Letter: Public lands under threat

Imagine Colorado without public lands. Imagine nowhere to hike or mountain bike, no place to snowmobile, ride a dirt bike, or fish, and nowhere to hunt except in expensive, European-style stocked preserves where it costs a fortune just to enjoy a privilege that Americans have always considered a right. Imagine the gorgeous vistas that take our breath away, littered with condos.

Last week, House Republicans quietly and at the eleventh hour adopted a measure sponsored by Reps. Mark Amodei of Nevada and Celeste Maloy of Utah to authorize the sale of thousands of acres of Public Lands in Utah and Nevada for oil and gas development.

Coloradans should be alarmed. Public Lands are the basis of the economy throughout the West. In Colorado alone, outdoor recreation generated nearly $14 billion and created 130,000 direct jobs in 2022, according to the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Office. 

Read the rest of the letter on the Vail Daily website