Give people a say on land management

I’m writing to express concern over the recent move to eliminate the Bureau of Land Management “Planning 2.0” initiative, which provides a much-needed update to how BLM gathers public opinion on proposed projects. Planning 2.0 strives to streamline and standardize the public input process, and to give state and local governments, individuals, and businesses more input on projects occurring on BLM lands.

I’ve spent a lot of time recreating on BLM land, and in the past couple of years I’ve also spent a lot of time working on BLM land in Western Colorado. We need to balance recreation with industry — both are important uses of our shared resource, and both would benefit from more public involvement in the planning process.

The move to kill Planning 2.0 originated in the U.S. House of Representatives and will soon get a vote in the U.S. Senate. I urge readers to contact Colorado’s Senator Cory Gardner (who will have a chance to vote on the measure soon) at 970-245-9553, and Representative Scott Tipton (who co-sponsored the move to roll back Planning 2.0) at 970-241-2499. Please tell them that you oppose the effort to eliminate Planning 2.0 and reduce our voice in how our lands are managed.

BLM land is an invaluable asset to hikers, hunters, and campers, and it is used to produce the resources that power our economy — let’s work to stay involved in the way this land is managed in the future.

Doug Winter

Carbondale