Small Bear Creek cabin removed

Though secret structures built in the woods as housing are not as common as they once were in Telluride, a few are still around. In early June a small cabin was removed from the Bear Creek Preserve after it was discovered to be 10 feet within the preserve’s boundaries. The Town of Telluride is required to remove structures in the preserve due to a conservation easement held by the San Miguel Conservation Foundation, which has been in place since the early 1990s. Occasionally significant structures are found, but according to Lance McDonald, program manager for the Town of Telluride, they are uncommon these days in Bear Creek. “Since 1994 the town has been removing illegal structures in Bear Creek,” McDonald said. “In the ‘90s there were a lot of illegal structures, now it’s kind of like every now and then. As they appear in their various forms they are removed, and we do it in a very courteous way.” McDonald said the inhabitants of the cabin, known locally as “Grandma’s House,” were notified about a year ago that it was going to be removed. The cabin itself had likely been in place for a long time and McDonald said crews found people at the site cleaning it up for the summer. The cabin was a small structure about 12 feet tall with a metal roof, windows, floor and a loft. It had a wood stove as well as room for chairs and a table. The conservation easement for Bear Creek specifically states that no structures can be built in the conservation area, and there is also no camping allowed. However, historic structures are left in place and the aim is to keep the area as natural as possible. The Bear Creek Valley is a complex mix of U.S. Forest Service land with private property such as mining claims and town open space. It’s not always obvious what type of land a specific site might be located on and different rules apply, especially when it comes to camping...more