Senate designates State Highway 86 through Elbert County as Plains To Pine Scenic Corridor

The Colorado Senate on March 2, 2026, adopted House Joint Resolution 10‑18, officially designating the portion of State Highway 86 through Elbert County as the Plains To Pine Scenic Corridor and authorizing the Colorado Department of Transportation to accept gifts, grants and donations to place markers and signage along the route.

Senator Pelton R., who moved for adoption, invited colleagues to drive the route and praised its scenery, saying, “It’s just a beautiful, beautiful drive.” The resolution text read into the record describes roughly 61 miles of Highway 86 in Elbert County, highlights towns such as Elizabeth and Kiowa and calls out regional recreation and historic resources as justification for the designation.

HJR 10‑18 authorizes CDOT to accept funding for initial markers and xeriscape landscaping and allows CDOT to enter intergovernmental agreements with the Elbert County Board of County Commissioners and the towns of Kiowa and Elizabeth for ongoing maintenance of markers and associated plantings. The resolution also encourages local involvement and designates the route for the purposes stated in the measure.

The Senate adopted the resolution by voice and recorded action, 35 ayes, 0 no. The clerk noted the roll call as cosponsors following adoption. The measure is a ceremonial designation and does not itself appropriate funds; it authorizes CDOT only to accept and expend outside gifts and to negotiate intergovernmental agreements for maintenance.

The reading of the resolution, the sponsors and the unanimous vote were recorded in the Senate Journal. The resolution’s next practical steps will depend on whether CDOT and the named local governments pursue signage and intergovernmental agreements and on the availability of donated or grant funds to pay for markers and landscaping.