A land grant from 1844 covered an 80,000-acre Colorado ranch. The access fight continues.

The access dispute surrounding Colorado’s 80,000-acre Cielo Vista Ranch traces back to the 1844 Sangre de Cristo Land Grant.

The property has been the subject of decades of legal battles over whether heirs to the land grant have access rights. The long-running fight involves the heirs, the surrounding community and the ranch’s owner.

Governor Jared Polis has appointed Ken Salazar as a special envoy. Salazar will work with the heirs, the community and the property owner to seek a way forward.