Colorado Sierra Club Denounces Changes to Most Successful Conservation Program in America

Denver, CO- The Sierra Club is denouncing the Department of the Interior's new Secretarial Order 3442, a policy that weakens the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), the nation's most effective program for protecting public lands and expanding outdoor recreation. Instead of supporting the community-driven conservation projects that LWCF has made possible for decades, the order piles on new bureaucratic hurdles and restrictions. These changes jeopardize efforts to preserve access for hunting, fishing, camping, and other recreation, while making it easier for treasured landscapes to slip into private ownership.

Colorado has several endangered projects according to reporting by the Colorado Sun

In response, Alexis Schwartz, Colorado Sierra Club's Senior Lands, Water, Wildlife Organizer said:

"Coloradans know how much is at stake when it comes to outdoor access and protecting our shared natural heritage. Secretarial Order 3442 undermines years of bipartisan progress by putting conservation projects on hold and opening the door to land sell-offs. Several LWCF projects at risk from this order are located in Representative Jeff Hurd's district. He should be standing up for his constituents' access to the outdoors and supporting LWCF projects that would boost recreation and local economies, not allowing the Trump administration and Secretary Burgum to push our lands toward private sell-offs. We're calling on Rep. Hurd to stand up for the people he represents and join the fight to keep our public lands in public hands."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.