Chandler-Henry: We need to keep Colorado’s public lands in public hands
Valley Voices
On Thursday, Colorado’s General Assembly passed a Senate Joint Resolution that affirms Colorado’s commitment to the protection of our public lands and opposes any efforts to sell, transfer, or privatize these lands.
The resolution is obvious and necessary. Public lands are integral to our identity, culture and quality of life as Coloradans. They are our shared heritage and legacy to future generations.
Public lands are where we teach our kids how to fish, spend time with our friends on bikes and skis, and refresh our minds and spirits. When I was young, I learned to hike, camp and ride horses in my backyard public lands, and I’m committed to ensuring future generations have the same opportunity as I did to spend time in and love these wild places.
As a former Eagle County commissioner and as someone who grew up in the Eagle River Valley, I know from first-hand experience that the value of our public lands extends well beyond our personal connections — these lands are economic drivers in our state. Public lands support local businesses and jobs that keep our small towns thriving. The outdoor recreation industry alone brought in over $17 billion to Colorado in 2023.
The bipartisan resolution was sponsored by Sens. Marc Catlin and Dylan Roberts, Speaker Julie McCluskie, and Rep. Rick Taggart. It supports federal stewardship of public lands by agencies like the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management and highlights the economic, recreational, cultural and environmental importance of public lands.
Support Local Journalism
State officials and our congressional delegation must actively oppose the transfer or privatization of our public lands. Unfortunately, this is necessary right now as our public lands face unprecedented threats from our leadership in Washington, D.C.
One significant threat comes from Congress, where the recently passed House rules package includes provisions aimed at making it easier to sell federal lands, and there are ongoing discussions about utilizing the federal budgeting process to facilitate land sales. Another major threat our local communities are grappling with is the drastic and unjustifiable staffing cuts at our federal land management agencies. These efforts are alarming for the future of Colorado’s public lands, and especially for western Colorado, which will immediately experience the repercussions.
In Eagle County, seasonal rangers (despite being paid for by local funds) have already been cut, which puts us at risk for wildfires and degradation of our wildlife habitat and public spaces.
Anti-public lands sentiments are often fueled by misconceptions about the value and management of public lands. Some argue that selling public lands would generate revenue and boost local economies. However, economic data show that Colorado’s public lands contribute significantly to the state’s economy.
For example, in Fiscal Year 2023, activities on just Bureau of Land Management public lands such as recreation, hunting, tourism, wilderness conservation, grazing and energy development contributed $8.8 billion to Colorado’s economy. Local businesses and families rely on this revenue.
Another misconception is that states would be better equipped to manage public lands. The problem with this theory is that states lack the resources and funding mechanisms to effectively manage these vast areas, particularly when it comes to wildfire prevention and response. In Eagle County, we rely on our partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to fight wildfires, maintain trails, campgrounds and boat launches; manage forest health and pine beetle disease; monitor water quality; conserve wildlife habitat; and more.
Local governments simply don’t have the resources to manage public lands on their own. Pushing that responsibility onto states and counties is not only irresponsible, it will increase the risk of development, privatization and reduced public access to our open spaces. That is a risk we cannot take.
According to recent polling, more than two-thirds of Coloradans oppose public land sell-offs. What’s more, three-quarters of voters in the West are opposed to cutting funding for federal land management agencies.
Westerners know the value of our public lands and the local federal workers who steward them on behalf of us all. I’m grateful that our General Assembly is taking action in support of our values and our way of life. Protecting these lands is not just about preserving our natural heritage — it’s about safeguarding our wildlife, our ecosystems, our economy, our health, and our future.
As Coloradans, let’s unify to keep public lands in public hands.
