Help HCCA Push Back on Threats to Public Lands

Painted Wall in Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Photo by Jon Hare, HCCA Advocacy Director

The recent news about public lands has been an outrage.

This week, the majority party in the United States House of Representatives used a party line vote to advance a budget reconciliation bill through the House Natural Resources Committee that would have severe impacts on our federally owned public lands.

Locally, this potential budget bill revokes over $2 million dollars from National Park Service staff at Black Canyon National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area; the budget bill revokes the Resource Management Plans for the BLM Colorado River Valley and Grand Junction Field Offices; the bill revokes funds from US Forest Service and BLM while increasing timber targets; and most broadly, the bill impacts all people by revoking funds for weather forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

It’s difficult to learn that something integral like weather forecasts could be cut. It’s disturbing to learn the federal budget for this year includes an amendment to dispose of public lands in Utah and Nevada. It’s ridiculous for public lands to be sold off—even worse in a budget process without a hearing or support of the local community where the public lands to be sold are located.

It’s all a clear indication the new leadership in the White House and Congress are going to cause permanent forever type damage to our public lands and HCCA is in full push-back mode to advocate for the public lands we are dedicated to protecting.

In the past few weeks, HCCA has been called upon to help determine the impacts of what is happening in Washington D.C. and how it will translate on the ground to public lands in the Gunnison Country. We have been able to gather information, do analysis, and get in front of elected officials, other advocacy organizations, and community leaders across the Gunnison Country to help push back on the effort to lower safeguards in the existing environmental laws and eliminate the funds to take care of these places.

More specifically, HCCA has advocated that it is essential to follow the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to analyze potential impacts from proposed projects on federal lands and use the scoping process to take public feedback and create mitigations that reduce impacts. HCCA also points to the importance of protecting the Judicial Review process for decisions concerning public lands. In fact, HCCA has used the NEPA process to create conservation solutions several times over the years through submitting substantive comments and has also used the appeals process and litigation to dispute and correct decisions concerning our public lands.

The public has a right to participate in the processes that determine what happens on our public lands and our voices are in peril right now because of recent Executive Orders, proposed legislation, and budget actions that undermine the integrity of NEPA.

So, what can HCCA supporters do? First please consider giving to HCCA so that we can continue our work to collaborate with the community, partners, and allies to advocate for public lands in the Gunnison Country at the highest levels. Second, everyone needs to hold our elected officials accountable to their constituents. Send emails or make a phone call to voice your disagreement when your elected officials choose political party over the interests of the Gunnison Country and the environment. Senator Bennet’s staff has been clear that it is really important to hear from local communities and he does use public comments to help determine his votes. Follow Michael Bennet, John Hickenlooper, and Jeff Hurd (or your local representatives) through your preferred channels and send them feedback on their voting choices and alliances.

The horrible Budget Reconciliation Bill that was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee will now move to the Senate Natural Resources Committee and eventually be folded into a broader budget reconciliation proposal targeted for a vote by Memorial Day. There is still opportunity to reach out to House Representatives and Senators to encourage them to vote against any potential legislation that will sell public lands, undermine environmental laws, or revoke funding for maintaining public lands.

During the House Committee meeting this week – when the last minute amendment to sell federal public lands in Utah and Nevada was introduced – it was obvious people in the room were scrambling to find out if the local affected communities were in favor or opposed to their local federal public lands being sold. Even the Representative who introduced the amendment wasn’t sure if his elected counterparts or the local communities that would be affected were in favor or opposed.

All of us in Gunnison County need to get behind a Resolution that recognizes the value of our public lands and makes a clear statement that we oppose the sale of all public lands. HCCA has written a draft Resolution and is advocating to the County Commissioners to adopt and have it clear for the record that the local community and elected officials oppose public lands in the Gunnison Country being sold off.

Here’s one more great opportunity for HCCA supporters to take positive action for public lands in the next few months is to volunteer for our upcoming stewardship projects. Please help us do some hard work that will give you a personal investment in the land, helps create friends in the community, and enhances the natural ecosystems of our public lands.

And please don’t forget to embrace and share how special it is in the Gunnison Country where we have thousands of acres of unspoiled public lands, wildlife and clean water—this community has always done the difficult work to protect the surrounding environment and it’s obvious that it is now as important as it ever has been to continue our conservation efforts forward.

- Jon Hare, HCCA Advocacy Director