Our quality of life in Colorado is abundantly enhanced by access to our public lands for hunting, fishing, rafting, camping, hiking, skiing, biking, RVs, snow mobiles and many other uses. To understand this benefit, try living east of the Mississippi River. For me, access to public lands is the main reason I so much enjoy living in Colorado.
Rep. Scott Tipton and his Republican caucus are a clear threat to Colorado’s public lands. To see why, consider two bills:
In 2015, Tipton sponsored H.R. 866, the so-called “Federal Land Freedom Act” which proposed to transfer responsibility for “leasing, permitting and regulating” all oil and gas development on federal lands to the states.
H.R. 866 attempted to completely abrogate carefully developed federal lease terms, together with operating, surface use, environmental, wildlife, royalty, and public in-put regulations and protections, on both Bureau of Land Management and Forest lands. Entirely irresponsibly, there are no standards or protections in the bill – it authorizes the state to lease, regulate and administer federal oil and gas development on any terms it sees fit – with no federal oversight whatsoever!
This bill is shocking in its overreach!
In 2016, Tipton sponsored H.R. 5836, which requires the secretary of interior to dispose of lands earmarked as “available for disposal.” However, H.R. 5836 also includes a new process for selection process for disposal lands, which sets no standards or limits except that “land disposal activities” of the secretary shall be consistent with local land use planning. In the hands of a Trump administration, for which this bill was no doubt intended, in short order H.R. 5836 could be utilized to privatize huge swaths of public lands, with no public comment or oversight! It is outrageous in its conception!
By sponsoring H.R. 866 and H.R 5836, Scott Tipton made clear that he is actively attempting to exploit and privatize Colorado’s public lands – to the substantial detriment of all Coloradans.
Tipton and his Republican caucus are too extreme for Colorado.
Vote for Gail Schwartz, as your congresswoman in the 3rd Congressional District.
Bob Miller
Durango
