State officials to continue outreach for a name change

DENVER — The Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board (CGNAB) met on March 25 and did not consider the possibility of renaming Kit Carson Mountain as the move was not included on the board's agenda. The board did discuss the possibility of a rename at a previous meeting in January and continues to study the possibility of a name change.

Proponents of the name change find Carson's treatment of indigenous populations to be offensive.

Both the U.S. Geological Survey and the CGNAB currently recognize Kit Carson Mountain as the name of 14,165 pinnacle, although Kit Carson Peak is also commonly used.

In a statement to the Valley Courier, Chris Arend, Communications Director with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said, "The Kit Carson Peak renaming proposals were not on the Board's agenda, but DNR's Tribal Liaison and staffer for the Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board (CGNAB), Stacy Coleman, mentioned Kit Carson in the update portion of her presentation to the CGNAB. Right now, the Kit Carson Peak renamings are still in the outreach and consultation stages both with the CGNAB and the US Board on Geographic Names. It was mentioned during the meeting that the Saguache County Commissioners might want to become more involved in the renaming process. One of the renaming proponents agreed to reach out to them. As did Coleman. So, these processes and outreach all need to occur first before the Board takes up the renamings. We can't put an exact date on when that might occur other than a future CGNAB meeting."

The naming board is part of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources.

The Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board (Board) was established by Gov. Jared Polis in 2020 to evaluate proposals concerning name changes, new names, and name controversies of geographic features and certain public places in the State of Colorado and then making official recommendations to the Governor. 

The board will primarily assist and cooperate with the United States Board of Geographic Names (BGN), who gives final determinations for standardizing the names of geographic and natural features. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body created in 1890 and established to maintain uniform geographic name usage throughout the Federal Government.

As previously reported, in December, Saguache County Commissioners voted in favor of renaming the peak without suggesting a new name.

The Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board will have their next meeting on Thursday, May 16 from 5 to 7 p.m.