A bipartisan coalition of Colorado lawmakers has issued a strong statement of opposition to proposals in Congress that would authorize the sale of millions of acres of public lands, including significant portions in Colorado.
In a letter sent yesterday to Colorado’s congressional delegation, House Speaker Julie McCluskie and Senator Dylan Roberts (both Democrats), along with Representative Rick Taggart and Senator Marc Catlin (both Republicans), voiced their “unwavering opposition” to language in the federal budget reconciliation bill that would authorize the sale of over 2 million acres of public land across the West.
“We are writing to express our unwavering opposition to any efforts within the federal budget reconciliation package that include the sale of public lands,” the letter states. “Countless Coloradans have stood up in recent weeks to oppose public lands sell-off, and more voices are joining the opposition to this deeply misguided effort every day. The local voices are loud and clear; Coloradans do not support public land sell-off.”
While the Senate parliamentarian recently ruled that the sell-off language must be removed from the reconciliation bill, U.S. House Speaker Mike Lee has stated he intends to reintroduce new language and is committed to advancing the proposal.
📍 What’s at Stake:
- The proposal could impact over 2 million acres of federal public land in 11 western states, including Colorado, where one-third of the land is federally owned.
- The public lands in question exclude national parks, monuments, and lands with active grazing permits, oil and gas leases, or mining claims.
Coloradans are being encouraged to stay engaged as debate over the issue continues at the federal level.
For more information and updates, visit congress.gov.
