Citing the realities of geography and economic integration, more than a dozen people have signed a letter seeking to keep all of Southwest Colorado in one district in the state House of Representatives.

Historically, a combination of La Plata, Montezuma, Archuleta, Dolores and San Juan counties had formed the core area in a state House district until 2011, when the 59th state House District was split.

La Plata, Archuleta and San Juan counties were moved into the new 59th House District, which includes Ouray and Hinsdale counties and the southwest corner of Gunnison County.

Montezuma and Dolores counties were placed in state House District 58 with San Miguel and Montrose counties.

Kermitt Barrett of Durango, who is spearheading the efforts of the Southwest Colorado Redistricting Alliance, said the goal of the alliance is to create a district of communities that make sense bundled in one district.

The letter advocating a single state House district for Southwest Colorado was sent to the Colorado Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission on Tuesday.

“We don't have a lot in common with Gunnison County. Geographically, we’re separated by mountains; there’s not a lot of economic commonalities. We’re in different watersheds,” he said. “The letter outlines those things. Our argument really boils down to the fact that our communities would be better served if we were in one House district that was unified geographically.”

Ellen Roberts, who represented the 59th House District from 2007 to 2010, said the 2011 redraw of the district made it difficult for anyone representing the district to travel efficiently to meet constituents.

“As somebody who had represented that district, I thought that was a serious mistake,” she said. “I think they made it more difficult for an elected official to connect with the constituents.”

The geography and topography of the district make it difficult to hold a meeting in one community, then drive to another meeting at the other end of the district in the same day, she said.

“It’s the geography and the topography,” she said. “I tried to tell them 10 years ago, it’s one thing to look at a flat map on a table. That doesn't look that bad, in terms of carving up the district the way they did, but when you try and drive it, that’s when the real, pun intended, rubber meets the road. A crow can fly over the mountains; people can’t.”

The geographic realities of the current district mean for all practical purposes it takes a good portion of the day to travel from Durango to another meeting in Gunnison County.

“It's important to look at how the mountains shape travel, how people move and how water moves,” she said. “And really, I think they did a disservice to the people who live in both districts by rearranging the boundaries.”

The reality, Roberts said, is that people frequently travel between Cortez, Durango and Pagosa Springs compared with travel to Gunnison.

“There is that synergy that you get in the old 59th that I don't think exists,” she said. “It’s something you know when you live here, but if you’re looking at a flat map in Denver, you don’t realize it.”

Barrett said after chatting with residents of Gunnison County who have been placed in the 59th District, they too would prefer redrawn lines that would include them with the rest of their county.

“For the same geographic and economic realities, what I’ve heard from a majority of people in Gunnison is they would prefer to be placed in a district with the rest of their county,” he said. “They’re inclined to want the same things we want – a more cohesive district. “

The letter, from the Southwest Colorado Redistricting Alliance, also notes creating a state House district along the lines of the pre-2011 district would create a more politically competitive district.

The letter says: “Our state’s constitution requires the Legislative Redistricting Commission to ensure the following in drawing districts: minimize splits to counties, cities and communities of interest; maximize compactness; and where possible, draw competitive districts. Configuring a House district entirely within Southwest Colorado maximizes compliance with all those criteria.”

Roberts said politics enter any redistricting effort, and unfortunately, that played too big a role in 2011, when the Democratic-controlled redistricting process sought to make the 59th state House district favor Democrats.

“You know, I wish I could say otherwise. But partisan politics always plays into redistricting. And I have no doubt that was a motivator,” said Roberts, who was a registered Republican when she represented the district but has since changed to unaffiliated.

The current redistricting process now requires the bulk of the work to be done by an independent commission, and it might be better structured to minimize political pressure in redrawing legislative boundaries, Roberts said.

“I think there's greater attention being given to the influence that partisan politics has and to lessen that impact,” she said. “I don't think you're going to eliminate it, but I think there's an effort to try and address that. But the devil is always in the details. So we'll see.”

parmijo@durangoherald.com