U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

March 29, 2006

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Comm. Director

                        303-455-7600

Andrew Nannis  – Press Secretary

                        202-224-5852


 Sen. Salazar Reacts to USFS Decision to Extend Public Comment Period

Washington, D.C. – United States Senator Ken Salazar today released the following statement after the Unites States Forest Service (USFS) announced it would extend the comment period for an extra month so the public can voice objections to the proposed sale of 300,000 acres of forest lands.

"Extending the public comment period for an extra month will not change my skepticism of this short-sighted proposal,” Salazar said. “I continue to be very concerned about the Administration's proposal to sell off pieces of America’s permanent heritage of public lands as part of a short-term budget issue.

"The Administration’s proposed bill on the subject of land sales would also eliminate virtually all formal opportunity for the public to comment on, or object to, proposed land sales, short of going to court. While an extra 30 days to voice concerns before the bill is introduced is a positive step, limiting opportunities to voice concerns in the future, as the bill does, is absurd.

“I intend to do what I can to prevent the Administration's bill from becoming law from my seat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee."

Colorado is currently slated to have a sale of 21,572 acres, or nearly 7.2%, of the 300,000 acres on the block, yet Colorado would only receive 1.67% of the funding each year.

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