a law providing local government oversight of large fencing projects on the Sangre de Cristo land grant.
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Polis → sign → grant
The law requires consideration of the environmental effects of such projects.
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law → require → projects
