This letter is in response to John Mumaw’s letter (Journal, Feb. 19) about my “baseless claims” against U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton (Journal, Feb. 8).
I will give Tipton credit for Hermosa Creek watershed protection and for helping to elevate the status to protect Chimney Rock, even though Chimney Rock was already protected being that it is U.S. Forest Service-administered land.
And, Tipton wrote a letter to Interior Secretary Zinke to not eliminate Canyon of the Ancients from national monument status. I call that a win-win for him politically.
Tipton and Republicans in the House all voted in favor of making it easier to transfer federally managed lands. In the current rules, federal land transfers must account for the value and revenue, like logging, grazing and energy extraction. Tipton and his greedy Republican cohorts plan to give away the nation’s public lands for free. The majority of us citizens are in opposition to allow the sale of federal public lands for dirt-cheap dollars.
Tipton co-sponsored the Wilderness Roadless Area Release Act. This greedy action would allow building roads in designated wilderness and would open up mining, logging and oil and gas extraction. These areas are the most hunted big-game-managed habitat sections and are critical cutthroat trout habitat. This means fewer hunting and fishing opportunities.
The most egregious vote he cast is to preserve $5 billion in taxpayer handouts to the big oil companies.
Neill Smith
Cortez
