Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Chair, when it comes to public lands management, Colorado has a long history of balancing the interests of a broad range of stakeholders, including the needs and interests of citizens who may not be the most vocal on the issues. This is accomplished through proactive outreach to communities and engagement with citizens and local leaders who know their areas best. This type of local engagement has proven to be effective on previous public lands efforts, such as Hermosa Creek and Chimney Rock in southwest Colorado. In both cases, there was an extensive and inclusive community outreach process with many months of bipartisan support, negotiations, and conversations with stakeholders from all sides of the debate. The result was the House passing bipartisan measures to be able to protect these individual and valuable open spaces, both of which have become law. Behind these efforts was a recognition of historic multiple uses of the land as well as for the communities who live there. For many decades, Colorado has responsibly developed natural resources on public lands, which has provided critical funding for emergency services, education, and infrastructure for rural communities that would otherwise be unable to have these services. While doing this, Colorado has also embraced a thriving outdoor economy and protected access to the public lands for historical uses, as well as for sportsmen and other recreational access.…”