craigdailypress.com

Craig — Craig received a mention in the Sept. 10 issue of Time magazine in an article about banning barbed wire fences in Colorado towns.

A Minturn man recently put up a barbed wire fence to keep snowmobilers off his property near Vail after no-trespassing signs failed to do the job. His actions resulted in a barbed wire ban by the Minturn town council.

Other Colorado towns with a ban of barbed wire, the article went on to say, include Craig, Aspen and Pueblo.

Craig city manager Jim Ferree said the city does have a provision under the municipal code prohibiting razor wire, barbed wire and electrically charged fences within the city limits, except in areas zoned agricultural or open space districts.

"It's fairly common in modern design standards for safety and aesthetic reasons," he said. "I'm sure there are some fences around town that are grandfathered in before the provision was adopted."

Other fence restrictions found in Craig include a limit of 6-foot tall hedges or fences for backyards, and 3-foot fences in front and side yards. An exception is made for a 4-foot front fence with a two-thirds open space above the 3-foot line.

The Time article, found on page 8, goes on to explain how the spiked wire changed the west as much as the railroad and windmill did a century ago.

The Minturn man removed the barbed wire fence on his property in June, and he expects the wayward snowmachines to return in the coming winter, according to Time.

Dan Olsen can be reached at 824-7031, ext.207, or dolsen@craigdailypress.com