Senate Joint Resolution 25-009
Page 1, Line 101Concerning the protection of Colorado's public lands.
Page 1, Line 1WHEREAS, Coloradans have a deep love and affection for our
Page 1, Line 2shared, national public lands and the innumerable benefits they provide; and
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Page 1, Line 4WHEREAS, Colorado and the American West contain a variety of
Page 1, Line 5national public lands, including national parks, national forests, wildlife
Page 1, Line 6refuges, national monuments, wilderness areas, and other public lands; and
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Page 1, Line 8WHEREAS, Coloradans' affection for public lands does not stop
Page 1, Line 9at the state line and extends to protected areas from the Rocky Mountain
Page 1, Line 10and Grand Teton National Parks to Dinosaur National Monument and
Page 1, Line 11McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, and the other millions of
Page 1, Line 12acres of public lands in Colorado managed by the bureau of land
Page 2, Line 1management that feature iconic working ranches, mountain bike trail
Page 2, Line 2systems, world-class climbing, outstanding white water boating, and incredible hunting and angling opportunities; and
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Page 2, Line 4WHEREAS, Our public lands reflect many of our most noble
Page 2, Line 5democratic ideals because public lands offer valuable recreational,
Page 2, Line 6economic, cultural, and spiritual opportunities to everyone, regardless of
Page 2, Line 7one's socioeconomic status, race, or gender or whether one lives in an urban or rural area; and
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Page 2, Line 9WHEREAS, Our public lands provide defining features of
Page 2, Line 10Colorado and the foundation for our quality of life by supporting the
Page 2, Line 11vitality of our communities, as well as representing Colorado's common
Page 2, Line 12heritage: Fossils marking where dinosaurs roamed, ancient ruins and
Page 2, Line 13petroglyphs dotting the canyons, and historic mining towns nestled in steep-sided valleys; and
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Page 2, Line 15WHEREAS, Our national public lands feature an amazingly
Page 2, Line 16diverse range of landscapes, from the snowcapped peaks of the Rocky
Page 2, Line 17Mountains down to rushing rivers, from red rock canyons to sagebrush
Page 2, Line 18seas, and tree-lined mountain valleys that are treasured by Coloradans and the nation for outdoor recreation, such as hunting and angling; and
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Page 2, Line 20WHEREAS, Our public lands provide important wildlife habitats,
Page 2, Line 21clean water, clean air, and natural amenities that contribute to Coloradans' quality of life and Colorado's climate resiliency; and
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Page 2, Line 23WHEREAS, According to the 2024 Colorado College State of the
Page 2, Line 24Rockies poll, 88% of Westerners visited national public lands in the
Page 2, Line 25previous year, with one-fourth visiting more than 10 times, and 84% of
Page 2, Line 26Coloradans support the creation of new national parks, national monuments, and national wildlife refuges; and
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Page 2, Line 28WHEREAS, Our shared public lands have a substantial impact on
Page 2, Line 29economic development and jobs through mineral extraction, timber sales,
Page 2, Line 30ranching, tourism, and the outdoor recreation industry, which alone
Page 2, Line 31contributed over $17 billion to Colorado's economy in 2023, supporting
Page 2, Line 32132,500 jobs and placing Colorado in the top 10 nationally for economic activity around outdoor recreation; and
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Page 2, Line 34WHEREAS, In 2016, through Senate Bill 16-021, Colorado
Page 2, Line 35created a state holiday to recognize and pay tribute to our public lands in Public Lands Day on the third Saturday of each May; and
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Page 3, Line 2WHEREAS, In 2024, through House Joint Resolution 24-1012, the
Page 3, Line 3Colorado legislature unanimously memorialized the U.S. Army's 10th
Page 3, Line 4Mountain Division that trained in the valleys and rugged mountains of
Page 3, Line 5Eagle and Summit Counties during World War II and expressed its
Page 3, Line 6appreciation for the recently designated Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument; and
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Page 3, Line 8WHEREAS, Misguided attempts to seize control of vast acreage
Page 3, Line 9of national public lands from the American public and to force their
Page 3, Line 10disposal through litigation and legislation, supported by a multimillion
Page 3, Line 11dollar ad campaign, are inconsistent with the values and interests of Coloradans; now, therefore,
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Page 3, Line 13Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:
Page 3, Line 14That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly:
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Page 3, Line 16(1) Declare our support for keeping our national public lands in
Page 3, Line 17public hands through the stewardship of the United States government
Page 3, Line 18and the federal land management agencies of the national park service,
Page 3, Line 19the United States forest service, the United States fish and wildlife service, the bureau of reclamation, and the bureau of land management;
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Page 3, Line 21(2) Oppose efforts to sell, transfer, or dispose of our national public lands; and
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Page 3, Line 23(3) Encourage Colorado's governor and attorney general and the
Page 3, Line 24members of Colorado's Congressional Delegation to take such actions as
Page 3, Line 25may be necessary to oppose future attempts to sell, transfer, or dispose of our national public lands.
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Page 3, Line 27Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent
Page 3, Line 28to Governor Jared Polis; United States Senators John Hickenlooper and
Page 3, Line 29Michael Bennet; United States Representatives Diana DeGette, Joe
Page 3, Line 30Neguse, Jeff Hurd, Lauren Boebert, Jeff Crank, Jason Crow, Brittany
Page 3, Line 31Pettersen, and Gabe Evans; Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum; and President Donald Trump.