Elected Colorado Dems back wild lands order

Several elected Coloradans are supporting Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s order making millions of undeveloped acres of land once again eligible for federal wilderness protection. Seventy people signed a letter today thanking Salazar for his order in December reversing a Bush-era policy. They include more than two dozen Democrats in the state Legislature. Some commissioners of Costilla, Pitkin, La Plata, San Miguel, Summit, Clear Creek and Boulder counties, plus city council members and mayors from around the state also signed it. They say wild lands that support activities like hunting are an economic engine. However some ranchers, those with ties to mining and energy development, and others worry that taking public land out of production would hurt other parts of the economy. AP