2. Take Action
tell congress to
keep it public
Step 1. Add your name
Tell Congress:
As your constituent and a proud Coloradan, I care deeply about our public lands. From national forests to national parks, these places are central to our state’s identity and way of life.
Recent efforts at the federal level to dismantle the system of public lands ownership put Colorado’s lands—and the communities who depend on them—at serious risk. Selling off or opening up our public lands to private corporations would limit public access and strip away environmental protections that safeguard our air, water, and wildlife, leaving Colorado’s communities to bear the consequences.
Once our shared outdoor heritage is lost, we cannot get it back. I urge you to stand up for our public lands and reject any proposal that would sell off or privatize them.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Step 2. Call your Reps
Find the contact information your members of Congress below. If it’s helpful, get inspired by our draft scripts.
Phone Call Script
Hi [Representative/Senator], my name is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [Your Town/City].
I’m calling to urge you to oppose any effort to sell off or privatize America’s public lands. Our public lands are vital to Colorado’s identity, economy, and environment, and they must remain protected and accessible to all.
Thank you for your time.
Draft Email
Subject: Oppose public lands sell off
Body: Dear [Representative/Senator],
As your constituent and a proud Coloradan, I’m writing to urge you to oppose any proposal that would sell off or privatize our public lands.
From national forests to national parks, these lands are a vital part of Colorado’s identity. But efforts at the federal level to facilitate the sale and privatization of public lands put our lands — and the communities that depend on them — at serious risk. Once our conservation heritage is lost, we can’t get it back.
Please stand up for Colorado and defend the rights of all Americans to access and enjoy our public lands.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Town/City]
Step 3. Get to know your representation in Washington
Remember, public lands belong to you and you have a say in what happens to them. Your representatives, your voice.
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Sen. Michael Bennet
D-Statewide
In February, Senator Bennet was joined by Senator Hickenlooper to reintroduce the CORE Act, which would protect some 420,000 acres of public land in Colorado, from the Continental Divide to the San Juan Mountains.
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Sen. John Hickenlooper
D-Statewide
In April, Senator Hickenlooper introduced an amendment to the Senate’s budget resolution to prevent the sell-off of public lands. It was voted down by a slim margin.
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Rep. Diana DeGette
D-District 1 (Denver)
Notable Public Lands: District 1 may not contain public lands, but it depends on them for clean air, water, and recreation. Representative DeGette has sponsored the Colorado Wilderness Act in every Congress since 1999.
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Rep. Joe Neguse
D-District 2 (North Central Colorado)
Notable Public Lands: District 2 is home to both Colorado’s first national park, the iconic Rocky Mountain National Park, and newest national monument, Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument.
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Rep. Jeff Hurd
R-District 3 (Western Slope, San Luis Valley, and Pueblo)
Notable Public Lands: District 3 contains a large portion of the state’s Bureau of Land Management lands, including the high desert canyon country of McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area.
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Rep. Lauren Boebert
R-District 4 (Eastern Plains)
Notable Public Lands: Hike through Colorado’s wide open short-grass prairie or come for the world-class bird watching in District 4’s Pawnee National Grasslands.
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Rep. Jeff Crank
R-District 5 (Colorado Springs)
Notable Public Lands: District 5’s Pike National Forest is home to the iconic Pikes Peak. Know as “America’s Mountain,” Pikes Peak is one of our nation’s most accessible and widely-visited mountains.
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Rep. Jason Crow
D-District 6 (Aurora)
Notable Public Lands: Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge is in the heart of Aurora, providing public access to native prairies ecosystems and important habitat for migrating birds.
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Rep. Brittany Pettersen
D-District 7 (Central Colorado)
Notable Public Lands: District 7 is home to the most popular whitewater in North America and over 100 miles of Gold Medal trout waters in Browns Canyon National Monument.
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Rep. Gabe Evans
R-District 8 (Adams and Weld Counties)
Notable Public Lands: District 8 includes the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, which provides an opportunity to step into nature right on Denver’s doorstep.
