Neill Smith’s recent letter (Journal, Feb. 9) accuses Rep. Scott Tipton of being “... (a) man who hates federal public lands ... ,” who is “... against any protections for the greedy destructive actions to the forest and federal public lands, and one who “... knows zero about forestry and how to manage it for all of the nation’s citizens,” among other choice phrases.
I’m left wondering if this is the same Scott Tipton who, along with Sen. Michael Bennet, helped establish the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act, which set aside 100,000 acres for protection with nearly 38,000 acres of the watershed designated as wilderness.
Or the same Scott Tipton who authored a bill in the House to elevate the ancient Chimney Rock site west of Pagosa Springs to national monument status before the legislation stalled in the Senate and President Obama acted on it.
If so, then these actions directly refute Smith’s accusations. I’m not entirely happy with Rep. Tipton’s record in Congress, but Mr. Smith’s baseless claims play a large part in our ever increasing partisan bitterness feedback loop.
I urge everyone to please think twice before you click “Submit.”
John Mumaw
Cortez
