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Rep. Boebert Testifies Against 3 Million-Acre Land Grab Attacking Her District

February 23, 2021

Washington, DC - U.S. Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-03) released the following statement after giving strong testimony at the Rules Committee slamming a 3 million-acre Democrat landgrab targeting her district and spearheading nearly 20 amendments to stop it:

“The people of Colorado’s Third District deserve a voice in land use decisions that impact their daily lives, but career politicians in Congress want to drown them out with a partisan landgrab. H.R. 803 is an extreme package that will kill jobs, limit outdoor recreation, prevent public access, exacerbate wildfire challenges, stifle responsible energy production and lockup 3 million acres of public land. Even though local stakeholders will be harmed dramatically by these bills, no swamp politician bothered to ask the people for real input, and they did not consult with my office before trying to shut down my district. After a year of overly restrictive lockdowns and regulations on our daily lives, the last thing communities in my district need is further restrictions imposed by government limiting what they can do on public lands. Denver politicians should focus on their own district and stay out of mine.”

 

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Rules Testimony

Background:

Today, Congresswoman Boebert testified at the House Committee on Rules against the Democrats’ partisan landgrab package, H.R. 803, and in support of numerous amendments that she led to protect multiple use of public lands in Colorado’s Third Congressional District.

H.R. 803 is an extreme package that would kill jobs, limit recreation opportunities, prevent public access, exacerbate wildfire challenges, prevent responsible energy production and lockup approximately 3 million acres of federal land. Roughly 550,000 of those 1.5 million acres that would be shut down by these new wilderness designations are in Representative Boebert’s district.

The bill is being rushed through the House this Congress without a hearing or committee markup to allow testimony and receive public comment.

A summary document prepared by the House Committee on Natural Resources opposing the 8-bill package can be found
HERE.

Congresswoman Boebert’s full remarks can be viewed HERE.


Representative Boebert authored and sponsored 11 amendments to protect her constituents from this job-killing bill that seeks to keep the American people from utilizing their public lands. She also worked with her colleagues to lead 9 other amendments that she cosponsored to fight this massive landgrab.A summary of each amendment and its text are below:

  1. Rep. Boebert 30x30 Program NullificationAmendment #18
    Summary:
    Nullifies section 216 of Executive Order 14008 which provides authorization for the 30 x 30 program and prevents funding for similar programs. 
    The 30 x 30 program is an extreme proposal put forth by radical environmentalists to permanently lockup 30% of America’s land and oceans by 2030.
  1. Rep. Boebert Bureau of Land Management Headquarters Amendment #16
    Summary:
    Keeps the Bureau of Land Management Headquarters and current positions in the West. The amendment also requires the Secretary to analyze the feasibility of relocating more existing employees to the West and those impacts on federal spending and efficiencies.
    Over 95% of federal public lands are West of the Mississippi River and people making policy to regulate those lands shouldn’t be detached from them and should be part of the communities.
     
  2. Rep. Boebert Minority and Women Jobs Protection Amendment #60
    Summary:
    Prevents the bill from taking effect until the Secretary certifies that mineral withdrawals and anti-energy moratoriums in the bill will not kill tribal, other minority and women jobs. We can’t afford more job losses from partisan land grabs.

  3. Reb Boebert CO, AZ, CA, WA Wilderness Study Act Amendment #56
    Summary: Releases Wilderness Study Areas not designated in this bill in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Washington that were first designated for study in 1976. 
    The overall bill designates nearly 1.5 million acres of new wilderness, and any Wilderness Study Areas that were not designated Wilderness in these 4 states through this bill should be released, especially as they have been studied for nearly 50 years.
  1. Rep. Boebert Wilderness Wildfire Amendment #20
    Summary:
    Prohibits wilderness area designations on federal lands burned by a wildfire of 10,000+ acres in the last 10 years.
    In 2020, the U.S. set a new record for the number of acres burned by wildfires, as more than 10.3 million acres went up in smoke. More wilderness designations will result in more catastrophic fires and more damage to our environment.
  1. Rep. Boebert Wilderness Authorization Amendment #19
    Summary:
    Requires approval by affected counties for wilderness designations.
    Local elected officials should have a seat at the table and approve of land designations that impact their livelihoods and safety.
  1. Rep. Boebert Colorado Wilderness Study Area Release Amendment #17
    Summary:
    Releases all Wilderness Study Areas in Colorado not included in this Act.
    Nearly 550,000 acres of new wilderness just in Colorado are included in this bill. Releasing current wilderness study areas allows the American people to utilize public land that has been off limits, some for nearly half a century.

