Pitkin County is seeking federal approval to manage day-to-day operations at the Maroon Bells Scenic Area, a popular destination that draws about 200,000 visitors a year and that the U.S. Forest Service says it can no longer adequately fund. County commissioners voted unanimously to pursue a special-use permit covering the area’s day-use sites, campgrounds, trails and infrastructure for five years, with an option to extend for another five. The Forest Service opened a public comment period through Oct. 9 after environmental groups pressed for one. The agency is using a categorical exclusion, a process that does not require an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. The proposed arrangement would not affect the surrounding Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority will continue operating the shuttle, and Pitkin County will continue maintaining Maroon Creek Road. County officials say they can address basic upkeep that has fallen behind as federal funding has dwindled. Gary Tennenbaum, director of Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, said bathrooms have gone without soap and the area needs an estimated $5 million to $7 million in work. “We’ve been operating in about a $380,000 deficit annually, and we don’t have enough funding … to really operate the site in the way that it should be at this point,” said Jennifer Schuller, the Forest Service’s Aspen-Sopris district ranger. To help pay for improvements, the county plans to raise the fee for driving into the scenic area from $10 to $30. The shuttle fare will remain unchanged. Pitkin County has worked with partners on Maroon Bells access for nearly 50 years. Tennenbaum said the county stepped forward in part to prevent private management of the site and keep it under public control. He said the county would be willing to return management to the Forest Service if the federal agency is ready to take it back. The proposal has nonetheless raised concerns about what it could mean for other public lands. Mark Squillace, a University of Colorado law professor who previously worked for the Interior Department, questioned whether a temporary transfer of responsibility might become a model for other financially strained sites. “If you let the Forest Service turn over responsibility to Pitkin County, who’s next and how far does this go?” Squillace said. He warned that inadequate federal funding could become a reason to shift management of more public lands to local governments or private operators. The Wilderness Workshop, based in Carbondale, supports Pitkin County’s proposed role but pushed for public input. Executive Director Will Roush said the comment period is important for holding agencies accountable. Hayden Wyatt, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said some advocates worry that management changes could be part of a broader move toward selling or privatizing public lands. Former White River National Forest supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams called local governments and nonprofits that help manage public lands “life-savers,” but said it was troubling that the federal government lacked the resources to care for one of Colorado’s best-known natural areas. Sen. Michael Bennet, the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture subcommittee overseeing the Forest Service, said he would continue pressing for the agency to have adequate staffing and funding. Pitkin County has fewer than 20,000 residents but substantially more financial flexibility than many counties. The permit would give the county a way to address immediate needs, though it would not resolve the broader federal funding shortfall underlying the transfer. For visitors, the prospect of local management brings both hope and apprehension. Victor Valinskas, a Minnesota hiker, said local oversight could benefit the area but worried about the possibility of eventual privatization. Colorado Springs visitor Liza Walshe said she did not want public lands sold or priced beyond the reach of ordinary visitors. Tennenbaum said the county’s aim is to protect a place valued by visitors and residents alike. One of the first fixes he expects: putting soap in the bathrooms.