Colorado’s newest congressman, U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, has introduced a bill called the Productive Public Lands Act that aims to reopen federal public lands in the state to energy development. The bill would reverse decisions made under the Biden administration in 2024 and 2025, impacting 2.3 million acres in Colorado and reducing habitat protections for wildlife such as the Gunnison sage grouse and big game species.
Conservationists have criticized the bill, saying it would ignore environmental assessments and public input, and prioritize energy production over other land uses. The bill would require the Bureau of Land Management to reissue nine Resource Management Plans, undoing restrictions on oil and gas development on BLM lands.
Hurd, who represents Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, has been accused of taking an adversarial approach to public lands, aligning with the Trump administration’s focus on increasing energy production. The bill follows the direction of Project 2025, a plan for Trump’s second term that called for a review of resource management plans finalized under Biden.
Colorado leaders have applauded recent decisions to increase protections for wildlife habitat, but Hurd’s bill would reverse these measures. Conservationists are concerned that the bill would circumvent public process and input, dictating outcomes for public lands from Washington, D.C.
The bill faces opposition from environmental groups, who argue that it would prioritize commercial uses over ecological and cultural resources. If passed, the Productive Public Lands Act would have far-reaching implications for public land management in Colorado.
Source
Photo credit www.denverpost.com
