It is with great sense of civic duty that I write to implore you to represent the public trust of all Coloradans and Americans who depend on the public lands of this great state and country.
I urge you to represent the common interests of the American public, present and future, and vote against President Trump’s nomination to head the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, and to resist bills H.R. 621 and H.R. 622 should they come to the floor.
It would be a mistake to view the environment and 3.3 million acres of public land as merely a “disposable” source of non-renewable commodities.
Indeed, as the mass success of our National Park Service and outdoor recreation industries demonstrate, an intact, clean and protected environment is a renewable commodity in and of itself, able to support and promote millions of jobs and billions of dollars in renewable industries such as tourism and outdoor recreation.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the outdoor industry employed over 6 million Americans in 2011; in comparison, according to the American Petroleum Institute, in the same year, oil and gas employed 2.2 million.
Overall, Americans spent $646 billion on outdoor recreation, while spending $428 billion on “gas and other fuels.” Nowhere is this truer than in Colorado, home to dozens of small business outdoor retailers that employ 125,00.
Some 65 percent of Colorado residents participate in outdoor recreation on public lands every year, spending over $13 billion, amounting to $994 million in state revenue. I encourage you to review this and data for other states at www.Outdoorindustry.org/recreationeconomy.
These industries and jobs can continue to thrive for generations, and must be protected. Hence, the EPA, the National Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management must maintain their obligations, and efforts to sell or restrict funding to public lands should be resisted with every fiber of our being.
You too, as public servants, should defy partisan politics and protect the public interest of present and future Americans.
Vote a resounding no on the nomination of Scott Pruitt and bills H.R. 621 and H.R. 622.
Andrew Schuhmann
Durango
