In times of “privatization of public assets”, including our beloved public lands, 92 Percent of Coloradans polled in 2024/2025 support public lands protected areas.
By: Christine Canaly, Director
Date: February 25, 2025
San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council
In a recent citizen poll conducted by Colorado College’, called the State of the
Rockies Project, now in its 15th year; believe that “existing national monument
designations from the last decade should be kept in place”, and is supported by a whopping
92% of those bi-partisan constituents who participated.
Another strong 70% response, highlighted that they “oppose giving state
government control over national public lands, such as national forests, national
monuments, and national wildlife refuges.” This same percentage also believes that they
“support only allowing oil and gas companies the right to drill in areas where there is high
likelihood to actually produce oil and gas.”
So it begs the question: Why is our recently confirmed Congressman from House
District 3, Rep. Jeff Hurd, who sits on the House Natural Resources Committee, co-sponsoring a series of bills that will undermine cherished public assets, and provide a “give-away” to extractive industry interests?
1. H.R.1206, which passed in the House, is requiring the Director of the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) to withdraw a rule of the BLM relating to conservation and landscape health. This rule went through 4 years of public participation with 92 percent of the more than 200,000 comments submitted in support of the BLM Conservation and Landscape Health Rule.
This BLM “Conservation Rule,” as it is referred to, safeguards the health of our
public lands for current and future generations by ensuring that clean water and wildlife
habitat is protected, restore lands and waters that need it, and make informed management
decisions based on science, data and Indigenous knowledge.
The rule recognizes conservation as an essential component of public lands management, on equal footing with other multiple uses of these lands. Americans rely on public lands to deliver food, energy, clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and places to recreate. The BLM knows the importance of balancing the use of our natural resources with protecting public lands and waters for future generations. The rule will safeguard these lands and waters to protect our way of life.
2. Next, HR 471 expedites the review of certain forest management (salvage and timber) projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and exempts certain activities, to the tune of 10,000 acres (15.6 sq miles), from NEPA review.
It also establishes intra-agency strike teams to accelerate the review and any interagency consultation processes under NEPA, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the National Historic Preservation Act.
It also limits consultation requirements concerning threatened and endangered
species under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 and
the Federal Land Management and Policy Act of 1976. Finally, it limits litigation involving
fisheries management projects and limits remedies that courts may provide.
HR 471 has gone to the Senate, and Senator Hickenlooper is working on a revised version of the bill.
3. Finally, legislation was introduced in the U.S. House in January, without a bill number, to strip presidents of their authority under The Antiquities Act to designate national monuments.
The measure, would rewrite the act to say only Congress has the authority to designate national monuments. Rep. Hurd said he opposed the creation of the Dolores River Canyon National Monument by presidential proclamation, in September, saying additional protections for federal lands should be driven by local residents and Congress.
“I think that would be a misuse of the president’s authority under the Antiquities Act,” Hurd
said. He added that protections for federal lands should be driven by the people who live in
that area and that Congress should weigh in in a way that doesn't impair the agricultural or mining industries.
Right now, behind closed doors, the Interior Department, charged with managing
BLM lands, US. Fish and Wildlife-Wildlife Refuges, and National Parks and Monuments; lead
by Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, is rushing through a 15-day review of America’s
national monuments and other protected public lands that belong to all of us. Burgum
issued a secret review of 160 national monuments and all public lands withdrawn from
fossil fuel and mining development. This attack on public lands is a blatant, illegal attempt
to gut our country’s monuments and parks to benefit the highest bidders. We don't have a moment to waste.
What to do?
Contact our recently elected Congressman Jeff Hurd, who seems to be going along with this
charade. Tell him he does not represent the extraction industries, he’s there to represent Colorado Conservation. See next article.
Contact Senator Bennet and Hickenlooper offices, thank them, and let them know you expect
them to continue to be a champion for Conservation.
Contact Jeff Hurd, 3rd
Congressional District
1641 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4676
743 Horizon Court
Suite 112
Grand Junction, CO 81506
Phone: (970) 208-0455
503 N Main St
Pueblo, CO 81003
Phone: (719) 696-6968
835 E 2nd Ave
Durango, CO 81301
Phone: (970) 317-6167
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