In the fall of 2017, I quit my job at the Department of Energy when I learned that Bears Ears National Monument and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would lose their protections and be opened to oil and gas development. I had no words. I grew up with energy development all around me on the […]
Interior Department
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: David Bernhardt’s scrapping of sage grouse plans is wrong for Colorado and the West
As a proud Coloradan, I care deeply about what happens to our public lands, our waterways and the wildlife that depend on them. Protection of our magnificent outdoors is essential to the Colorado way of life. Unfortunately, we are now under national leadership that may not care as much about many of these values. Consider […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: David Bernhardt is not the Secretary of the Interior that Colorado needs
National parks have long been synonymous with the state of Colorado, providing protection for some of our most iconic landscapes and welcoming visitors from across the world. Despite the thriving tourism (more than seven and a half million visitors in 2018), our parks are facing a myriad of threats unlike any we’ve seen in modern […]
Posted inEnvironment, News, Politics and Government
Interior boss David Bernhardt issues order aiming to protect public land access
By Matthew Brown, The Associated Press Acting U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt ordered federal land managers on Thursday to give greater priority to access for hunting, fishing and other kinds of recreation when the government considers selling or trading public land. The secretarial order comes amid longstanding complaints that millions of acres of state and […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Bernhardt’s Oil: Open for business to the highest bidder
President Trump’s recent nomination of Coloradan David Bernhardt to serve as Secretary of the Interior received a round of praises: namely, from the oil and gas industry and other pro-deregulators who stand to benefit from his leadership. Set to lose if Bernhardt secures the position are our national parks, clean air and treasured public lands […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Colorado native David Bernhardt tapped by Trump to be Interior secretary
Colorado native David Bernhardt was tapped Monday by President Donald Trump to be secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, prompting praise from Republicans and quick condemnation from Democrats and environmentalists. Bernhardt has been serving as the agency’s acting head since the resignation of former Secretary Ryan Zinke, who was facing ethics investigations. Bernhardt […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: We need a federal rule that applies to all oil and gas development on public lands
The town of Avon is nestled in the beautiful Vail Valley, nestled between the Holy Cross Wilderness and the rugged, remote Gore Mountain Range. This valley is home to over 50,000 people and draws visitors from around the globe to experience world-class skiing opportunities, as well as hiking, biking, fishing and camping. Our community, along […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Americans deserve a government that works for all of us — not just for the oil and gas industry
As the government shutdown heads toward a second month, the Trump administration insists on pushing its reckless “energy dominance” agenda, continuing to process oil and gas permits while letting our national parks be pillaged. It’s clear that President Trump does not care if hard-working Americans go without paychecks, if families lack access to the services […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: When the sage-grouse deal is broken for special interests, we all lose
The administration came in with an agenda to break the deal and drastically undermine the 11 state sage-grouse management plans Only a short time into Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke’s scandal-plagued tenure, Westerners had a hunch that the sage-grouse management plans that took nearly a decade to make — in a collaborative public process […]
Posted inEnvironment, News, Outdoors, Politics and Government
Interior Department sets July 1 goal for reorganization that could preempt Bureau of Land Management headquarters move to Colorado
By Dan Elliott, The Associated Press The U.S. Interior Department said Thursday it wants to have its newly reorganized regions up and running by July 1. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s plan calls for realigning the department into 12 unified regions and relocating many decision-makers from Washington to field offices. The department has nine major sub-agencies […]