Draft bill · Garfield County, Colorado

2,158 acres of your public land.
One private ranch.

Proposed
exchange

The GAME Act would transfer public BLM land next to Consolidated Reservoir, outside Glenwood Springs, Colorado, to a single landowner's ranch — through a congressional bill that skips the BLM's normal review and public comment process. It hasn't reached Congress yet. Now is the window to stop it.

Contact your reps Sign the petition See the deal

The deal

A land swap written by the buyer

The Greater Access for Multiple-Use Experiences Act (GAME Act), proposed by Rep. Jeff Hurd, would exchange land directly between the BLM and Out of Bounds Ranch — owned by Scott and Tiffany Smith — through an act of Congress rather than the BLM's standard exchange process.

Public gives up

2,158 acres

Federal BLM land near Consolidated Reservoir, outside Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Current ownerBLM / public
Adjoins1M+ acres contiguous FS/BLM land
Goes toOut of Bounds Ranch
TerrainFertile — aspen, timber & scrub oak
WaterCreeks, springs & a large reservoir
WildlifeMajor migration corridor

Public receives

2,103 acres

Private ranch parcels near Rifle / Meeker, Colorado

Timber Valley Ranch1,020 ac
Cow Creek Ranch1,083 ac
TerrainDry, limited water
Est. valueLikely far lower
Marketed as"Connecting public land"
RealityLinks 2 small BLM parcels, already accessible

Existing Out of Bounds Ranch BLM land the public would lose

Map near Glenwood Springs showing the existing Out of Bounds Ranch boundary in white and the adjoining BLM parcel near Consolidated Reservoir, outlined in blue, that would transfer to the ranch. — Near Consolidated Reservoir, outside Glenwood Springs — the BLM parcel (blue) sits against the ranch's current boundary (white).

Private land the public would gain

Map near Rifle and the Roan Plateau showing the private ranch parcels outlined in purple that would be transferred to public ownership. — Northwest of Rifle, on the Roan Plateau — the private ranch parcels (purple) offered to the public in exchange.

Why it matters

This isn't just about one ranch

Three things separate this from an ordinary land exchange.

01 / Access

A connector, not a dead end

The BLM parcel near Consolidated Reservoir isn't isolated — it links a large block of public land to over 1 million acres of contiguous Forest Service and BLM land. Handing it to one landowner cuts that connection for everyone else.

02 / Process

Skipping the normal review

Ordinary BLM land exchanges go through public comment and independent appraisal. Routing this deal through an act of Congress instead sidesteps both — the standard checks that catch a lopsided trade.

03 / Precedent

A template for the next one

If a private ranch can get Congress to hand it the public land next door, any well-connected landowner with a similar wish list has a new playbook. This case is the one to stop before that becomes normal.

Take action

The bill hasn't been introduced yet

That's the leverage point. A short call today, before this reaches the House floor, carries more weight than a comment after the fact. Call or email — both take under two minutes.

Drafting the bill

Rep. Jeff Hurd

(202) 225-4676

U.S. Senator, Colorado

Sen. Michael Bennet

(202) 224-5852

U.S. Senator, Colorado

Sen. John Hickenlooper

(202) 224-5941

01 What to say

"Hi, I'm a constituent from [your town], Colorado. I'm calling about the GAME Act — the proposed land exchange that would give the Consolidated Reservoir BLM Parcel to Out of Bounds Ranch. I'm opposed to it going through because…"

02 Pick a few to say, or copy them to your email

I expect my representative to protect public land access, not fast-track its transfer to private hands.
The BLM parcel isn't landlocked by private land — it connects to a much larger block of adjoining Forest Service and BLM land. Losing it cuts public access for everyone, not just this one parcel.
I want to know why this exchange needs an act of Congress instead of going through the BLM's standard review process.
If a private landowner can get Congress to hand them public land next door, it sets a precedent for the next well-connected owner to do the same.
This land is a major wildlife corridor with plenty of great feed and water — putting it in private hands puts that habitat at risk with no public oversight going forward.
I'd like an independent appraisal of both parcels made public before any vote, not just the framing in the bill.
Water rights tied to Consolidated Reservoir and this land need full public disclosure — I want to know exactly what water access transfers with this deal before it goes anywhere.
This bill hasn't been introduced to Congress yet — I'm calling now because a public land giveaway should not happen without scrutiny before it's already moving.

Have a question, want to help organize locally, or work in press or policy? Reach the campaign at publiclandsdefense@gmail.com.