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House adopts resolution urging federal stewardship of national public lands
Summary
The House adopted Senate Joint Resolution 9, declaring support for keeping national public lands under federal stewardship and urging Colorado’s governor, attorney general and congressional delegation to oppose transfer or sale of public lands.
The Colorado House on March 19 adopted Senate Joint Resolution 9, a measure expressing the General Assembly’s support for keeping national public lands in federal stewardship.
The resolution, sponsored in the Senate by Senators Roberts and Catlin and in the House by Representatives McCluskey and Taggart, praises the recreational, cultural and economic value of national public lands and opposes efforts to transfer or sell federal public land holdings. The resolution specifically references federal land management agencies including the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Land Management.
Representative Taggart spoke to his personal history with outdoor recreation and the economic value of public lands to local communities; he called the resolution “very personal” and urged support. The House recorded 59 yes votes, 5 no votes, and 1 excused, and the resolution was adopted.
Why it matters: The resolution is nonbinding but signals state lawmakers’ position on a high‑salience, politically contested issue in the Mountain West — whether federal public lands should remain under federal control or be transferred to state stewardship. The resolution also asks the governor, attorney general and Colorado’s congressional delegation to take actions needed to oppose future transfer or disposition of national public lands.
