Public Comments

The new staff maps are a huge step backwards. Linking districts of any type across the Continental Divide is unfair to those on the western slope. This causes the more rural western areas to be drowned out by the mass of metro voters. Rural areas must be combined to ensure that these areas and people have voice. We do not share urban metro values, issues, or needs.

I am a resident of Ft Collins. I do not support the current remapping and redistricting of the area in which I live. Here’s why: Fort Collins is very different from the Eastern plains and that one of the goals of the Commission is to preserve whole communities of interest and whole political subdivisions, such as counties, cities, and towns. The current map does not do that and in fact moves the county seat into a different Congressional District from the rest of the county. Fort Collins is a North Front Range urban area that is home to high tech companies, a tier one research university, and a robust Multi Modal Transportation system that includes transit, EV infrastructure, and Bus Rapid Transit. We would have very little in common with neighbors to the East, and especially those in the extreme Southeast Corner of our state. Fort Collins is over 300 miles away from Campo in Baca county, and our needs as communities are  very different. Larimer County is focused on issues such as wildfire mitigation, watershed restoration, multi-modal connections, climate action, equity and diversity, and dealing with urban issues like homelessness, high population growth, ozone nonattainment, and air quality issues, etc. We have much more in common with counties like Boulder County. The Fort Collins economy is different from the economies of the Eastern plans and the interests of Fort Collins voters would not represent the population center of such a rural, agricultural district.

I've lived in Colorado for almost 30 years, including 18 years in Boulder, where, for much of that time, I was involved in research at the University of Colorado. For the past 10 years, I've resided in Fort Collins. However, I've also spent several months in rural southeastern Colorado, experiencing the land and its people. I can personally attest that Fort Collins forms a community of interest with its neighbors in our county to the south, Boulder County, including cities such as Boulder, Louisville, and Lafayette, while having a divergence of interest on many issues of public policy important to residents of the great majority of the proposed 4th Congressional District as shown on the map released by the commission on Sept. 3, 2021. Fort Collins and Boulder both rely heavily on the excellent universities and diverse high technology businesses located in their respective counties, which are largely absent in the rest of the proposed 4th Congressional District. Fort Collins and Boulder County also share common interests on an abundance of issues affecting our area, such as successfully managing population growth and balancing it with preservation of heavily visited public natural areas; addressing critical social issues such as homelessness; mitigating environmental damage caused by extractive industries and agricultural practices found in other areas of the state; and supporting an already robust tourism industry. The many shared interests of Fort Collins and Boulder County link these two areas as one strong community of interest. The vast majority of the rest of the proposed 4th Congressional District do not share these vital areas of community interest, though of course they have their own, albeit in many ways different, vital concerns. For these reasons I strongly urge the commission to include Fort Collins in the 2nd Congressional District along with its similar neighbor to the south, Boulder County. Fort Collins remaining in the 2nd Congressional District would also keep it united with the rest of Larimer County, of which it is the county seat, thereby maintaining a more uniform and intact legislative entity.

I’ve been in South Jeffco for over 35 years. I’m am very baffled as to why we are put in with Canon City, Leadville etc. I have NEVER been to those communities but doubt very seriously if I have anything in common with those communities. I live and worked in south Jeffco. I shop in Jeffco and Douglas county, visit with friends in these counties and why you would put us with Canon City is just beyond belief? The ONLY reason why you would do this is to guarantee that the suburbs are NOT REPRESENTED and for Democrat control! Why would Laura Boebarts district be put with Boulder of all places, so the western slope is not represented as well. These lines need to be adjusted to REPRESENT ALL communities, so ALL communities have a voice and are represented! These lines are just beyond obvious that you have no intention of allowing representation for all!

When considering state legislative redistricting, please keep Delta county united or partially split with Mesa county. Delta county has shared interests not common with other counties. Interest such as agriculture, irrigation water and similar types of tourism. When considering congressional redistricting, please keep the western slope united. This area has a strong interest in agriculture and irrigation water. The continent divide should be considered as a special interest. Water uses on either side of the divide are very different. Rural communities should be considered a shared interest. Efforts should be made to keep the plains, San Luis valley and western slope from being combined with urban areas like Fort Collins and Pueblo. communities. Rural interest should not

