The Trump administration is attempting to roll back a critical rule that protected over 8 million acres of Colorado’s public lands—and we must speak out before it’s too late.

In 2024, the Biden-era Public Lands Rule gave the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) long-overdue authority to treat conservation as equal to commercial development on public lands. That meant considering wildlife habitat, recreation, and climate resilience alongside oil drilling, mining, grazing, and logging. For the first time, local communities could lease land for restoration projects, protect wildlife corridors, and preserve culturally significant areas.

Now, just as Colorado communities were beginning to implement those tools, the Trump administration is moving to revoke the rule entirely. If they succeed, it would tip the scales heavily in favor of short-term industrial use—at the expense of Colorado’s long-term environmental and economic health.

This isn’t just a technical policy change. It’s a direct threat to Colorado’s outdoor way of life and environment. Our rivers, wilderness areas, and big game habitats are at risk. Our recreation economy, which supports thousands of jobs, could take a serious hit. And our ability to adapt to the growing impacts of climate change would be severely weakened.

More than 150,000 people submitted comments on the Public Lands Rule in 2023. According to an analysis of 10,000 of those comments, 92% supported the rule. Coloradans want balanced, thoughtful land management—not a return to the old model of industry-first exploitation.

We call on the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management to abandon this rollback and uphold the 2024 Public Lands Rule. Our public lands are not for sale. They are for all of us—and for the generations yet to come.

Sign this petition to tell federal leaders: keep conservation protections in place and defend Colorado’s public lands.

Photo: RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post