Larimer County owns more than 100 pieces of land along the Big Thompson River that it bought from landowners after the catastrophic Big Thompson flood in 1976. The county wants to sell some of the land it believes has no public value because of high maintenance costs. Anglers and wildlife groups want it retained and preserved for the public, and some residents would like to purchase it to avoid public abuses. As the county evaluates which pieces should be sold and which should be kept, many residents and anglers fear they will lose fishing access along the river, but county officials say there is more access now than ever before. 

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