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Public lands should not be privatized

Kudos to our La Plata County commissioners who recently voted unanimously to pass Resolution 2015-18, which was a bipartisan endorsement for the continued federal ownership and management of our public lands. Their vision, courage and leadership on behalf of the citizens of our county puts us in the good company of San Juan and San Miguel counties who have recently passed similar resolutions.

I hope more Colorado counties will promptly join suit with their support and send a strong message to our state senators and representatives that the mischief created by a small, but influential number of government haters and greedy individuals who aspire to privatize our public lands for their own benefit will come to naught.

I offer as examples recently defeated Colorado Senate Bills 232 and 39 which were, unfortunately, supported by our Sen. Ellen Roberts. Our federal-land management agencies have been underfunded for decades by administrations representing both political parties. This has been by design. The argument is then made that state governments can more effectively and efficiently manage these lands if transferred from the federal government. When that doesn’t pan out, the states will simply do what was intended all along: sell off the lands for a pittance to the highest bidder and garner a small ongoing tax base. The result is that the very individuals who coveted our public lands will get it for a song.

I would like to propose that county commissioners all over this country pass resolutions stating that we, the actual owners and beneficiaries of public lands, want to see a significant increase in the expenditure of money to restore the health of our public lands for our citizens now and in the future.

Perhaps our commissioners will begin that effort here in La Plata County with follow on Resolution to 2015-18!

Rick VanWagenen

Durango



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