  1. Rep. Boebert Recreation Amendment #14
    Summary: Ensures all current recreation activities allowed within the Curecanti National Recreation Area will continue, not just the 4 current uses listed in the bill. 
    Recreation allowed in Curecanti National Recreation Area currently includes hunting, fishing, boating, boating-related activities, camping, hiking, horseback riding, bird watching, scenic drives, and swimming.
  1. Rep. Boebert Water Rights Amendment #13
    Summary:
    Protects state water rights. 
    This amendment ensures state water rights are protected as language in the bill allows the federal government to supersede state water rights.
  1. Rep. Boebert Curecanti Grazing Amendment #15
    Summary:
    Protects grazing within the Curecanti National Recreation Area. 
    Current language in the bill allowsfor grazing leases to be terminated within the Curecanti National Recreation Area. This amendment strikes that language.

  1. Rep. Boebert Broad Grazing Amendment #66
    Summary: Protects grazing rights, allows access and ensures grazing will continue. 
    Ensures grazing permits and leases will continue to be issued on federal lands impacted by the bill. The amendment also allows access for controlling fire, building fence, maintaining existing infrastructure and accomplishing other grazing maintenance objectives.
  1. Reps. Stauber and Boebert Amendment #11
    Summary:
    Ensures the bill shall not apply to Colorado's Third and Fifth Congressional Districts and Arizona's Fourth Congressional District. 
    There are counties in impacted by this bill that oppose these designations and were not consulted.
  1. Reps. Stauber and Boebert Amendment #12
    Summary:
    Ensures that this Act and the wilderness areas designated under it shall not apply to any lands or waters in Colorado's Third Congressional District. 
    77% (509,876 acres) of the wilderness designations in Title 1, Rep. DeGette’s bill, are in Rep Boebert’s district. The remaining 23% are in Rep. Lamborn’s.  Rep. DeGette does not represent one acre of the impacted land. 65 percent of the lands affected in Title VII, Rep. Neguse’s bill, are in Representative Boebert’s district.
  1. Reps. Stauber and Boebert Amendment #10
    Summary:
    Prevents mineral withdrawals included in this bill from going into effect in any county till the county formally approves such withdrawal. 
    The bill withdraws 1.2 million acres from mineral production. The Thompson Divide withdrawal is a permanent 200,000 acre withdrawal in Colorado that would ban oil and gas development. This withdrawal is a solution in search of a problem. The area of controversy is already administratively withdrawn.
  1. Reps. Fulcher, Boebert and Mann Water Rights Amendment #39
    Summary:
    This amendment protects state water rights
     appropriated and adjudicated under state authority.

  1. Reps. Fulcher and Boebert Water Rights Amendment #44
    Summary:
    This amendment protects state water rights. 
    Requires written approval from a State when appropriating and/or adjudicating surface water rights and stream flows across any wilderness areas.
     
  2. Reps. Westerman and Boebert OHV Trail Amendment #48
    Summary:
    Authorizes minor modifications to exterior boundaries of designated lands to create 150 feet of distance to allow for continued benefit OHV use. 
    This was a proposal that came from Members of the Colorado OHV community.

  1. Reps. Westerman and Boebert High Risk Fire Amendment #46
    Summary: Authorizes USDA and DOI to exempt land designated as wilderness that are at high risk of wildfire. 
    Active management and suppression are restricted by wilderness designations. Locking up more land won’t result in less catastrophic wildfires.
  1. Reps. Newhouse and Boebert Hydropower Amendment #54
    Summary:
    Prevents the bill from prohibiting development of hydropwer. 
    Hydropower is an important energy source in Colorado, with more than 20 federal projects, many of which are in the Third Congressional District.

  1. Reps. LaMalfa and Boebert Vegetative Management Amendment #30
    Summary: Prevents the bill from restricting the Forest Service from conducting vegetation management activities that result in healthy forests. There are over 3,000 authorized transmission and distribution facilities on U.S. Forest Service lands accounting for nearly 18,000 miles of electricity rights-of-way. High risk areas need to be maintained to prevent wildfires.

Stakeholders that have voiced their support for one or all of Rep. Boebert’s amendments include: American Energy Alliance, American Lands Council, Arizona Farm Bureau, Arizona Liberty (Sedona), AZ Power Authority, Citizens for America (Sedona, AZ), Coalition of Arizona and New Mexico Counties, Cordilleran Metals Corporation, Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition, Colorado River Energy Distributors, Colorado Snowmobile Association, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Conservatives for Property Rights, enCore Energy Corp., Fremont County Commissioners, Golden Vertex Corp, Grand Junction Chamber, Highland Tellurides Corporation, Industrial Minerals Association, Irrigation & Electrical Districts Association of AZ, Laramide Resources, Less Government, Montrose County Commissioners, National Mining Association, New Mexico Business Coalition, New Mexico Cattle Growers, Off-Road Business Association, One Voice, Platoro West Incorporated, Public Lands for the People, Rio Grande Foundation, Trails Preservation Alliance, United Four Wheel Drive, United Snowmobile Alliance, Western Energy Alliance.