Grand Junction might have some stiff opposition to U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner’s plan to move the Bureau of Land Management to the Western Slope.
Gardner mentioned his idea to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke who was reportedly “very interested,” which could explain why the Colorado lawmaker is moving fast to introduce a bill specifying where the bureau should relocate:
Gardner is crafting a bill that calls for the agency to move west to a location with access by air and highway, and in and among the lands administered by the bureau.
Grand Junction, though, isn’t called out specifically in the bill so far, only by its specifications, including its central location.
If not executed carefully, the idea could be appropriated by legislators from Utah, Wyoming or another Western state.
There was some criticism of the plan during the Club 20 meeting over the weekend, fears that we would be inviting the fox into the henhouse.
Admittedly, that was our initial reaction. But, those people in Washington need to be educated about the West, and see firsthand how their regulations affect us real folks. We are all for Gardner’s bill, and hope to see the entire Colorado delegation sign onto it.