Community Voices

Colorado River Valley

“Colorado is a headwaters state and whether we are visitors or residents, it’s a privilege to be surrounded by so many rivers and boating opportunities. Many of the state’s rivers and streams originate in wild, intact landscapes and flow through a backdrop of rugged public lands. It is these wild places that make boating on the Upper Colorado so special, and protecting them will be important for ensuring a healthy watershed in the future.”

— Hattie Johnson, Southern Rockies Restoration Director for American Whitewater and Carbondale resident

Continental divide

“For many Coloradans and many Americans, public lands have made us who we are. They are the foundation of our state’s economy, they inspire our commitment to sustainability, they define our state’s character and spirit. It’s our job to protect and preserve them for generations to come.“

— Representative Joe Neguse, sponsor of the CORE Act, which would protect over 50,000 acres across the Continental Divide landscape

“La Divisoria Continental es más que una cordillera; es un lugar donde personas de todos los caminos de la vida pueden encontrar pertenencia en las montañas. Como inmigrante e instructor de snowboard, he visto cómo estos paisajes silvestres abren puertas a la conexión, la sanación y las oportunidades. Protegerlos garantiza que las generaciones futuras —especialmente las familias inmigrantes y trabajadoras— puedan seguir experimentando la libertad y el asombro de la Divisoria.”

 

[ENGLISH] “The Continental Divide is more than a ridgeline; it’s a place where people from all walks of life can find belonging in the mountains. As an immigrant and snowboard instructor, I’ve seen how these wild landscapes open doors for connection, healing, and opportunity. Protecting them ensures future generations, especially immigrant and working families, can continue to experience the freedom and wonder of the Divide.“

— Javier Pineda, Co-Founder of Mountain Dreamers, Founder of Oso Outdoors

Crystal River

“The Crystal is our lifeline up here. It’s been an important element to the Redstone Inn, to our hospitality, our heritage tourism and our entertainment. This is one of the important places in time that should not change.”

— Deborah Strom, former manager of the Redstone Inn

 Dolores River Canyon Country

“The Dolores River is vital to Southwest Colorado. The canyon carved by the Dolores is renowned — not just in our state, but across the country — for its majestic red rock walls that tower over the ponderosa pines. I hope all of you have the chance to visit one day.”

— Senator Michael Bennet, longtime champion for western Colorado’s public lands

Homestake Valley

“The Homestake Wetlands are vital to the life of Colorado’s West Slope and Front Range. Not as water in a dam or a pipe but rather as wetlands evolved to be – a rich mosaic of flooded soils and vegetation that is the life of the west. In the high desert that is Colorado, wetlands temporarily store the water that maintains stream flows throughout the year. Wetlands create the habitat that enables the survival of thousands of birds, the breeding grounds for the fish that bring our rivers alive and the refugia for elk during calving season.“

— Delia Malone, Ecologist for the Colorado Natural Heritage Program

North Fork Valley

“As an organic farmer in the North Fork Valley, I’ve seen that clean water, clean air and a thriving ecosystem are what allow me to provide nourishing food to communities across Colorado. The public lands surrounding this valley supply our water and keep our air clean. They are the ecosystem we benefit from. Protecting these resources is essential to ensuring the future of organic farming in our region.“

— Mark Waltermire, farmer, educator and founder of Thistle Whistle Farm in Paonia, CO

Thompson Divide

“We wholeheartedly support permanent protection of the Thompson Divide. We have witnessed the impacts that extensive oil and gas development had on agricultural operations and communities west of here. New leasing and development in the Thompson Divide would not only adversely affect our ranches, our livelihoods and the agricultural heritage of this community, but it would negatively impact critical wildlife habitat and our entire community’s well-being. Protecting the Thompson Divide will provide economic certainty for the continued operation of our ranches and also for the broader community.“

— Bill Fales, owns Cold Mountain Ranch with his wife Marj Perry and runs cattle on grazing allotments in the Thompson Divide