Over 80 Colorado Local Officials Call for More Protections for Bureau of Land Management Lands

Officials Urge the Biden Administration to adopt a strong public lands rule

On May 23, 2023, ahead of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposed Public Land Rule public meeting in Golden, Colorado on Thursday, The Mountain Pact, released a letter, signed by over 80 Colorado local elected officials urging the BLM to “prioritize the conservation of our shared public lands.”  The letter is in response to a March 30 announcement from the Department of Interior of a draft “Public Lands Rule which lays the groundwork for conserving wildlife habitat, restoring places impacted by wildfire and drought, expanding outdoor recreation, and thoughtful development.”

The letter states: “As local elected officials in Colorado, we would like to express our commitment to protecting these (BLM) landscapes which provide so much to our communities. We commend BLM on recent agency guidance that prioritizes the health of public lands and encourage the BLM to continue to place conservation at the forefront of the rulemaking.“

Anna Peterson, Executive Director of The Mountain Pact said, “Last year we had over 120 local elected officials from western states call on the Biden administration to protect more Bureau of Land Management lands as part of the administration’s America the Beautiful initiative. Now, over 80 Colorado local elected officials are responding and looking forward to the BLM using this Public Lands Rule process to conserve and protect our nation’s important public lands, wildlife and waters in tandem with locally-led efforts to advance conservation across the west.”

Chaffee County, Colorado County Commissioner Keith Baker said, “When used wisely, the Bureau of Land Management conservation mechanisms will support our local economies, tourism, and outdoor recreation as well as provide certainty for our rural and gateway communities so we can make long-term investments. We look forward to this rule-making process and modernizing management policies to allow for increased recreational opportunities and access to nature.”

Chair of the Eagle County, Colorado Board of County Commissioners Kathy Chandler-Henry said, “Colorado’s public lands are deeply valued by Coloradans because they provide important health and economic benefits to our residents. The 8.3 million acres of federal public lands within Colorado that are overseen by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are particularly important. These lands support a diverse array of outdoor recreation activities and create jobs through the tourism sector that are the backbone of many of our communities.”

Colorado State Representative HD 40 Naquetta Ricks said, “My colleagues from across the state and I strongly encourage the BLM to use all the tools they have to protect public lands across the state. In particular, we encourage the BLM to designate new Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs). The BLM has the authority to ensure that lands with wilderness character are administratively protected as WSAs. These areas are often the first to be identified by our congressional leaders for legislative designation as wilderness and for many of our communities these are the iconic landscapes that define our state.”

Pitkin County Commissioner Greg Poschman said, “The BLM’s mission is “to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.” For years BLM has prioritized extractive uses like oil and gas development while largely overlooking sustaining the health and diversity of BLM lands. It’s time for that to change.” 

Chair of the La Plata County, Colorado Board of County Commissioners Marsha Porter-Norton said, “I, and the over 80 fellow Colorado local elected officials look forward to the BLM prioritizing the conservation of our shared public lands and strongly encourage the BLM rulemaking to emphasize ecological integrity, preservation of vulnerable resources, and maintaining access to outdoor recreation. These efforts at the national level will positively impact BLM lands in our communities and across Colorado.”  

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MORE INFORMATION

General: The BLM’s 75-day comment period on the draft Public Lands Rule runs through June 20th. The BLM’s meeting in Golden on Thursday, the 2nd of five meetings, will provide detailed information about the proposal. Members of the public will have an opportunity to ask questions that facilitate a deeper understanding of the proposal. Details: Thursday, May 25: Denver, Colorado from 5-7 p.m. MT - Denver West Marriott, 1717 Denver West Blvd, Golden, Colorado.

The Mountain Pact: The Mountain Pact and local elected officials from across the west have been urging the Bureau of Land Management to do more to protect BLM public lands for years. 

Letters: 

Opinion pieces, media releases, and statements:  

Dear State Director Vilsack, 

Colorado’s public lands are deeply valued by its people because they provide important health and economic benefits. The 8.3 million acres of federal public lands within Colorado that are overseen by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are particularly important. These lands support a diverse array of outdoor recreation activities and create jobs through the tourism sector that are the backbone of many of our communities. They also provide important wildlife habitat and corridors, which are integral to an intact ecosystem that make it easier for species to adapt to climate change.  

