A polyamory cult has fenced off much of the land in southwestern Colorado and attempted to claim it for itself under the Homestead Act of 1862.
The Free Land Holders have fenced approximately 1,400 acres of San Juan National Forest land.
The group was previously affiliated with the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other well-known figures, including imprisoned FLDS President Warren Jeffs, who called himself a prophet and is serving a life sentence in Texas for child sex abuse.
The group, an offshoot of the mainstream Mormon church, encourages members to practice polygamy.
“The Forest Service does not own the land. It’s not in their name. It is managed solely by the Forest Service. I don’t think it’s mine. It is the Free Land Holders Committee that has the jurisdiction and the authority,” Patrick Pipkin, a member of the Free Land Holders, told me. The Denver Post.
A polyamory cult fenced off much of the land in southwestern Colorado and attempted to claim it for itself under the Homestead Act of 1862 (file photo)
The group claims that historic treaties and deeds give it ownership of about 1,400 acres within the national forest. Several locals have gathered to lift the fence
“We come in peace and honor. People will see it and understand it. I know the bullying tactics of what they choose to do. That’s not who we are.’
Free Land Holders Committee member Patrick Pipkin, above, says he represents thousands of members who claim 1,400 acres of the San Juan National Forest are theirs
Members in Montezuma County, Colorado, have fenced off some US Forest Service land in an attempt to claim it for themselves.
The Homestead Act was a landmark American law that aimed to encourage westward expansion by offering free land to settlers, but is no longer used. The law was officially repealed in 1976 by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act.
The Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office said the group’s actions have resulted in a property dispute between the Free Land Holders and the U.S. Forest Service in the Chicken Creek area.
The Free Land Holders, who are not directly affiliated with other FLDS groups that previously owned property in the area, have fenced off a 1,400-acre parcel that they believe belongs to them.
The group says they have documents proving the land is owned by The Free Land Holders
The group has fenced off a 1,400-acre parcel that they believe is theirs. Forest Service records show the land in question has been owned by the federal government since 1927
However, Forest Service records show that the 1,400 acres in question have been owned by the federal government since 1927.
Last week, some angry residents cut down parts of the fence in the national forest near the town of Mancos, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Durango.
Locals were seen rolling up fencing and pulling wooden poles out of the ground.
Construction of the fences caused particular concern among ranchers who use federal lands for cattle grazing and those who enjoy mountain biking, hiking and cross-country skiing in the area known as Chicken Creek.
They fear the group will cut off access to public lands altogether.
“They couldn’t have picked a piece of land that was more desirable to the city than that area,” Brad Finch, who uses the national forest almost every day to hike, bike or ski, told the Post.
Many members of the group were born into the cult led by Warren Jeffs, pictured, and managed to escape when the leader was jailed in Texas for rape and his role in the arranged marriage of teenage cousins.
Jeffs led a polygamous sect called the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had many “wives.”
“These people clearly built this fence illegally on public property and they entered into an agreement that allows the fence to remain in place,” Finch said.
“People in the community don’t accept that arrangement. To them, the fence is a clear violation of public land regulations and probably a form of criminal law.”
The Sheriff’s Office says the group has not restricted public access to roads or trails and has “no plans to do so,” meaning the Chicken Creek trail system remains open to the public for walking, biking, grazing and hunting .
The group has been working with the Forest Service and Sheriff Steven D. Nowlin of the Sheriff’s Office to resolve the ongoing dispute.
“No public access will be denied,” Nowlin said. “I’m just trying to stop all those people who have gotten involved with false information.
“I don’t want to see any damage done to public or private property. Let them work it out in court. That’s okay.’
Locals use the San Juan National Forest for hiking, biking, grazing livestock and hunting. Pictured, file photo of a campsite in Mancos, Colorado
Nowlin explained that many members of the group were born into the cult led by Jeffs and managed to escape when the leader was jailed in Texas for rape and his role in the arranged marriage of teenage cousins.
Both parties have agreed that no further development of the disputed property, including the construction of additional fencing, will occur until a federal judge rules on the property.
The sheriff’s office has asked citizens not to remove the fencing until a decision is made.
‘These people are just like you and me. They are normal people. They’re not vigilantes or anything like that,” Nowlin said.
