Public Comments

I'm Colorado native, born in Denver and raised in Arvada. I am now a resident and registered voter in Routt County. I understand the differences between urban, suburban, and rural communities and their need for appropriate representation. The current map places Routt County in CD2 which includes Larimer and Boulder counties. The populations of both Larimer and Boulder counties (not including Fort Collins) is about 520,000. The populations of all the rural, Western Slope counties in CD2 is about 125,000. The urban and suburban communities in Larimer and Boulder counties would have FOUR TIMES the voting block over the rural communities in six and a half counties that make up the rest of CD2 on the Western Slope. Western Slope communities that have the fossil fuel industry central to their economy will not be represented fairly by competing interests in Larimer and Boulder. With the closing of major coal mines, coal power plants, and the restrictions on fossil fuel extraction, people on the Western Slope need to be represented by leaders who understand the economic needs of these communities and prioritize them accordingly. Larimer and Boulder representation will put increasing emphasis on hasty and expensive "green energy" that will raise the cost of living for low and middle income rural Western Slope citizens through higher utilities and transportation costs. Water rights and issues on the Western Slope would be at risk of being represented by Larimer and Boulder interests that don't reflect the needs of rural, agricultural and ranching communities. Conservation issues would be at risk of being managed by Larimer and Boulder interests. Consider their residents are the ones who voted to introduce wolves to the Western Slope without regard for the impact on western Colorado conservation, or outdoor recreation, agriculture and ranching industries. Health care availability and costs in rural communities is a major concern and won't be adequately represented by urban-focused elected leadership. Growing Front Range populations will always take priority over those rural communities. Transportation needs are entirely different for rural and urban commuters. Most of the citizens live in rural locations that require different considerations when prioritizing how roads and highways are maintained, especially in mountain regions. Maintaining whole communities of interest must be a priority in these redistricting decisions. The current CD2 map completely ignores this important attribute. The commission must return to the June 23, 2021, or Club 20 map that includes Routt County and other Western Slope counties in a contiguous district that represents our common interests.

PLEASE do not water down the voice of agriculture in Colorado. The current proposed redistricting will allow metro communities to make all decisions for rural Colorado and will continue to make a division between urban and rural communities. For example, Boulder will be making all of the decisions for southern Colorado and Fort Collins will be making all of the decisions for eastern Colorado. I don't believe this proposed redistricting has any consideration for communities of interest. Please reconsider the proposed redistricting.

This redistricting map is not a true representation of the southeast corner of our state. This redistricting map does NOT represent rural Colorado well at all. This would be devastating to agriculture. Rural Colorado needs people that understand agriculture to represent them and this new mapping would not allow for it.

I am not in favor of the First Staff Plan Map that has been presented most recently. This map prioritizes the interests of the Denver Metro area (other than Republican Douglas County) and targets the voices of rural Coloradans. The commission also chose to split up the Western Slope, despite the voices of the people who live there. We believe this new map dilutes the voice of those of us in rural areas—we would appreciate our voice being represented as in the Preliminary Congressional maps. We believe our voices and votes are most accurately reflected in the Preliminary Congressional maps released in June, and urge you, the commission, to adopt the Preliminary Congressional maps.

We are residents of rural Custer County. The needs and desires of the population that live in rural Colorado are far different from the needs and desires of the urban areas. Any attempt to redistrict must consider this and not impose urban needs upon the rural areas. We are strongly opposed to any redistricting that places our representation under the control of urban representatives.

The redistricting commission’s expressed goal to maintain community boundaries is being violated by dividing the Larimer County Seat, Fort Collins, from the rest of the county. Larimer County has little in common with the interests of eastern and southeastern Colorado. A Congressional representative would need to be working for multi-modal connections, climate action and diversity as well as urban issues such as high population grown and air quality. Do not divide Larimer County to achieve political interests elsewhere. Jean Lehman Board of Directors Global Village Museum Fort Collins, CO 80521

I was part of the conversations around the redistricting ten years ago and watched as our conservative voice was thrown to the proverbial "wolves". Now I can sit back and watch it happen all over again. This redistricting that is taking place is weakening our conservative voice as rural counties get moved into more populated socialistic ideology counties. It always seems that one can sit back and see it isn't about population but about squelching voices to put more socialistic ideology into our rural way of life. The voters voted in a new way to have redistricting committees formed and yet it still seems stacked against those of us that want the amendments called the Bill of Rights protected by their politicians. When voters elected a strong voice to protect the Bill of Rights redistricting seems to have become about taking that voice away. Leave Congressional District 3 alone and quit trying to put Garfield County, the "community of interest", in with the socialistic, "urban" counties that surround Denver to take our agricultural voice away. The agriculture voice that believes in the 1st through the 10th Amendments called the Bill of Rights. Protect our voice that believes in oil and gas production, that believes in mining coal, that believes in farming and ranching which needs water that the front range wants so very badly, that believes in logging to keep our forests healthy. Leave rural Garfield County alone and part of Congressional District 3. There is an obvious slant in both the state senate redistricting and in the House redistricting to put more socialistic urban counties with rural agricultural counties to weaken the conservative voice again in these districts. Again it is obvious the "plan" as political districts are changed and socialism becomes a bigger force to contend with in rural, agricultural people of Colorado. Number IV says and I quote, "(IV) "Community of interest" does not include relationships with political parties, incumbents, or political candidates. I disagree changing Congressional District 3 has everything to do with political parties, incumbents or political candidates. Just as does changing our state districts, too.

I am very concerned about the shared interests that unite residents of the Western Slope, in particular agriculture and the Colorado River Watershed. Rainfall amounts in 2021 reflect the difference between the Western Slope and the Front Range (Denver and its environs). The Front Range has received above average rainfall thus far in 2021, while the Western Slope is in a severe drought. A reflection of this is that Dillon Reservoir, which supplies water to Denver, is above 90% of capacity. Blue Mesa Reservoir, which supplies much of the Western Slope with water, is at only 39% of capacity. As a largely agricultural area, the Western Slope has interests that are not shared by Colorado residents on the eastern side of the Rockies. The Preliminary Congressional Map presented in June reflected those interests and drew boundaries for Congressional District 3 that kept the Colorado River Watershed in the same congressional district; it made good sense. The First Staff Map presented September 3, 2021, is so ill-conceived it is unbelievable. Are we really supposed to believe that residents of Boulder County have the same shared interests and needs as residents of Moffat, Rio Blanco, or Garfield counties when it comes to agriculture, employment, environment, and transportation? The preliminary map is also superior from the standpoint of compactness. I strongly urge the Commission to reject the First Staff map and return to the preliminary map of June 2021.

Please keep the area of the current CD3 intact. I live in Boulder county and do not want to be in a congressional district with the area west of the continental divide. They have different priorities and deserve to have their own congressional district.

This is absolutely frightening and has to be illegal, for a number of counties across the state to merge together as one, in order to oust a powerful conservative that is running for election. This is truly absurd. The democratic party will stop at nothing to eliminate their competition.