Public lands are facing threats of privatization, budget and staff cuts, climate change, development, and shrinking protections — and over 300 elected officials from 11 Western states are fighting back.

The delegation of electeds — around half of whom are from Colorado — sent a letter to the Trump administration and Congress on Wednesday, urging the federal government to take a more “balanced” approach to public lands management in the West.  

Specifically, the letter asks the federal government to “fully fund our public lands, oppose the sale of public lands in the Budget Reconciliation Package, and oppose any attempts to change the Antiquities Act or reduce the size of our national monuments.

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“Protected public lands are the backbone of our mountain communities, and right now, they are under threat, which is why we must fight back to ensure these critical resources are protected and preserved for generations to come,” the letter continues. 

The letter draws on the economic power, popularity, and bipartisan support of public lands, including national monuments, to make the case that these resources and lands must continue to be protected and preserved. 

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It cites a 2023 National Park Service report that indicates 325 million park visitors spent an estimated $26.4 billion in local gateway regions while visiting National Park Service lands. The agency reported that these expenditures supported 415,000 jobs, $19.4 billion in labor income, and $55.6 billion in economic output in the national economy. The letter also points to a 2024 poll of Western voters, which demonstrated high levels of support for national monuments and significant opposition to removing protections preventing extraction and development on public land. 

“A balanced approach to public lands management for the West, as well as increased funding to manage these lands, would improve access and help protect some of our most important wildlife habitat, migration corridors, treasured recreation areas, critical water resources, and Indigenous cultural sites,” the letter states. 

In the first few months of the Trump administration, public lands have been caught in the crosshairs of federal budget and staffing cuts as well as a broader push to bolster energy production in America.  

The U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Environmental Protection Agency, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been among the agencies impacted by cuts initiated by Pres. Donald Trump’s Feb. 11 executive order, which had the goal of “eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity” at federal agencies. The order instructed departments to work with the new Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, to increase federal efficiency and productivity. 

The March letter from Western leaders expressed concerns around other federal actions that could peel back public land protections, including a proposal from the U.S. House Budget Committee majority to increase the sale of federal land to pay for other priorities as part of the budget reconciliation process. 

It also points to an order from Interior Secretary Doug Bugum in February to review all public lands that have been withdrawn from drilling and mining development, including national monuments. The order initiated a 15-day review to ensure compliance with Trump’s push to encourage energy exploration and production on federal land, but no further action has been announced. 

A spokesperson from the Department of the Interior wrote in a statement to The Aspen Times this week that the agency “is currently conducting an internal review of the reports submitted to the secretary.

“At this stage, we are assessing these reports to determine if any further action is warranted, and we remain dedicated to ensuring that all items are thoroughly evaluated as part of our internal management process,” the spokesperson added.

In the March letter, the electeds warn that “increased fossil fuel development on public lands, weakened environmental regulations, and fast tracking or eliminating environmental reviews for proposed projects jeopardizes both our public lands and public health while contributing to the climate crisis by causing the release of vast amounts of potent greenhouse gas emissions.” 

The letter includes around 160 signatures from Colorado officials, including, at the state level, Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie, Reps. Meghan Lukens and Elizabeth Velasco, as well as Sens. Dylan Roberts, Mike Weissman, and Judy Amabile. 

Electeds from Colorado’s northwest region signed the letter including council members and mayors from Aspen, Avon, Basalt, Blue River, Breckenridge, Carbondale, Dillon, Eagle, Fraser, Frisco, Glenwood Springs, Keystone, Leadville, Snowmass Village, Steamboat Springs, Vail, and Winter Park. It also has support from Eagle, Pitkin, Routt, and Summit county commissioners.