Public Comments

Montezuma County's economy is dependent on heritage tourism, recreation, oil & gas (CO2, particularly), and agriculture. I support the mapping of the "First Staff Plan", where District 3 is located in southwest Colorado, the San Louis Valley, and east of I-25.

As an unaffiliated voter my recommendation is that Colorado and its representation would be best served by splitting the West Slope District into two districts: one from GrandJunction to Ft. Collins and the other for southern Colorado, starting with Montezuma County and including Montrose, Gunnison, the San Luis Valley counties, and across to Trinidad and Pueblo. Southern Colorado has vastly different communities than NW Colorado and they are served by vastly different transportation and community needs. We in the SW portion of the state need our own representation that is not overshadowed by larger metropolitan areas and interstate highways.

I beg your indulgence as I am submitting herewith Revised Comments in substitution of Comments submitted to the Commission earlier this evening: The proposed Staff redistricting of CD-2 carves out the City of Fort Collins from the rest of Larimer County and the existing CD-2, severing the most fundamental, long-standing of ties that bind Fort Collins to communities, organizations and essential resources in Larimer County and the existing CD-2. This, in my view, is unacceptable. Let me explain. To begin with, it must be understood that Fort Collins derives its water supply entirely from sources that originate or are delivered through Larimer County. The City, as it has grown into formerly agricultural lands, has evolved a long and storied history of interaction with mutual ditch and irrigation companies, as well as others who have traditionally drawn their water supplies from the Cache la Poudre River. The Cache la Poudre River itself has long been the life blood of the City, and the City’s residents and visitors regularly camp, hunt, fish and recreate in the ninety-plus mile long Cache la Poudre canyon and environs, which are nearly wholly within Larimer County. The recent Cameron Peak Fire occurred within Larimer County and dramatically impacted the City’s water supply and its water shed, prompting unprecedented City and volunteers, in coordination with our current Congressperson, to undertake herculin efforts to mitigate the damage and restore the watershed. Fort Collins electric supply comes to it from the Platte River Power Authority, established in 1975, which it co-owns with the municipalities of Loveland and Estes Park (in Larimer County) and Longmont which are all in the current and proposed CD-2. Platte River’s most important generation and transmission facilities are located within Larimer (and to a lesser extent) Boulder Counties, but outside of Fort Collins. The Staff proposal would seriously complicate this cooperative effort. Moreover, Fort Collins has established and maintains a number of Natural Areas (Bobcat Ridge, Soapstone Prairie, Gateway) that are outside the City Limits, and others (Pine Ridge, Coyote Ridge, Cathy Fromme Prairie, Fossil Ridge) that are open space, buffer areas that have preempted potential development proposals to Larimer County. The nexus between City and County, I hope, is obvious. And, of course, Fort Collins is the Larimer County seat. In what world does it make any sense to segregate the County seat from the County itself? Forgive me for waxing sentimental, but separating Fort Collins and Larimer County into different Congressional Districts would be like placing two very close, recently-orphaned siblings with different adoption agencies. Almost as disconcerting is that the Staff proposal relegates Fort Collins to an area of the State, the eastern and southern plains, with which it has very little in common. The very idea (of severing Fort Collins from Larimer County and CD-2) does violence to the bedrock principle of representative government—that effective representation is best attained when Congresspersons represent communities of shared interests. There must a better way. Another way. As a 45-year resident of Fort Collins, I plead with you to find it. Respectfully, Bryan Wm. Blakely, Retired General Counsel

Splitting Boulder County into three districts will compromise our efforts with respect to environmental concerns, wildfire mitigation, public health delivery systems, public transportation and gun control. While I support an independent commission to redraw district maps, the proposed approach makes no sense to me and will exacerbate the tensions between a progressive constituency and a Trump supported, gun-toting rep from Rifle.

