One year ago Colorado sportsmen and other conservationists voiced strong opposition to the Bush administration’s 2007 budget that proposed the sale of 304,370 acres of public lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).  In no uncertain terms, hunters, anglers, and conservationists stated that it was unacceptable to sell our public lands as a short-term funding source for unrelated federal programs, however worthy. The Rural Schools Act , itself a program set forth to be cancelled years down the road, should be funded by responsible funding sources, not by selling off  public lands.  Fortunately, Congress heeded these concerns and the proposal was rejected.

Now, a year later, the 2008 federal budget proposes to raise $800 million by liquidating an estimated 273,806 acres of USFS lands in 35 states. At the same time USFS funding for recreation and wildlife programs would be cut by 11%.  This budget would also sell off Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands to the extent of $334 million over ten years. The loss of public lands would be staggering, and Colorado, blessed with a tremendous public land resource, would have public lands losses greater than all but a few states.    

Colorado anglers and conservationists need to tell Congress and the Administration again: “Our federal public lands are not for sale.”  Public lands are the ‘home base’ for wildlife and for the proud tradition of hunting and fishing heritage.   This administration’s consecutive federal budget proposals are concerning in treating public lands as disposable, as funding sources to political interest agendas.  

The targeted Colorado lands at risk in this newest 2008 public lands sell-off plan are approximately 21,699 acres.    Public lands sold would be very significant along the Colorado front-range as well as the Pawnee Grasslands.    While the government budget does state there would be some levels of subsequent repurchases of public lands, Colorado sportsmen have little real assurances of these upgrades even coming back to Colorado, if at all anywhere in the U.S.   What we know is that 70% of these public lands sale monies would be deposited directly into the U.S. Treasury by amending the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act of 2000.

Coloradoans know the value public lands provide to our outdoor recreation endeavors, to our state's natural heritage, and to our communities.  Public lands are the habitat and ‘home base’ to the wildlife and fisheries all Coloradoans value.  They are especially important for native species, including Colorado's state fish, the Greenback cutthroat trout, and Colorado's other native cutthroats - the Rio Grande and Colorado River cutthroat.    The value of public lands in preserving these resources and the recreational pursuits they support is far greater than any value as federal budgetary income source.  Public lands sold would constitute a public loss forever.

Call Senators Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar, along with your U.S. Representative, and urge them to oppose the sale of public lands as a funding source in the 2008 budget.  Contact numbers for all of Colorado's delegation appear below:

Senator Wayne Allard:   (202) 224-5941

Senator Ken Salazar:   (202) 224-5852

Congresswoman Diana DeGette (1st District):  (202) 225-4431

Congressman Mark Udall (2nd District):  (202) 225-2161

Congressman John Salazar (3rd District):  (202) 225-4761

Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave (4th District):  (202) 225-4676

Congressman Doug Lamborn (5th District):  (202) 225-4422

Congressman Tom Tancredo (6th District):  202.225.7882

Congressman Ed Perlmutter (7th District):  (202) 225-2645