3 years ago
353
Much has been written these past fewer days astir former Colorado Gov. Dick Lamm. While the absorption has been connected his crusade against the 1976 Olympics, his views connected immigration, and a woman’s close to choose, I judge we person overlooked his astir important bequest — his unwavering committedness to Colorado’s environment.
I talk of this from idiosyncratic experience. I was his archetypal manager of earthy resources during a pivotal play successful Colorado’s history. When helium took bureau successful 1975, Colorado had fewer biology programs. Mining and lipid & state were mostly unregulated. Colorado’s streams were taxable to wholesale diversions with fewer protections for food and wildlife. Water prime was not a priority. No constituency existed for wilderness protection, nor a lobby for the enlargement of authorities parks. Massive lipid shale projects were connected the beforehand burner. Growth without accompanying readying was the bid of the day.
All that changed during the Lamm years. He was a young, energetic politician who loved the outdoors, hiked galore of the fourteeners, cycled and skied, and profoundly valued Colorado’s earthy beauty. He believed that Colorado request not take betwixt a steadfast system and a steadfast environment. Rather, helium believed some depended connected each other.
During Lamm’s tenure, good implicit fractional of Colorado’s designated wilderness areas — exceeding 2 cardinal acres — were protected. For the archetypal time, mining activities came nether a broad regulatory program. Colorado developed the nation’s archetypal minimum stream-flow programme to support food and wildlife. New h2o prime standards were enacted to support streams and rivers. Colorado’s authorities parkland strategy saw the largest enlargement successful its history, including the summation of Roxborough, Mueller, Barr Lake and Eldorado Canyon authorities parks. Colorado’s Natural Areas and Non-Game programs were launched. Lamm helped to laic the instauration for sportsmen, onshore spot and biology organizations, each of which person been truthful captious to Colorado’s future. Importantly, Lamm stood successful the doorway erstwhile monolithic lipid shale projects were proposed, insisting that they beryllium tested connected a modular standard earlier escalating to commercialized levels, frankincense redeeming Colorado from different boom/bust cycle.
Gov. Lamm besides urged section governments to deliberation agelong and hard astir readying and growth. New tools were developed to assistance section governments successful dealing with maturation challenges. He encouraged regions to stock utilities and infrastructure portion steadfastly staying focused connected the prime of maturation and who pays for it.
At a clip erstwhile authorities programs travel and go, depending connected who is successful power, it is simply a testament to the Lamm years that astir of these initiatives person withstood the trial of time. Subsequent governors and legislatures person chosen to enactment and fortify these programs. As a result, Colorado is simply a amended place. We tin convey Gov. Lamm for this captious legacy.
Harris Sherman was Colorado’s manager of earthy resources nether 2 Colorado governors, Dick Lamm and Bill Ritter. He besides served arsenic nether caput for earthy resources and the situation astatine USDA during the Obama administration.
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