Montezuma County's economy is dependent on heritage tourism, recreation, oil & gas (CO2, particularly), and agriculture. Montezuma County has been hit hard by Covid-19. The County Commissioners are responsible for many day-to-day decisions, and throughout the pandemic, they have been opposed to masking and vaccination. We've had many preventable deaths due to Covid-19. Montezuma County is home to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, who has many treaty rights in the County. There remains a lot of racist sentiment towards Native Americans in the County, although the school systems have been improving in accepting diversity. Ute Mountain is a central geographic feature in the county.

Hello, I have testified on behalf of the Asian American Pacific Islander community in-person, and have also submitted maps and information. In viewing the new Congressional maps, I ask that there be a small amendment to District 1. Census tract 120.50 to the south of District 1 should be added to District 1. The way it is now is oddly shaped and splits the Asian American Pacific Islander population. Thank you so much! Joie

The city of Boulder and the surrounding suburban areas are not sensibly divisible for state legislature and congressional districts. This area shares concerns and should work together through their state and federal representatives to resolve shared regional problems and issues such as: climate change impacts and mitigations; transportation; affordable housing; quality public schooling and job creation. Splitting Boulder representation across districts will only hamper, and perhaps prevent this important work from going forward at the necessary pace.

https://davesredistricting.org/join/e3c5007c-a00d-4bf0-bc53-51269a750102 This map utilizes Commissioner Tafoya’s Watershed Map (https://coleg.app.box.com/s/r1a6te4fv7sns1ncatzzu4n57wn1nw12/file/859540407175) version of CD 3 and attempts to address concerns from the commission with regard to CD 8. It put Greeley wholly in CD 8, making it a strong Hispanic influence district that is extremely competitive. It does so by adding the Jefferson County portion of CD 2 to CD 4, adding Longmont to CD 2, and then pushing CD 8 east into Greeley. This map has 3 competitive districts. CD 2, 3 and 8!

The proposed Staff redistricting of CD-2 carves out the City of Fort Collins from the rest of Larimer County and the existing CD-2, severing the most fundamental, long-standing of ties that bind Fort Collins to communities, organizations and essential resources in Larimer County and the existing CD-2. Specifically, Fort Collins water supply derives entirely from sources that originate or are delivered through Larimer County. The recent Cameron Peak Fire occurred within Larimer County and dramatically impacted the City’s water supply and it’s water shed. Fort Collins electric supply comes to it from the Platte River Power Authority, established in 1975, which it co-owns with the municipalities of Loveland and Estes Park (in Larimer County) and Longmont which are all in the current and proposed CD-2. Platte River’s most important generation and transmission facilities are located within Larimer (and to a lesser extent) Boulder Counties, but outside of Fort Collins. Fort Collins has established and maintained a number of Natural Areas (Bobcat Ridge, Soapstone Prairie, Gateway) that are outside the City Limits, and others (Pine Ridge, Coyote Ridge, Cathy Fromme Prairie, Fossil Ridge) that are open space, buffer areas that have preempted potential development proposals to Larimer County. And, of course, Fort Collins is the Larimer County seat. Separating Fort Collins and Larimer County into different Congressional Districts would be like separating two very close, recently orphaned siblings and placing them with different adoption agencies. Almost as disconcerting is the Staff proposal to relegate Fort Collins to an area of the State, the eastern and southern plains, with which it has very little in common. The very idea (of severing Fort Collins from Larimer County and CD-2) does violence to the bedrock of representative government—that effective representation is best attained when Congresspersons represent communities of shared interests. There must a better way. Another way. As a 45-year resident of Fort Collins, I plead with you to find it. Respectfully, Bryan Wm. Blakely Retired General Counsel

Dear Commissioners, the "First Staff Plan" map is a non-starter for rural Colorado! It ignores agriculture and rural Colorado's unique community of interest by combining it with urban and suburban populations. The "First Staff Plan" map fails to reflect the differences in water administration, ag industry makeup, and the social landscape between the eastern and western parts of the state, and it ignores testimony from around our state regarding the desired district lines. I insist that you, as Commissioners, recognize rural Colorado as a distinct community of interest with the same public policy concerns based on agriculture, employment, and water needs and supplies, which are VASTLY different from urban and suburban communities, and is captured in the "Preliminary plan."