As local elected officials in Colorado, we would like to express our commitment to protecting these landscapes which provide so much to our communities. We commend BLM on recent agency guidance that prioritizes the health of public lands and encourage the BLM to continue to place conservation at the forefront of the rulemaking that will occur in 2023.

These incredible public lands represent just a sliver of the many places within the BLM lands in Colorado that need to be protected. This is why we were excited to see that rules for the designation of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) have been clarified so that this type of designation may be prioritized during land use planning processes. The designation of ACECs is an important step in ensuring critical ecosystems within our public lands are protected, since they can help at-risk and endangered species recover, help clean watersheds, and preserve Indigenous culture. 

Interconnected landscapes that allow species to reach new habitat areas is another important aspect of preserving ecosystems. We would therefore also like to express our appreciation for the BLM’s recent guidance related to Habitat Connectivity on Public Lands. 

As the ancestral home of many Indigenous communities, Colorado’s public lands can especially benefit from management that incorporates the knowledge and perspectives of native Tribes. Because of this, we support the BLM’s commitment to incorporate co-stewardship between the federal and tribal governments into the management practices overseeing these lands. We believe that this is not only good for the conservation and sustainability of Colorado landscapes, but will also benefit our communities by bringing more, underrepresented voices to the table. 

Finally, in addition to the conservation efforts we’ve highlighted above, we also strongly encourage the BLM to use other existing tools to protect public lands across the state. In particular, we call your attention to designating new Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs). The BLM has the authority to ensure that lands with wilderness character are administratively protected as WSAs. These areas are often the first to be identified by our congressional leaders for legislative designation as wilderness and for many of our communities these are the iconic landscapes that define our state.      

The BLM’s mission is “to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.” For years BLM has prioritized extractive uses like oil and gas development while largely overlooking sustaining the health and diversity of BLM lands. 

As 2023 progresses, we look forward to the BLM prioritizing the conservation of our shared public lands. With this in mind, we strongly encourage that the BLM rulemaking emphasizes ecological integrity, preservation of vulnerable resources, and maintaining access to outdoor recreation. These efforts at the national level will positively impact BLM lands in our communities and across Colorado.  

Sincerely, 

  1. Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives Julie McCluskie, House District 13, Colorado

