Posted March 12, 2026
On March 10, the Colorado Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution 26-015, reaffirming the state’s commitment to protecting public lands and opposing federal efforts to sell off public lands or silence public input in their management. Sponsored by Sen. Dylan Roberts, Sen. Judy Amabile, Rep. Elizabeth Velasco and Rep. Meghan Lukens, SJR26-015 declares that Colorado’s public lands are foundational to the state’s economy, environment, public health and identity — and must remain in public hands for current and future generations.
“Colorado’s mountain and rural communities depend on our public lands to sustain our local economies and our agricultural heritage,” said Sen. Dylan Roberts. “We cannot allow Washington to silence our voices and pave the way for the sell-off of these critical landscapes. This resolution says loudly and clearly that Colorado believes that the people whose livelihoods rely on these lands deserve to have a say in their future, rather than letting our heritage be auctioned off to the highest bidder.”
Our public lands belong to all of us, providing working families across Colorado with access to nature and our shared heritage.”
State Rep. Elizabeth Velasco
Colorado is home to more than 22 million acres of national public lands that provide clean drinking water for communities across the state, support wildlife habitat and sustain a thriving outdoor recreation economy. In 2023 alone, Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy generated $65.8 billion in economic output and supported more than 404,000 jobs, making up 12% of the state’s workforce.
“Transparency and public participation are the cornerstones of responsible government,” said Sen. Judy Amabile. “By stripping away guaranteed public comment periods and moving decisions behind closed doors, the federal administration is attempting to silence Coloradans.”
Lawmakers introduced the resolution in response to recent federal actions that weaken long-standing environmental safeguards and limit public participation in land management decisions. Federal agencies have pushed to expedite oil and gas leasing, shorten environmental review timelines and reduce opportunities for communities to weigh in on projects that affect their air, water and land — effectively removing the public from public lands decision-making.
“Our public lands belong to all of us, providing working families across Colorado with access to nature and our shared heritage,” said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco. “Cutting local communities out of the decision-making process is an injustice that paves the way for the privatization of lands that should remain in public hands.”
The resolution reflects broad public support for protecting public lands. The 2026 Conservation in the West poll found that 78% of Coloradans want leaders to prioritize protecting air, water, wildlife habitat and recreation over drilling and mining on public lands. The poll also found that 74% oppose limiting public input and reducing environmental reviews to fast-track oil, gas and mining projects. Furthermore, polling consistently demonstrates that over two-thirds of Coloradans outright oppose the sell-off of our public lands, making it clear that public land sell-off is a non-starter in the state.
“In Northwest Colorado, our world-class outdoor recreation economy relies entirely on keeping our public lands accessible and in public hands,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens. “The current federal agenda threatens to silence our local communities and opens the door to the sell-off of the landscapes that sustain our Main Street businesses. We are stepping up to defend our right to have a voice and to ensure our public lands stay public.”
“In Southwest Colorado, our public lands are deeply tied to our culture and our local heritage,” said Rep. Katie Stewart. “When the federal government forces through top-down mandates that eliminate local input, they threaten to strip away the very lands that make our corner of the state so special.”
Conservation Colorado’s Public Lands Campaign Manager Brien Webster added, “Our public lands are the heart of Colorado’s identity. Whether you work the land or recreate on it, public lands belong to all of us. The current agenda in Washington is attempting to reshape the future of our public lands behind closed doors, silencing local input to facilitate the sell-off and extraction of these lands. Coloradans overwhelmingly oppose public land sell-offs, and this resolution makes it clear that we will fight to protect our public lands heritage.”
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