The film director Ken Burns stated that “Our national parks is America’s best idea.” For our Western states, I would expand that statement to include public lands.
I look with continuing dismay at the continuous attempts in Colorado and other Western states to wrest control of our public lands from the American people. The passage of Senate Bill 32 by the Colorado Senate is the most recent attempt to take over American lands by states and the special economic interests that are the drivers behind these bills.
Utah already has passed legislation demanding the U.S. government turn over federal lands to the state. This constitutes an illegal taking of lands owned by the American people. When Colorado and Utah agreed to join the Union in the 1800s, they signed the Enabling Act, by which states forever disclaim any and all rights to federal lands.
Why is this important? While our federal government hasn’t always been the best stewards, the states have had a poor record of stewardship. The state’s public-lands model is based on maximizing profit to add revenue to the state’s coffer rather then stewardship. The effect would be exploitation of our lands by corporate interests for short-term gain and would result in lax regulations in mining and drilling, over-grazing, clear-cutting, stripping protection of endangered species, etc.
We have seen in the past that state lands have been sold off and taken out of the public domain, why would we think this won’t happen again?
These attempts at taking federal lands are supported by large outside interests such as Americans for Prosperity, started by the Koch brothers, and ALEC, which is a conglomeration of conservative politicians and corporations who look to profit by these initiatives.
In a time of increasing income inequality, our public lands are a shining light of egalitarianism that all American people can enjoy.
I assume Sen. Ellen Roberts wants to give a voice to the right wing of her party, but I’m hoping she is hearing the part of her constituency that opposes any initiative to take over our public lands.
Jim Bolen
Durango
