True to his quiet demeanor, John M. Whitney retired on June 18, 2025, without fanfare. As Senior Advisor for Public Lands & Tribal Affairs and Western Slope Regional Director to U.S. Sen. Michael F. Bennet, Whitney’s 20-year public service career spanned thousands of miles and elevations across the Western Slope.
Whitney built a reputation for collaboration and partnership, forging friendships across backgrounds and political divides – from rural communities to Washington, D.C. The Herald’s editorial board thanks John for his years of service and deep contributions to the land and people of Southwest Colorado.
A Fort Lewis College history graduate, Whitney had originally planned to teach at Durango High School. But with encouragement from Sal Pace, then District Director for Rep. John Salazar, he instead opened and staffed Salazar’s Durango office in 2005. “I’m an accidental congressional aide,” he joked this week, riffing off Bennet’s early label as an “accidental senator.”
That pivot led to a career in which Whitney worked to protect over 1.4 million acres of public land – nearly three times the size of the Weminuche Wilderness – through legislation Salazar and Bennet either passed or introduced.
Whitney is quick to credit others. “Our bills are written in Colorado – at tables and trailheads – starting with agreements on the ground that become legislative language,” he said.
Working with citizens, tribal members, local officials, and business leaders, Whitney played key roles in:
- Establishing Chimney Rock, Brown’s Canyon, and Camp Hale–Continental Divide National Monuments, and Camp Amache National Historic Area
- Securing a 20-year mineral withdrawal for the Thompson Divide
- Passing the Hermosa Creek Watershed Act, with protections for the greater Durango area
- Developing bills including the Colorado Outdoor Recreation & Economy (CORE) Act, Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection (GORP) Act, Dolores National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act, and others including the Gold King Mine Spill Compensation Act and Tribal Access to Clean Water Act
He recalls the bipartisan support for Chimney Rock, with Rep. Salazar introducing it in the House and Sen. Bennet in the Senate, backed by Republican leaders including Pagosa Springs’ mayor, the Archuleta County Commission, and Rep. Scott Tipton.
But Whitney admits it feels harder to do this work today. “In Colorado we still know how to do this work but the national political atmosphere has gotten so poisoned,” he said.
John Swartout, a Republican who worked for Sen. Wayne Allard, Gov. Bill Owens, and later led Great Outdoors Colorado and Colorado Counties, Inc., echoed that sentiment. “What John and I did together is a vanishing art in today’s polarized political world,” he said.
Swartout praised Whitney’s commitment to cooperation:
“The list of John's accomplishments is long. But what I want to focus on is what collaboration looks like – ideas that come from people who work together to find solutions others don’t see. It’s the Colorado way, and John embodies that. It’s been my honor to work with him.”
Whitney said he and Sen. Bennet found a shared belief in the power of collaboration and seeking common ground. “The Constitution is a framework to work out our differences,” said Bennet. “Humans will always disagree. If we cannot do that anymore, we’re going to have a hard time as a country.”
We agree with Bennet’s tribute:
“John Whitney sets the standard for public service. His work has protected the landscapes we cherish and strengthened the communities that rely on them – from Hermosa Creek to Camp Hale, Chimney Rock, and the CORE and GORP Acts. His legacy will benefit Colorado for generations to come.”
Whitney is now taking a well-earned break with family and friends. But come fall, he plans to open a consulting practice focused on “just causes” related to public lands, water, energy and tribal issues.
In keeping with the Fort Lewis connection, Whitney’s successor is Wyatt Bair, FLC Class of 2025 and a political science major. He’s off to a strong start and can be reached at the Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave., Unit 101; wyatt_bair@bennet.senate.gov; and (970) 880-2459.
Rest up, John. We may have dodged a bullet with the public lands sales provision – but the work is far from over. Your legacy is proof that progress is possible, and we’ll need your voice again soon.
