GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) -- Garfield County has signed on to support a possible lawsuit to fight the federal government's overhaul of how public lands are managed.
The Daily Sentinel reports that the county agreed Monday to spend as much as $40,000 to support the effort led by the Texas-based property group, the American Stewards of Liberty.
At issue is a new process announced by the Bureau of Land Management last week for how oil and gas drilling, mining, grazing and other activities are regulated.
Administration officials say the changes will improve public involvement and government transparency. Critics fear they will elevate wildlife and environmental preservation above other uses such as energy development and shift decision-making to Washington, D.C.
Officials in Mesa County are hoping Congress and the incoming administration will push back against the changes.
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