Public Lands and Natural Resources

WHEREAS Colorado’s river-based recreational community contributes significantly an , and demand for access to Colorado’s streams continues to grow, and WHEREAS the right to uninterrupted privacy and the right to exclude public access are fundamental tenets of private property, and WHEREAS scouting, portaging, or any form of trespassing encroach upon private property rights; and WHEREAS both anglers and boaters have periodically challenged Colorado’s private property la

WHEREAS prior to 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (formerly Colorado Division of Wildlife)...

WHEREAS the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission is appointed by the Governor to oversee the management of Colorado’s wildlife...

WHEREAS properly managed livestock grazing is compatible with the health landscapes and promotes wildfire mitigation, biological diversity, open space, species conservation, functioning wildlife habitat and land resource protection; and WHEREAS the livestock industry is integral to the economy, custom and culture of western Colorado communities and is dependent upon public rangelands; and WHEREAS permittees purchase grazing permits and subsequently pay significant dollars o

WHEREAS over 70% of the Western Slope is public lands; and WHEREAS Club 20 counties have actively participated, for many decades, in the development of the Western Slope Resource Management Plans required by the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPM), and continue to develop long-standing partnerships with scholars, professionals, scientists and other experts who possess knowledge specific to the landscapes of the Western

WHEREAS approximately 70% of Colorado’s forested landscape is in Western Colorado; the vast majority of which is managed by federal agencies; and WHEREAS these forested acres are the source for the drinking water in western Colorado and downstream states via natural watersheds and river courses as well as a vital drinking water source via water diversions to Colorado’s Front Range; WHEREAS these forested acres similarly are the source for most of the irrigation water for

WHEREAS it is critical to maintain and support multiple uses on public lands. The land managing agency should strongly consider the local...

WHEREAS Colorado has more than 24.4 million acres of forestland; and WHEREAS many of these forests include the headwaters of rivers that...

WHEREAS approximately 70% of the land in Western Colorado is managed by federal agencies; and WHEREAS public lands are one of the largest economic drivers in Colorado and the region; and WHEREAS the federal public lands multiple use mandates (Multiple –Use Sustained Yield Act of 1960, Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and other applicable laws) contribute to diverse Western Colorado economies; and WHEREAS private lands and public lands are interdependent up

Whereas the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) “Wild” Horse and Burro Program (“WH&B”) March 2020 statistics are: The public rangelands identified for management of “wild” horses and burros have a carrying capacity of about 26,500 horses/burros An estimated 95,000 horses/burros currently inhabit these rangelands 51,000 horses/burros (5/21) are in holding facilities costing American taxpayers over $57 million per year. The horse population increases on an average of 20% per year.

WHEREAS s uccessful and cost‑effective weed management endeavors require an organized and coordinated effort among all affected...

WHEREAS state school lands were originally set aside to provide revenue for public schools in rural areas; and WHEREAS such lands now...

WHEREAS the Colorado Department of Parks and Outdoor Recreation and the Colorado Division of Wildlife have been merged to create the...

WHEREAS several prominent congressional committee chairmen have been discussing legislation which would allow states to assume ownership...

WHEREAS Congress, for the purpose of promoting the settlement of the western United States by establishment of highways, granted a...

WHEREAS groups of community and environmental leaders, State and Federal Agencies, and public and elected officials on the Western Slope have joined together to collectively and collaboratively study and discuss the economic and cultural ties between public lands and the local communities; and WHEREAS these efforts illustrate that what remains of the traditional public lands industries are more critical than ever in terms of the dollars they generate, the agricultural open

WHEREAS the Canada lynx was listed as Threatened in the contiguous United States, including Colorado, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife...

WHEREAS: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) intends to post notice of intent in the Federal Register to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to amend the Little Snake Resource Management Plan in Northwest Colorado; and WHEREAS: The above-mentioned plan amendment will attempt to classify the Vermillion Basin of Moffat County, Colorado, as having wilderness character, virtually identical to a Wilderness Study Area, and manage Vermillion Basin to protect its wilderness

WHEREAS In 1964, Congress created the Land and Water Conservation Fund to assure that all Americans have access to high quality...

WHEREAS the Gunnison Sage Grouse’s current range extends across just two states (southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah) and a handful of counties with viable populations (Gunnison, San Miguel, Montrose, Mesa, Saguache, Dolores and Delta), although its historic range once stretched from across large parts of Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico; and WHEREAS specific areas of occupied habitat have been identified in various Gunnison Sage-Grouse Conservation Plans developed by