Tribute to Cooperation in Restoration of Damaged Public Lands

TRIBUTE TO COOPERATION IN RESTORATION OF DAMAGED PUBLIC LANDS -- (Extensions of Remarks - April 22, 2004)

SPEECH OF
HON. MARK UDALL
OF COLORADO
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2004

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, the public lands are the property of all the American people, and we all have a stake in their condition. That's why it's encouraging to see various groups working together to remedy problems on those lands.

Just last week, for example, members of the Longmont-based Trailridge Runners Four-Wheel Drive Club joined Sierra Clubbers, other environmentalists, and U.S. Forest Service employees to help restore a degraded meadow in the Lefthand Canyon area of the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest, in Colorado. Volunteers helped grade and reseed areas of the meadow that have been eroded by four-wheeling activities. The impetus for this was a $250,000 grant procured by the four-wheel group.

Their efforts drew the attention of the Daily Camera in Boulder, which praised them in an editorial that rightly noted the "The land doesn't care if we're Democrats or Republicans, recreationalists or preservationists, bird watchers or mountain bikers. And no matter how gingerly we tread, all who use public lands contribute to the impacts. And coming together to help heal the land beats pointing fingers any day."

I join in congratulating this exemplary cooperative effort. For the benefit of our colleagues, I am attaching the full text of the Camera's editorial.