House Republicans Hail Salazar’s ‘Wild Lands’ Reversal

DENVER— This week, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar reversed his decision to allow the Bureau of Land Management to set aside federal acres as “wild lands.”  Instead, Salazar announced that he will work with Congress to protect the nation’s public lands as The Wilderness Act of 1964 specifically grants Congress the sole authority to designate land with wilderness characteristics as wilderness.     

The decision was hailed by Republican members of the Colorado House of Representatives, who sent a letter to Salazar in March explaining the dire impact the order would have had on Colorado’s economy if the measure moved forward.   

“If this order went into effect, it would have cost our state jobs and meant Colorado’s local governments and school districts would have to suffer further cuts during this recession,” said State Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, who chairs the House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee. 

While Republicans were standing up for Colorado-based jobs, Democrat leaders in the General Assembly, including Senate Pres. Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, and House Minority Leader Sal Pace, D-Pueblo, signed a letter in support of Salazar’s order.  

“As a Coloradan, I am dedicated to protecting our beautiful state.  We can do this while responsibly harnessing our state’s natural resources,” said State Rep. Laura Bradford, R-Collbran.  “This announcement means Colorado still has a say in how we care for our environment while we create jobs and build our economy.” 

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