Jeff Hurd

Editor:

If you value access to our public lands, consider U.S. Rep Jeff Hurd’s proposed “Greater Access for Multiple-use Experiences” (GAME) Act a misnomer disguising a land grab by a wealthy out-of-state donor to Hurd’s campaign.

The GAME Act would result in the disposal of over 2,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land near Glenwood Springs. It is a legislative approach that has, to date, sought zero public input from a diverse array of users of those parcels, including equestrians, hikers, ranchers with grazing allotments and local, state and out-of-state hunters.

If passed, it would shrink the amount of public lands available in Game Management Unit 444 and put into private hands some of the most productive elk habitat in that unit. Every hunter I’ve met who is familiar with that area will tell you why it’s worth the 3- to 4-mile hike through somewhat rough terrain.

Public access within the lower portions of the Roaring Fork Valley is already limited. Yet the GAME Act would relinquish public property to benefit North Carolina resident Scott Smith, who maintains on his Out of Bounds Ranch website that the land exchange would consolidate fragmented federal lands. This couldn’t be further from the truth. These BLM parcels are part of contiguous federal lands from the valley bottom to the White River National Forest. In exchange, the BLM would acquire difficult-to-access property north of Rifle that lies within GMU 22 and is surrounded by thousands of acres of BLM. It’s a raw deal for the public.

Hurd’s legislative approach bypasses a thorough review by BLM officials, a process that Smith considers an inconvenience. The fact that Hurd has drafted the GAME Act without soliciting any public input speaks volumes on where Hurd’s alliances fall. His support of a wealthy donor’s desire to expand his property while disregarding public outcry over losing access to cherished BLM lands brings up the question: Is Hurd truly representing the citizens of U.S. House District 3?

Andrea Holland