Yeiser: Protect our wild places
My name is Nikole Yeiser, and I grew up in the Roaring Fork Valley; I am currently an educator at Basalt Middle School. I am writing to you today with concern about the wild places surrounding our homes.
In the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, introduced on May 20, there is an addition for the sale of federal land held by the BLM and U.S. Forest Service. This land includes many areas where I enjoy spending my time. Places like the Lunch Loops outside of Grand Junction, Animas City Mountain outside of Durango, land that ski areas sit on in Vail, and the mountains north of Aspen, surrounding Ruedi Reservoir, the Fryingpan, Roaring Fork, and Crystal rivers, and more. In the state of Colorado, there would be about 14 million acres of public land potentially up for sale. The map of land potentially for sale can be found by googling: Public lands eligible for sale in the Senate Reconciliation Bill.
The bill also includes restrictions on what type of land can be sold and dictates that land can only be sold for infrastructure or housing; however, the requirements of sale and land use restrictions expire 10 years after the sale, meaning the land could be turned into anything after 10 years.
Our representative, Jeff Hurd, stated publicly that he opposed selling off public lands without the input of the locals the sales would impact, according to The Denver Post. Yet, he voted in favor of the bill, including the selling off of public lands, when he cast his vote in May.
I ask that we let Rep. Hurd know how the selling of these public lands would affect us — the people who use them the most — by calling him at any of his offices:
- DC: 202-225-4676
- Grand Junction: 970-208-0455
- Durango: 970-317-6167
- Pueblo: 719-696-6968
Nicole Yeiser
Glenwood Springs
