August 23 - Beauprez Wildlife Plan Another 'Both Ways Bob' Moment

Gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter today said Congressman Beauprez is once again trying to have it “both ways,” this time on his flawed wildlife plan.

"On the one hand, Congressman Beauprez claims to be a friend of Colorado’s wildlife and the habitat that supports it," said Ritter, an avid fly-fisherman who earlier this month called on the federal government to provide interim protection to some roadless areas in Colorado. "But when the Congressman is back in Washington D.C., his actions show he’s anything but a friend to Colorado’s great outdoors."

In 2004, the national League of Conservation Voters named Congressman Beauprez one of its "Dirty Dozen" for having one of the worst records in Congress for his environmental voting record. The League also named Beauprez to "Tom's Tainted Team" for his support of now-resigned Republican leader Tom DeLay's anti-environmental agenda and for accepting money from DeLay.

"The Congressman has voted to weaken Clean Air standards, protect polluters and exempt oil and gas construction sites from the Clean Water Act," Ritter said. "In vote after vote, the Congressman has demonstrated his true colors when it comes to Colorado’s environment."

• The Congressman opposed protecting important wildlife habitat in the Tongass National Forest, known as "America’s rainforest" (HR 5386, House Amendment 850, House Roll Call No. 168, May 18, 2006).
• The Congressman opposed protections for many streams, wetlands, lakes, and ponds (HR 5386, House Amendment 854, House Roll Call No. 169, May 18, 2006)."
• The Congressman co-sponsored and voted in favor of rapidly accelerating exploration and production of oil shale deposits, and reducing the royalty rate for state and local communities (Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act, HR 4761, House Roll Call No. 356, June 29, 2006).
• The Congressman voted to open up public lands to private interests. Developers were one of the groups that could have used the public land after it was sold. Forty-three Colorado hunting and fishing organizations sent letters of opposition to Congress – and even the House’s own Republican sponsors ultimately agreed to pull the measure (HR 4241, House Roll Call No. 601, Nov. 18, 2005).
• The Congressman voted to give MTBE manufacturers a "safe harbor" and protect them from liability and from having to pay for clean-up if their chemicals leak into groundwater supplies. MTBE is a gasoline additive that has polluted 128 sites in Colorado, including 20 in the Congressman’s own 7th Congressional District (HR 4241, House Roll Call No. 129, April 21, 2005).
• The Congressman voted to open up 58.5 million acres of roadless forest lands across the country to new-road development. These roads can degrade key fish and wildlife habitats and lead to pollution of nearby rivers, lakes and streams (HR 2691, Amendment 269, House Roll Call No. 386, July 17, 2003).

"Wildlife protection is one of the most important issues facing Colorado," Ritter said. "My record is clear – I have opposed attempts by the federal government to sell off our public lands; I have called for protections of our roadless areas; and I believe that we must take a balanced approach to oil-and-gas drilling."

"I’m glad the Congressman is talking about habitat conservation," Ritter added. "But he’s a day late and a dollar short. Even worse, his words fly in the face of his actions. He’s trying to have it both ways – again."

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Read more articles and commentary about the Congressman's environmental record and proposals:

• ColoradoConfidential.com: “Both Ways” Candidate May Now Be “No Way”
• ColoradoPols.com: Beauprez Goes Green
• Grand Junction Daily Sentinel: Aug. 27 - Preserve wild habitat, don't just exchange it
• Rocky Mountain News: Aug. 24 - Beauprez presents wildlife habitat plan