Senate Chamber
State of Colorado
Denver
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
CONTACT
Abigail Vacanti (303) 866-4882
FOR JOB CREATION AND FOREST MANAGEMENT
DENVER— Wednesday, Democratic members of the Joint Select Committee on Job Creation and Economic Growth submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to encourage continued federal funding to strengthen Colorado’s economy, part of which would come from the federal recovery President Obama signed into law yesterday.
Senator Gail Schwartz (D-Snowmass), the Chair of the Joint Select Committee on Job Creation and Economic Growth, submitted the letter Wednesday after a briefing at the Joint House and Senate Agriculture Committee meeting on 2008 Forest Health Report by Jeff Jahnke, State Forester, and Rick Cables, the U.S. Forest Service Regional Forester.
Tuesday President Obama traveled to Denver to sign the $787 billion “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” into law at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. That bill included $3.1 billion for repair restoration and improvement of public facilities on public and tribal lands. Colorado is hoping some of this funding could go toward important projects in the state which will create jobs for Colorado workers.
"Colorado is well positioned to use the federal recovery money to stimulate job creation, particularly in the forestry industry and new energy economy," said Senator Schwartz. "We must find jobs for the thousands of people who have lost theirs here in Colorado, and this is a huge opportunity to put people to work and help our environment. This is something everyone needs to step up on, we have our children's future at stake and must not let this opportunity pass us by."
The letter reads: “Colorado’s land base is comprised of a majority of federal land ownership which creates a unique relationship between federal land management agencies within the state and our citizens.” The letter goes on to describe forest improvement projects that are shovel ready and waiting for federal funding: “We can complete these projects through many means that offer jobs to the citizens of the state.”
