People buy property next to public lands assuming they will have private access to a vast backyard of open space and wilderness.

But as some neighbors of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in McElmo Canyon have discovered, that's not always the case.

Rodney Carriker, owner of Canyon Trails Ranch, was recently informed by a ranger that he's not allowed to hike from his property onto the monument, a habit he's had for 20 years including when the area was just plain old BLM land.

"We're not being ticketed, but the concern is that in the future, we could," he said. "We're raising awareness and advocating for a change in policy."

That disputed policy is tucked into the monument's overall Resource Management Plan passed in 2010. Due to its popularity and immense archaeological resources, 7,000 acres of the Sand Canyon and Rock Creek canyons area are managed as a Special Use Recreation Management Area.

Travel in the Sand Canyon/Rock Creek Recreation Management Area is restricted to "designated trails" only, so off-trail hiking, biking, or horseback riding is not allowed.

That technically includes access from neighboring private lands, and in effect also bans rock climbing in that area because it is off-trail as well.

Monument Manager Marietta Eaton points out the monument is 178,000 acres and the regulation is in an area rich in cultural resources heavily-used for recreation by the public.

"We can't have people crawling into sites and inadvertently damaging structures," she said. "Because of high use and sensitive sites, Sand Canyon and Rock Creek deserve additional protection, so we are saying, Please stay on the trail. Everywhere else is open to off-trail hiking."

Commercial permits are issued for adjacent landowners in McElmo Canyon, but are limited to just two. Permits for Kelly's Place and Trails Canyon Ranch were recently renegotiated.

However, the permits are restricted to commercial tours for guests, and do not include private access.

"When my grandchildren come visit, I'd like to be able take them out for an outdoor experience on the monument," Carriker said.

Neighbors of the monument and Eaton are planning a meeting to listen to one another's concerns on the matter of private land access.

In 1998, Vince Lee bought land that abuts the monument in McElmo Canyon, partly because it bordered BLM. As an archaeologist, he supports the monument and understands the challenge of protecting cultural resources.

But he feels the rule restricting his access "is a slap in the face" for responsible neighbors like him who respect the monument's ruins and have been accessing the public land for decades.

"We're helping them by controlling access. As responsible stewards, I feel we are their rangers," Lee said. "This rule confirms everyone's worst fears that when the feds get more involved, places get closed off."

Eaton said the RMP was put in place before her time, and said the frustration from landowners is understandable. But to change the policy would require a plan amendment to the RMP, something she is not a fan of.

"People put their heart and soul into the RMP, so it has to be a serious issue to consider an amendment," she said. "I don't have all the information yet."

No citations have been issued for landowners illegally accessing the monument's special management area from their property along McElmo Canyon, and there has not been rigid enforcement of the rule.

"We would rather work to gain compliance through education and dialogue then to have a heavy hand in enforcement," Eaton said.

More planning is in the works for the special-use management area around the popular Sand Canyon trails. The monument is gearing up to research and write a Management Plan specific to that area. Eaton said it will be a public process and include analysis on whether more trails are needed, how to improve the parking area, and listening to concerns like those of the McElmo landowners.

"We realize that the entire area there is more complex than we realized. There is a lot of interest in it," she said. "We're going to step back and look at is as a whole because there are a lot of issues."

jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com