Described by the linked article as being survivors and/or relatives of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints group, they apparently have gotten into their heads that public lands really mean that anyone is welcome to use them as they see fit and that the government does not own them. So the people involved have started fencing in 1000 acres of federal land in western Colorado, just outside the city of Mancos. Calling themselves the Free Land Holders Committee, they are basing their claim on the Declaration of Independence and the Homestead Act of 1862.
For those not familiar with the Homestead Acts, these were legislation that was passed, in part, to oppose the expansion of slave plantations. The goal was to open millions of acres of federally-owned land to individual farmers who could obtain land cheaply in return for cultivating and thus block slavery (that it came at the expense of Native Americans losing more land was the downside of the bills). However, these homestead acts, for the most part, were ended by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. The last person to gain land under the formers acts was in 1979. So for the FLHCers to be claiming outlawed legislation allows them to do this is just more pseudolaw shenanigans.
The people of Mancos and the surrounding areas are aware of what has transpired and alerted the county sheriff's office to the takeover. Furthermore, some of the citizens are taking steps to confront the takeover and are planning to remove the fencing. Their concerns are with hiking, skiiing and biking trails being blocked as well as wildlife not being able to move over their customary routes. The anti-fence groups have asked the sheriff, Steve Nowlin of Montezuma County, to intervene, but he has declined to do so, stating that he is going to allow the courts to resolve the situation. Some memorable quotes from Sheriff Nowlin:
I don’t want any damage done to public land or private land. Let them work it out in court. That’s OK.
The situation seems fluid so its hard to say what is happening at the moment. The sheriff has been in negotations with the US Forest Service and the FLHC; he is claiming that FLHC has agreed to halt the fence construction until they get their day in court. The citizen groups are claiming that the work is continuing and that no lawsuit has been filed by FLHC. It is also reported that there are individuals who went up to the area where fencing was constructed and started removing it. Some of them were also reported as carrying side arms. No mention if any of the FLHC members are armed as well, but I would think its likely.These folks are just like you and me. They’re normal people. They’re not any type of vigilantes or anything like that.
The spokesperson for FLHC is named Patrick Pipkin. He claims he had several relatives that were in the polygamy sect but that he never belonged to it. He has managed to come into ownership of land parcels that belonged to Warren Jeffs' in Colorado as well as South Dakota. It is not clear how many people are involved in FLHC but Pipkin claims, not believably, that there are thousands of members. A quote from Pipkin:
But you know, Patrick, it just isn't that simple. Or correct.The Forest Service don’t own the land. It’s not in their name. It’s just managed by the Forest Service. I don’t think it’s mine. It’s the Free Land Holders Committee who has the jurisdiction and the authority.