As someone who has helped develop the outdoor industry in Colorado and watched it grow into an economic powerhouse, I am very concerned with the ongoing campaign by anti-public land interests to transfer America’s public lands to states or sell them off to private investors.
I’m skeptical of the review announced last week by President Donald Trump that could scale back or even abolish national monuments in Colorado and elsewhere established in recent decades by presidents of both parties.
This would be a terrible mistake.
Public lands, such as the new Browns Canyon National Monument, preserve incredible outdoor opportunities to hunt, fish, hike, bike, camp and float – and they’re strongly supported by local communities, who understand that these lands offer one of the best new, sustainable ways to grow their local economies.
Let’s not kill the goose that laid the golden egg.
Keep our public lands in public hands and don’t roll back protections for our special places.
Jim Bartschi
Montrose
Editor’s note: Jim Bartschi is president of Scott Fly Rods.
