I am writing you regarding recent land use restrictions that are simmering, still, within your county communities.

The reason for this letter is because I believe your heavy-handed government is overreaching its utility by trampling on the rights of landowners and would-be landowners, including me and my extended family.

Simply by reading the Preamble to the Constitution, one can see that your land use laws have run off the rails and fly in the face of the Constitution.

“We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.”

What sings out immediately are the references to insuring domestic tranquility (notice it’s capitalized); and, securing the Blessings of Liberty (and twice, capitalized). Simply put, your land use regulations are unconstitutional.

My brother and I are looking for a piece of land out west to get away from it all and enjoy life in the high desert in the summer. We would like to be able to bring our RV’s to our property, camp for anywhere from a week to a couple of months, enjoy the great outdoors, and then go back to our homes, back East; well-rested, happy and rejuvenated, as our Constitution guarantees. But, that isn’t possible in Costilla County due to your land use statutes and heavy-handed approach to government.

Due to your regulatory abuse of power, we would have to “obtain a permit” just to camp out for a week or two on our own property, which smacks of nothing more than a ploy by government to take our money, make us feel uneasy and uncomfortable for the duration of our visit, and then force us to depart before we could ever really get comfortable with our surroundings and circumstances. What kind of vacation is that?

While we can understand your fear of cannabis grow industries and what they may bring to your beautiful countryside, we condemn you for punishing well-intentioned people (like us) who just love being in Colorado and are stewards of good land management practices and leaving very light footprints when we leave. Why are we punishing us?

It is a shame that people have to resort to lawsuits to show local and state governments that their laws are unconstitutional, mean-spirited, and meant to trample any chance of enjoying the freedoms guaranteed by our forefathers. Might does not always make right, especially when you are forcing your own iniquities and insecurities on those who have served their country, state, and locale honorably for one-quarter to one-half of their life.

I am a retired, disabled Navy veteran and my brother is the owner of a multi-million dollar business in New Hampshire. We have been to Costilla County. We like Costilla County. We have spent many hours, weeks and days traveling throughout the county. Except for a few towns and villages, most of the landscape is full of nothing more than sagebrush and rattlesnakes, which we like. It’s peaceful and quiet.

Unfortunately for you, and due in large part to your heavy-handed rules, we are now looking at spending our money in Fremont County as a possible vacation spot, instead of Costilla County. We strongly encourage you to revisit your heavy-handed rules and regulations and revise them if you wish for economic growth and prosperity in your communities.

Sincerely,
Adelbert Wilber