Our public lands are once again facing a serious threat. Following the failed amendment in the House version of this bill, a proposal in the Senate now seeks to mandate the sale of millions of acres of Colorado public land, including parcels on and around Jumbo Mountain, Landsend Peak, and Elephant Hill.
The purported objective of this sell-off is to generate funds to go to the U.S. Treasury and pay down national debt. The bill includes language specifying the intention is to be used for “the development of housing” or to address “associated infrastructure to support local housing needs,” though is written broadly with no guarantees of the housing being affordable. Federal land agencies already have longstanding ways to identify public lands for housing if it serves community needs, and results in the funds acquired going directly back to the communities that are impacted.
Go to the map at https://wilderness.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=821970f0212d46d7aa854718aac42310 for a visualization on the land eligible for sale on and around treasured landmarks, local recreation areas, wilderness study areas, inventoried roadless areas, critical wildlife habitat and big game migration corridors, especially that in The North Fork itself.
Not only would we lose access to these lands, private ownership would remove environmental protections on air, water, and wildlife, and significantly impact local economies. Once public land is sold to private ownership, it is nearly impossible to put it back into public hands. We are at risk of losing key pieces of land that tie us to our heritage, lifestyles, and love for our unique landscape and ecosystems.
Visit https://www.keepitpublic.co for more information on:
- What’s Happening to our public lands
- A timeline of the threat
- Fact Sheets and talking points
- Taking Action
- Staying informed
Contact your representatives:
Email or call US Congressman Jeff Hurd (CO-03):
Washington DC Office:
1641 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4676
Email: https://hurd.house.gov/contact/email-me
Grand Junction Office:
743 Horizon Court Suite 112, Grand Junction, CO 81506
Phone: (970) 208-0455to
Let them know that you oppose this misguided public lands sell-off. Help us keep Colorado public lands public.