Political Quotes

“there is a saying by Thomas Hornsby Ferrill engraved on the walls of the Colorado State Capitol that reads, ``Here is a land where life is written in water. . . . '' I come to the floor to talk about the most precious natural resource in the West; that is, of course, our water. Water in the West has helped shape communities, agriculture, tourism, and industry. The management of that water has been traditionally controlled at the State and local level, not the Federal Government. Colorado is the State of origin for four major river basins: The Colorado, the Arkansas, the Platte, and the Rio Grande. These water basins help make for a robust agricultural economy throughout the State. According to the Colorado Department of Agriculture, this industry contributes nearly $41 billion to the State economy and employs nearly 173,000 people. Colorado has more than 35,000 farms and ranches and more than 31 million acres for farming and ranching. The State ranks in the top five nationwide for production of products ranging from potatoes and cantaloupes to sunflowers and wheat. Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency has decided to put forth a rule that would endanger many of these farms as well as the jobs and local economies they help support. The waters of the United States rule, known as WOTUS, would significantly expand the definition of navigable waters under the Clean Water Act.…”