Public Comments

Please consider veterans as a Community of Interest as you design congressional districts. In Southern Colorado we have the largest number of veterans, and, in southern El Paso county, the largest number of current active military (many of whom live in Pueblo County). Please consider a congressional district that includes part of El Paso county (the southern part) with Pueblo county and areas south – where the largest number of veterans live. We need to be represented as a community. Thank-you.

Southern Colorado and especially Pueblo have very little in common with the northern and western portions of the current district 3. We really need to be removed from that district and placed in one that better meets our needs. Pueblo is a front range city. Our needs such as problems with homeless and crime are very different from those of cities like Vail. We also do not match up in needs with cities like Grand Junction. Please consider creating a district for Southern Colorado rather than the sprawling current D03 which encompasses a huge land mass with very different types of people with different needs from each other. None of us are currently well represented. Yale St. Clair Pueblo, Colorado

The western slope, defined by watershed, should b kept whole. In particular, Grand County the most heavily diverted county in the state, should be part of counties with similar economies, demographics and population densities. This proposed map gives Grand County and other similar counties a voice when it comes to national policies on water, public lands and natural resources. Otherwise, smaller counties like Grand, simply get drowned out by the population centers of the front range.

WATER, WATER, WATER. As a citizen of Pueblo, CO, in the Southern Colorado region, I am writing in support of creating the new Congressional district as the Southern Colorado River Basin (SCRB) proposal indicates. The citizens of the proposed district share common geography, history, culture, and economy that support a cohesive community of interest, primarily that of three River Basins. While the region has a varied demographic base, it shares an indigenous and Hispanic culture and a similar level of generational poverty that provides innovative opportunities for redress within the Federal context. Patricia O'Brien

Please consider a split of district 3 to better represent western Colorado interests. (submitted by email 5/22/2021)

I have modified Mr. Byrd's proposed map to what I think are more reasonable boundaries: https://districtr.org/plan/21083

This is my version of the congressional proposed map: https://districtr.org/plan/21064. Should have roughly equal populations based on 2019 ACS estimates. Tried to minimize county/municipality splitting. Also took into account feedback from other commenters such as keeping together heavily Hispanic counties in southern CO, uniting ski country in district 3, keeping Boulder and Fort Collins together, keeping El Paso county together, etc.

Please see the following fair and competitive plan: https://districtr.org/plan/21035

