Pitkin County Land Exchange Act of 2004

H.R. 5142, the Pitkin County Land Exchange Act of 2004, proposes a swap of land between the federal government and Pitkin County, Colorado. Under this bill, the federal government would receive privately held land on Smuggler Mountain and other areas in exchange for transferring specific National Forest and Bureau of Land Management parcels to the County or the Aspen Valley Land Trust.

For local citizens, this exchange is designed to preserve open space and ensure permanent public access to outdoor recreation areas. The bill requires that certain transferred lands be protected by conservation easements, limiting their future use to recreation, wildlife conservation, and fish habitat rather than private development. Additionally, any land acquired by the federal government through this swap would be officially incorporated into the White River National Forest for public use and management.