Energy, Environment and Public Lands
I strongly support an all-of-the-above approach to energy development, while upholding responsible environmental safeguards. Responsible U.S. energy development will grow our economy and strengthen our national security.
Spanning the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District is blessed with abundant natural resources, open spaces, and scenic beauty. Our energy portfolio includes traditional energy resources like natural gas, oil, and clean coal, as well as renewable sources like wind, solar, and hydropower.
Development of our energy resources must be done carefully and responsibly, so that we can preserve our state’s environment and pristine beauty. To that end, I am committed to keeping Colorado beautiful for this and future generations through responsible conservation and forest management, and by ensuring that our open spaces and public lands remain accessible, so that people from all around the world continue to visit and experience our world-class skiing, hiking, angling, hunting and many other types of outdoor recreation.
I strongly support an comprehensive energy approach that includes development of natural gas, clean coal, and American made oil, as well as critical alternative energy sources such as hydropower, wind, and solar. This is why I have reintroduced the Planning for American Energy Act (H.R. 459) in the 114th Congress to establish a true all-of-the-above domestic energy plan.
Key Issues:
- Water: Water policy is a critical issue for the state of Colorado. Federal rules and regulations have drastic implications for the state in regards to water supply, rural water systems, and state water rights. The farming and ranching community, the ski industry, and countless others rely on Colorado’s precious water for their livelihoods. In the 114th Congress, I have fought the federal government’s attempts to circumvent state water law with the Water Rights Protection Act (H.R. 1830), and I have worked to stop the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, a massive federal water grab that disregards private water rights.
- Domestic Energy Development: Colorado’s Third Congressional District is blessed with abundant natural resources, open spaces, and scenic beauty. Our energy portfolio includes traditional energy resources like natural gas, oil, and clean coal, as well as renewable sources like wind, solar, and hydropower. I am working to advance an all-of-the-above energy strategy with the Planning for American Energy Act (H.R. 459), which passed the House with bipartisan support twice in the 113th Congress. I am also fighting unnecessary, burdensome federal regulations that threaten jobs and affordable energy for our families.
- Land Management: I support a balanced approach to federal land management. I believe that the push for any land designation must come from the local level, and I support efforts that revolve around respecting the environment we all deeply value, while making the best use of our resources. In response to community concerns in Jackson, Mesa, and Delta Counties, I have also introduced a bill that releases acreage from further consideration for designation as wilderness by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM has determined the areas are not suitable for wilderness designation, but it takes an Act of Congress for the land to be released. Since arriving in Congress, I have been committed to preserving Colorado’s pristine areas and cultural treasures. In 2014, I worked with Colorado U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet to designate 70,650 acres of the San Juan National Forest land as the Hermosa Creek Special Management Area. I also introduced a worked to pass legislation that would designate Chimney Rock a national monument. My bill passed the House with strong bipartisan support, but the legislation stalled in the Senate. The president designated Chimney Rock a national monument in 2012.
- Forest Management and Wildfire Prevention: The bark beetle epidemic has severely damaged forests in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. In total, it has destroyed or damaged over 41 million acres of pine forests, including over 2.9 million acres in Colorado. Healthy forests are important to the livelihood of millions of people in the West. We must do more to actively manage our public lands and protect our forests, which is why I re-introduced the Healthy Forest Management and Wildfire Prevention Act (H.R. 695) in the 114th Congress. This bill would allow the state of Colorado to better protect its communities from devastating wildfires on National Forest System lands. Parts of H.R. 695 passed the House in the Resilient Federal Forests Act (H.R. 2647).