  2. State Representative Mike Weissman, Colorado House District 36, Aurora, Colorado

  3. State Representative Naquetta Ricks, HD 40 Aurora, Arapahoe County, Colorado

  4. Mayor Torre, City of Aspen, Colorado

  5. Mayor Pro Tem Ward Hauenstein, City of Aspen, Colorado

  6. Former Council Member Rachael Richards, City of Aspen, Colorado

  7. Council Member John Doyle, City of Aspen, Colorado

  8. Former Council Member Skippy Mesirow, City of Aspen, Colorado

  9. State Senator Dylan Roberts, Colorado Senate District 8, Avon, Colorado

  10. Mayor Amy Cramer Phillips, Town of Avon, Colorado

  11. Mayor Pro Tem Tamra Nottingham Underwood, Town of Avon, Colorado

  12. Mayor Bill Kane, Town of Basalt, Colorado, Colorado

  13. Mayor Pro Tem David Knight, Town of Basalt, Colorado

  14. Council Member Elyse Hottel, Town of Basalt, Colorado

  15. Council Member Angela Anderson, Town of Basalt, Colorado

  16. Council Member  Glenn Drummond, Town of Basalt, Colorado

  17. Council Member Dieter Schindler, Town of Basalt, Colorado

  18. Council Member  Ryan Slack, Town of Basalt, Colorado

  19. Mayor Aaron Brockett, City of Boulder, Colorado

  20. Mayor Eric Mamula, Town of Breckenridge, Colorado

  21. Mayor Ben Bohmfalk, Town of Carbondale, Colorado

  22. Trustee Lani Kitching, Town of Carbondale, Colorado

  23. Trustee Chris Hassig, Town of Carbondale, Colorado

  24. Trustee Marty Silverstein, Town of Carbondale, Colorado

  25. Trustee Colin Laird, Town of Carbondale, Colorado

  26. Trustee Luis Yllanes, Town of Carbondale, Colorado

  27. County Commissioner Keith Baker, Chaffee County, Colorado

  28. County Commissioner PT Wood, Chaffee County, Colorado

  29. State Representative Steph Vigil, HD-16, Colorado Springs, Colorado

  30. State Representative Tammy Story, Jefferson County, Conifer, Colorado

  31. State Representative Jen Bacon, Denver, Colorado

  32. State Representative Judy Amabile, Colorado House District 49, Denver, Colorado

  33. Former Mayor Barbara Noseworthy, City of Durango, Colorado

  34. Mayor Pro Tem Jessika Buell, City of Durango, Colorado

  35. Chair, Eagle County Commissioners Kathy Chandler-Henry, Eagle County, Colorado

  36. County Commissioner Matt Sherer, Eagle County, Colorado

  37. County Commissioner Jeanne McQueeney, Eagle County, Colorado

  38. Mayor Hunter Mortensen, Town of Frisco, Colorado

  39. Council Member Lisa Holenko, Town of Frisco, Colorado

  40. Council Member Jessica Burley, Town of Frisco, Colorado

  41. State Representative Elizabeth Velasco Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin Counties, Glenwood Springs, Colorado

  42. Mayor Ingrid Wussow City of Glenwood Springs, Colorado

  43. Former Mayor Jonathan Godes, City of Glenwood Springs, Colorado

  44. Former Mayor Pro Tem Charlie Willman City of Glenwood Springs, Colorado

  45. Councilor At-Large Shelley Kaup, City of Glenwood Springs, Colorado

  46. Mayor Pro Tem Abe Herman, City of Grand Junction, Colorado

  47. Council Member Chuck McDaniel, City of Grand Junction, Colorado

  48. Chair-Gunnison County Board of County Commissioners Jonathan Houck, Gunnison County, Colorado

  49. Mayor Diego Plata, City of Gunnison, Colorado

  50. Mayor Pro Tem Mallory Logan, City of Gunnison, Colorado

  51. State Senator Lisa Cutter, Jefferson County Senate District 20, Colorado

  52. County Commissioner Marsha Porter-Norton, La Plata County, Colorado 

  53. County Commissioner Matt Salka, La Plata County, Colorado 

  54. County Commissioner Clyde Church, La Plata County, Colorado

  55. Council Member Marcia Martin, City of Longmont, Colorado

  56. Mayor Hollie Rogin, Town of Lyons, Colorado

  57. Trustee Glen Delman, Town of Lyons, Colorado

  58. Council Member Patrick Berry, Town of Mountain Village, Colorado

  59. Mayor Billy Giblin, Town of Nederland, Colorado

  60. Mayor Mason Osgood, Town of Ophir, Colorado

  61. Trustee Jamie Somerville, Town of Palisade, Colorado

  62. County Commissioner Greg Poschman, Pitkin County, Colorado

  63. County Commissioner Francie Jacober, Pitkin County, Colorado

  64. County Commissioner Steve Child, Pitkin County, Colorado

  65. County Commissioner Kelly McNicholas Kury, Pitkin County, Colorado

  66. Mayor John Clark, Town of Ridgway, Colorado

  67. Council Member Terence Schuyler, Town of Ridgway, Colorado

  68. County Commissioner Sonja Macys, Routt County, Colorado

  69. Mayor Dan Shore, City of Salida, Colorado

  70. Former County Commissioner Hilary Cooper, San Miguel County, Colorado

  71. County Commissioner Lance Waring, San Miguel County, Colorado

  72. Mayor Shane Fuhrman, Town of Silverton, Colorado

  73. Mayor Bill Madsen, Town of Snowmass Village, Colorado 

  74. Council Member Britta Gustafson, Snowmass Village, Colorado

  75. County Commissioner Joshua Blanchard, Summit County,  Colorado

  76. County Commissioner Tamara Pogue, Summit County, Colorado

  77. Former County Commissioner Karn Stiegelmeier, Summit County, Colorado 

  78. Mayor, DeLanie Young, Town of Telluride, Colorado 

  79. Council Member J. Meehan Fee, Town of Telluride, Colorado

  80. Former Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem Todd Brown, Town of Telluride, Colorado

  81. Council Member Geneva Shaunette, Town of Telluride, Colorado

  82. Council Member Lars Carlson, Town of Telluride, Colorado

  83. Mayor Kim Langmaid, Town of Vail, Colorado

  84. Council Member Jonathan Staufer, Town of Vail, Colorado