Category: News (Older posts)

15-1225 was signed by Governor Hickenlooper on May 13 at the Rifle-Garfield County Regional Airport. The bill had passed the Senate on April 23 to the Governor’s desk.

1225 had been introduced in the Colorado House by Representatives KC Becker and Rankin and in the Senate by Roberts and Donovan on February 18, 2015. Its purpose is to provide grants from the Department of Local Affairs currently existing grants funds and technical assistance to local governments as they participate as a “cooperating agency” in BLM and US Forest Service planning processes for the federal public lands they manage in Colorado.

The bill was heard in the House Local Government Committee February 26 and passed 11-0 to the Appropriations Committee. It was amended before the vote to enable local governments to access Dept. of Local Affairs grants (from severance taxes) without a deduction in PILT payments.   The bill passed on 2nd reading on March 9 and 3rd reading on March 10.  The bill then moved to the Senate.  It passed the Local Affairs Committee on March 24 unanimously, passed the Appropriations Committee and full Senate on third reading on April 23.

In testimony before the House Local Government Committee, CWF noted that a shining example of the role that local government can play in federal agencies’ planning processes – and actually in advance preparation – is Park County.  What this County is doing in preparation for the BLM’s master leasing planning process can become a model for collaborative processes. This is much more productive way to work with federal land management agencies than Senate Bill 15-232 which would form a commission to study how to transfer such lands to the state “if” approved by Congress.

Here is the link to the bill:

www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2015a/csl.nsf/billcontainers/F11FD0D5847FABBA87257D9000782B75/$FILE/1225_01.pdf

Colorado Senate Bill 15-039 was defeated in the House on May 4 along a party-line vote. It had passed the Senate and moved to the House.  The bill had been heard in the State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee on April 6.  Following testimony the Chair, Senator Scott (R-GJ),  informed that the bill would be “laid over.”  The bill was confusing   The sponsor, Senator Lambert, said that its purpose was to define or clarify jurisdiction between federal government (US Forest Service and BLM) and the state to improve wildfire fighting procedures on federal lands. However, the bill also attempted to confer concurrent jurisdiction by the state over all federal public lands managed by the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.  CWF testified against the bill.

The bill was amended and passed the Committee, as amended, on April 14. It passed the Senate on 3rd reading on April 21.

Colorado Senate Bill 15-039 was defeated in the House on May 4 along a party-line vote. It had passed the Senate and moved to the House.  The bill had been heard in the State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee on April 6.  Following testimony the Chair, Senator Scott (R-GJ),  informed that the bill would be “laid over.”  The bill was confusing   The sponsor, Senator Lambert, said that its purpose was to define or clarify jurisdiction between federal government (US Forest Service and BLM) and the state to improve wildfire fighting procedures on federal lands. However, the bill also attempted to confer concurrent jurisdiction by the state over all federal public lands managed by the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.  CWF testified against the bill.

The bill was amended and passed the Committee, as amended, on April 14. It passed the Senate on 3rd reading on April 21.

Colorado Senate Bill 15-232 was defeated on April 28 on a narrow 18-17 vote.  CWF applauded the outcome and thanked Senator Crowder for voting against the bill.  Earlier the bill had passed out of the Agricultural, Natural Resources and Energy Committee on April 23 by 1 vote. It was introduced on March 24 to create a Colorado Federal Land Management Commission to study the transfer of public lands in Colorado managed by BLM and US Forest Service from the federal government to the state.  CWF firmly opposes this bill and  testified at the hearing.

Here is a link to the bill:

www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2015a/csl.nsf/billcontainers/10D8693843F31A4487257DC400824809/$FILE/232_01.pdf

Colorado Senate Bill 15-232 was defeated on April 28 on a narrow 18-17 vote.  CWF applauded the outcome and thanked Senator Crowder for voting against the bill.  Earlier the bill had passed out of the Agricultural, Natural Resources and Energy Committee on April 23 by 1 vote. It was introduced on March 24 to create a Colorado Federal Land Management Commission to study the transfer of public lands in Colorado managed by BLM and US Forest Service from the federal government to the state.  CWF firmly opposes this bill and  testified at the hearing.

Here is a link to the bill:

www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2015a/csl.nsf/billcontainers/10D8693843F31A4487257DC400824809/$FILE/232_01.pdf

Colorado Wildlife Federation is pleased the State Land Board voted not to lease its oil and gas rights under the James Mark Jones State Wildlife Area. This area is important for wintering elk
and pronghorn as well as for recreation. We expect the BLM soon will begin its landscape level master leasing planning process for the public lands it manages in South Park. We believe it is important that State Land Board continue to participate as a large landowner with Park County and other stakeholders in this process to craft a balanced future for South Park.

A wide array of stakeholders met in October and November to begin identifying areas of common ground. At a time when public use planning is often contentious and controversial, this master leasing planning process has the potential to become a model success story.

Colorado Wildlife Federation is pleased the State Land Board voted not to lease its oil and gas rights under the James Mark Jones State Wildlife Area. This area is important for wintering elk
and pronghorn as well as for recreation. We expect the BLM soon will begin its landscape level master leasing planning process for the public lands it manages in South Park. We believe it is important that State Land Board continue to participate as a large landowner with Park County and other stakeholders in this process to craft a balanced future for South Park.

A wide array of stakeholders met in October and November to begin identifying areas of common ground. At a time when public use planning is often contentious and controversial, this master leasing planning process has the potential to become a model success story.

On December 16 several organizations, including CWF, donated food and funds to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. They met at Steve’s Meat Market which has provided a discount to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. CWF Board Chair Kent Ingram said, ” We Coloradoans are lucky to have both an abundance of wildlife and public lands. I do all of my elk and deer hunting on public lands, including national forests and Bureau of Land Management lands. It’s only right that those of us who are privileged to take part in our state’s bounty share it with our fellow Coloradoans.”

Here is the link to the Denver Post column by Scott Willoughby on December 17:

www.denverpost.com/willoughby/ci_27150926/sportsmen-share-public-land-harvest-hungry

On December 16 several organizations, including CWF, donated food and funds to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. They met at Steve’s Meat Market which has provided a discount to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. CWF Board Chair Kent Ingram said, ” We Coloradoans are lucky to have both an abundance of wildlife and public lands. I do all of my elk and deer hunting on public lands, including national forests and Bureau of Land Management lands. It’s only right that those of us who are privileged to take part in our state’s bounty share it with our fellow Coloradoans.”

Here is the link to the Denver Post column by Scott Willoughby on December 17:

www.denverpost.com/willoughby/ci_27150926/sportsmen-share-public-land-harvest-hungry

On December 6, a crowd in Salida urged designation of Browns Canyon as a national monument. Here is a link to the column on December 7 by Denver Post’s Scott Willoughby, quoting CWF’s President Kent Ingram.

www.denverpost.com/outdoors/ci_27084970/browns-canyons-bid-national-monument-status-appears-be