I can never get your attachment tool to accept my documents and as such I for the 'jumbled looo' your toold present me with. I will send this document teach commissioner because the content is extremely important in our effort to creat a South- Central Colorado District . Thank You Please read the attachment entitled Common Interest for Proposed South-Central Colorado Congressional District Common interest for proposed South-Central Congressional District The Proposed revised 3rd of newly formed 8th Colorado Congressional District is located within an approximate 10,658 square miles mainly located within the South- Central portion of Colorado. This proposed district will consist of five different regions of high common interest as well as many similar areas of common interest overall. The five regions are Colorado Springs-Pueblo Metropolitan, Upper Arkansas River Valley, San Luis, Valley, Coal and Energy Producing Counties, and Lower Arkansas Valley. Common Interest for Proposed Congressional District Overall • Coherent Geographical location being identified as South-Central Colorado • Defined Area with Large Hispanic Population throughout the proposed District • Specific issue which affects all proposed district such water issues from Arkansas, Purgatory, and Rio Grande Rivers, along with Great Sand Dunes National Park, Southern Colorado National Cemetary, and many wildlife refuges and bird sanctuaries that rely on federal funding. • Throughout the proposed District are agricultural concerns, example farming in the San Luis Valley is different from Farming on the Eastern Plains of Colorado, and Truck farming along the Arkansas River in Pueblo and Otero counties are different and require different water righters and other concerns. Water issues are import to all these farming throughout the district. • Proposed area has large enough wide-open space to address wind energy and other potential resources and when these issues are looped into Metro Areas, they take on different meaning. • In proposed district are a few large ranches and many small tracts of land (40 acers of less) that generate economic prosperity and may not be the same in other areas of the state • The general lifestyle of the proposed district is somewhat diverse and because of the combination of both rural and urban it reflects a different perspective that of the way of life that you may find in the Denver counties and having your congressional representative from that different perspective is imperative. • High Hispanic representation rates about 40% in most counties, whereas in most other Colorado counties is the Hispanic representation is much lower that it is in South-Central Colorado. • This Hispanic representation is a part of the culture and heritage that has flourished in this area over three-hundred years before this area was a part of the United States. This fact is an ample reason to form a separate district for South-Central Colorado. Specific Common Interest in different areas affect the type of representation required for the needs of the people • River issues in the Upper Arkansas Valley affect the flow of water in the Arkansas River which can affect the economic impact of more than $66 million dollars annually to Lake, Chaffee, Fremont Counties. An example the economic affect to the Salida area alone is over 20 million dollars. • The water issues that affect Pueblo’s economy from water recreation activity at Lake Pueblo, to the effect on water for chili growers on St. Charles Mesa. Steel tariffs and imports, and other heavy industry laws and regulation can influence on Pueblo’s economical and culture wellbeing. Therefore, the current representation in Congress with most Western Slope entities have brought negative effect to Pueblo, Huerfano, and Custer Counties, not to mention the devastation they placed on the San Luis Valley. • Huerfano, Las Animas, Custer, and Fremont counties have relied heavily in the past on coal mining and oil production, however with the trend to go away from fossil fuels we must have representation that will find new solutions in energy such as wind and solar. A representee from a different area might overlook this because of economic consideration in a different district. This is happening right now with our current unsatisfactory Western Slope representation and South-Central Colorado is paying the price. Pueblo, Huerfano, The Wet Mountain Valley, Las Animas, Otero, and Crowley counties have plenty of natural resources to take the United States into a cleaner environmental future, however we have got to be represented in Congress correct to affect these changes and to do so we have got to have are presentive that understand our needs. • Pueblo, Huerfano, Las Animas, and Otero counties plays an iatrical role of being a part of Colorado’s 4th largest beef and frozen meat industry in the United States. Proper local representation is essential to assure proper federal legislation to continue this major economic industry. • San Luis Valley is the largest alpine valley on earth with a floor of 7,000 feet and mountain that are over 14,000 feet. The economy is mainly agricultural, and the valley is considered the poorest in Colorado. That is why it is ultimately essential for these counties Alamosa, Rio Grande, Conejos, Costilla, and Saguache to have representation in the United State Congress that will help this valley build its economy through both clean environmental issues, and modern essential support of their farming industry. Water is also a vital concern of the San Luis Valley and the water drainage issues of the Rio Grande River Basin good water conservation is essential. The issues of the San Luis Valley are common with the rest of South-Central Colorado ands that is why this area must be enjoined with the other counties described in this proposal. It needs to stay on this side of the Continental Divide where the people in this valley, along with all of South-Central Colorado can come together and create their own destiny. • The San Luis Valley is over 50% Hispanic and coupled with other South-Central Counties will be able to send proper representation to Washington and not rely on a total ‘angelo- white -gringo’ area such as the Western Slope or a large portion of Colorado has been accustomed. • South El Paso County. We need to bring South El Paso County into this district if for no other reason, to have enough people to form this essential Congressional District, however there are many other positives that annexing South El Paso County into a South-Central Colorado Congressional District. • By bringing in South El Paso County to the South-Central Colorado District will immediately create an atmosphere of professional business environment which is essential to creating a higher economic status. That alone will boost the struggling economies. South El Paso County will still be in Colorado Springs and because of the tremendously high military presence the entire district will benefit. Also, by annexing South El Paso County into South-Central Colorado the relationship between a struggling area in the south of the state and a booming economic environment from Colorado Springs and north will forge a strong relationship all along the central portion of Colorado from Greeley and Fort Collins to Trinidad. The strong move this Redistricting Commission can make is to fuse the central portion of Colorado into a strong economical and eventually a strong cultural atmosphere which will provide benefit throughout the area. Not to mention an extraordinarily strong Colorado Congressional delegation (regardless of affiliation), but stronger and better for all of Colorado. Bent, Prowers, and Baca Counties: The following is a short summary of common interest for Baca, Prowers, and Bent Counties which are not a part of this proposal, however because these three counties are at the far southeastern corner of Colorao and the results of the 2020 census are not final there is a possibility that these may want to be included the South-Central Colorado District. Their common interests are that the Arkansas River runs through both Bent and Prowers, these three counties play an important role in Colorado’s beef industry, and environmental issues are important to the region. Baca County was in the epicenter of the Great Dust Bowl in 1935 which was cause by extremely poor environmental prevention and the Comanche National Grassland east of Springfield was developed because of those environmental issues and these lands are controlled by Congress. These three counties are not included in the South-Central Colorado Congressional District proposal, however due to geographic, population and other concern you may want to include these counties. This is South-Central Colorado Areas of Common Interest Statement. Please see the Spreadsheet that supports the issues addressed in this document County Population White Hispanic Black Asians, Pacfic Islander and other Others Note: Hispanic data used was combination of mixed ethnicity and result in higher that 100% totals Pueblo 180,000 79.5 37.90% 1.90% 1.79% El Paso * half 375,000 69.10% 248,898 17.00% 61,200 6.40% 2,304 3.00% 1,080 0.80% Crowley 5,718 82.84% 22.54% 1.81% Ortero 18,282 79% 37.92 1.43% Las Animas 14,266 82.63 41.45% 2.54% Custer 4,776 96.00% 4.00% Fremont 47,321 89.50% 10.35% 1.22% Chaffee 19,557 90.94% 8.58% 1.58% Lake 7,751 77.60% 36.14% 1.69% Saguache 6,295 71.29% 45.26% 1.45% Rio Grande 11,305 74.00% 42.00% 2.00% Alamosa 16,107 71.19% 41.41% 2.34% Conejos 8,128 44.00% 56.00% Costillia 3,745 59.00% 67.59% Huerfano 6,679 80.96% 35.41% Total South-Central 724,930 Below For Statisical Data Only Other Pertainet Data Total Population by Region Baca 3,561 San Luis Valley 45570 Prowers 12,022 Upper Arkansas Valley Counties 74629 Bent 5,785 Lower Arkansas River Valley Counties 24000 Alt Pop 21,368 Pueblo and El Paso Counties cities 550000 tlt disr inc reserve 746,298 Coal Producing Counties 25721 Sincerely Thomas McKenna Citizens of True Southern Colorado l

Dear Congressional Redistricting Commission, I live in Granby, CO, which is in Grand County Colorado and is currently in CD2. I urge the Colorado independent Congressional Redistricting Commission to leave Grand County in CD2 instead of moving us to CD3 as requested by our county commissioners. Grand County's economy relies on tourism much more than ranching. We have front range relationships with Winter Park Ski Resort, Denver Water, and Rocky Mountain National Park. We also need wildfire coordination with the front range. Thanks for your consideration. Jerry Anderson (submitted by email 5/21/2021)