I am not in favor of the current redistricting plan as it impacts directly the area where I live, Fort Collins. Fort Collins is very different from the Eastern plains and that one of the goals of the Commission is to preserve whole communities of interest and whole political subdivisions, such as counties, cities, and towns. The current map does not do that and in fact moves the county seat into a different Congressional District from the rest of the county. Fort Collins is a North Front Range urban area that is home to high tech companies, a tier one research university, and a robust Multi Modal Transportation system that includes transit, EV infrastructure, and Bus Rapid Transit. We would have very little in common with neighbors to the East, and especially those in the extreme Southeast Corner of our state. Fort Collins is over 300 miles away from Campo in Baca county, and our needs as communities are  very different. Larimer County is focused on issues such as wildfire mitigation, watershed restoration, multi-modal connections, climate action, equity and diversity, and dealing with urban issues like homelessness, high population growth, ozone nonattainment, and air quality issues, etc. We have much more in common with counties like Boulder County. The Fort Collins economy is different from the economies of the Eastern plans and the interests of Fort Collins voters would not represent the population center of such a rural, agricultural district. I hope you will seriously reconsider the map you have currently drawn up for redistricting.Thank you. Diane McCrann 701 Stoddard Dr., Fort Collins, Colorado

Let's keep in mind the unique interests of rural Colorado by keeping the western slope third congressional district and eastern plains fourth congressional district as is because these districts are appropriately serving rural communities. These areas are a WORLD APART from the Front Range and a separate consideration for these rural communities is MERITED! Residents of rural Colorado need representation in Congress where there are NO divided priorities. Our voices deserve to be heard, and represented without being diluted by the urban/Front Range view of this world. It varies vastly from those in RURAL areas! Whether agriculture, public lands, water, or natural resources, our West Slope Needs are vastly different from those of our Front Range urban and suburban friends. We are NOT the counties with light rail; these urban counties don't understand our small ranch operation, highly specialized recreation and business focus or perspectives. We deserve representation in Congress that isn’t forced to choose between our needs and the issues that matter to suburbia. ALL of these issues are issues for COLORADOANS; please don't push Western Colorado under the rug and lump us in with the big city issues of the front range! West Slope success is the future of Colorado; please insure that we are adequately represented by the new redistricting plan! When the map drawing process starts, we ask that you start by drawing two whole rural districts from the 53 counties that are not part of the Front Range from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins. While these counties make up nearly three fourths of the state’s land mass, they are home to only a quarter of the population. Fortunately, that should be enough for two of our expected eight congressional districts. I respectfully request consideration of a West Slope-oriented district and another that is an agricultural community of interest. If we can start with a goal of two rural seats, one as a west slope community of interest and one concentrating on agriculture and energy production, two seats could be drawn that won’t dilute the voices of the many people living in vast stretches of rural Colorado. Please be certain to be INCLUSIVE OF RURAL COLORADO and the western slope perspectives when you redistrict the state.

My choice for redistricting is the Amended LULAC Map for the following 3 reasons: a) LULAC is the League of United Latin American Citizens which is perhaps a large untapped resource for voter registration for Colorado elections. And with this map there will be more successful voter registration and get out the vote success. b) Makes the most sense long term...gets rid of the previous terrible gerrymandering in the most fair way. With this map all must work hard and this time the hard work will be fairly rewarded. c) Most competitive overall...CD8 will net a D+1 instead of a R+4% and CD 3 will get a respectable D+6 instead of a D+28,,,sounds awesome for one party but the LULAC Map will give all sides the chance for fair success for effort, what the Colorado Voter decided when we passed this to get rid of gerrymandering. To summarize I choose the Amended LULAC Map because for three reasons It enhances the ability for voter registration and getting out the vote in previously untapped areas. lt makes the most sense for the long term to encourage fair results per effort. It has a good balance of Republican and Democrat percent which is what the Colorado Voter desired by the voter outcomes. For Colorado Legislative Map I like the second one because our counties are grouped closely together and we have all our similar with our familiar issues of this region

• The growing urban populations in Boulder and Larimer county have entirely different interests and priorities than those of Routt, Moffat, Jackson, Grand, Rio Blanco, and Garfield counties. These are largely rural communities that must be represented by elected officials who understand the needs of people who are completely different that those of growing urban cities like Boulder, Broomfield, Lafayette, and Louisville. ○ Many Western Slope communities that have the fossil fuel industry central to their economy will not be represented fairly by competing interests on the Front Range. 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. ○ Front Range representation will put increasing and unnecessary climate change 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 Front Range interests that don't represent the needs of rural, agricultural and ranching communities. ○ Conservation issues would be at risk of being managed by Front Range interests. Front Range constituents 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. Aside from large towns like Steamboat Springs and Craig, most of the citizens live in rural locations that require different considerations when prioritizing how roads and highways are maintained, especially in mountain regions.

Mostly I'm concerned about lumping areas of fort collins, which have different interests in terms of water, gas and agriculture than Ault where I live into my district, or us into their district. My districts as they are serves our community well, and we can collaborate as is as needed without redrawing lines that aren't in keeping with the intention of redistricting: to have representation reflective of community. Foothills and communities need to be separate from the plains. Rural towns deserve our own districts.