Colorado Veterans Fight to Protect Public Lands
Monday, November 11, 2013
DENVER - While this Veterans Day recognizes men and women who have served the United States around the world, a group of veterans is working to protect the land here at home. Army veteran Garett Reppenhagen of Colorado Springs is a member of the Vet Voice Foundation and Rocky Mountain West coordinator for the group. He'll travel to Washington next week to speak out about preserving the public lands he sees as vital to the country's quality of life.
"They're the lands that I love, so when I swore an oath to defend the United States and the Constitution, that included the land and the legacy that we have," he declared.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell recently offered her first agenda-setting statements on conservation. She said she's concerned that Congress has not passed any conservation bills in the last three years, and said she and the President are willing to work around Congress if it fails to act. Tuesday, Vet Voice is to publish a poll of veterans in Western states on their opinions on parks and public lands issues.
According to Reppenhagen, places like Colorado's Dinosaur National Monument and Browns Canyon give him and other veterans a chance to recuperate and spend time with their families.
"I love the outdoors. Just getting into our public lands has helped me heal and survive basically, the traumas and rigors of my war experience," he said. "It's how I spend time with my friends and family."
Members of the Vet Voice Foundation, including Reppenhagen, will be in Washington on Nov. 18 to visit Congressmen and White House staff members.
Secretary Jewell also said she's concerned about the government shutdown's negative effects on national parks, and emphasized the importance of fully funding the nation's Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Information about the Vet Voice Foundation is online at VetVoiceFoundation.org..
get more stories like this via email
United Nations experts are raising concerns about chemical giants DuPont and Chemours, saying they've violated human rights in North Carolina…
Social Issues
The long-delayed Farm Bill could benefit Virginia farmers by renewing funding for climate-smart investments, but it's been held up for months in …
Environment
Conservation groups say the Hawaiian Islands are on the leading edge of the fight to preserve endangered birds, since climate change and habitat loss …
Environment
April has been "Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month," but the pests don't know that. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it's the …
Health and Wellness
The 2024 Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium Public Conference kicks off Saturday, where industry experts and researchers will share the latest scientific …
Environment
Environmental groups say more should be done to protect people's health from what they call toxic, radioactive sludge. A court granted a temporary …