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Fighting back to protect the environment, our future, and our lands

Washington, August 8, 2025

Colorado’s public lands and outdoor spaces are core to who we are and our state’s economy. But Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, which was signed into law, threatens our way of life here.

❌ What’s In the Big Bad Budget?

The Big Bad Budget bill contains devastating provisions that:

  • Gut clean air and water protections
  • Repeal solar and wind tax credits, driving up household energy bills by over $400 a year on average in Colorado, according to the Congressional Budget Office
  • Open up millions of acres of public land to drilling and mining

🧪 Trump’s EPA: Rewriting Science
Plus, the Trump Environmental Protection Agency now wants to rewrite science and remove mentions of the harmful effects of greenhouse gases. These moves aren’t just morally wrong — they are dangerous.

🛑Trump is Dismantling Climate Progress

Last Congress, Democrats passed the most comprehensive investment to fight the climate crisis in American history. On his first day back, Trump started dismantling all the progress we had made. He is:

  • Opening our public lands for dirty drilling
  • Rolling back emissions standards
  • Cutting programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gases

And he’s doing it all so big corporations and his billionaire donors can make more money — at the expense of our health, safety, environment, and economy.

🔥Wildfires, Drought, and Dirty Air — While Trump Guts Protections

Our public lands are critical to our economy and Coloradans’ way of life. Wildfires, drought, and poor air quality are worsening with the increasing effects of climate change.

  • At a moment when we should be going all in on protecting our state, Trump:
  • Pulled funding for wildfire mitigation and response
  • Slashed land management funding
  • Cut 10% of the US Forest Service — and more layoffs are coming

And Trump is withholding $140 million in federal funding for critical water projects across Colorado. These funds are critical for drought relief, habitat restoration, and Western Slope infrastructure.


This is going to make it difficult for our state to prevent wildfires and protect our communities. I joined colleagues across the aisle to demand their release. Every day of delay puts our future at risk.

🛰️Cutting Science That Keeps Colorado Safe

And while they’re trying to sell off our land, Republicans are also trying to silence science. They’re pushing deep cuts to NOAA — the agency that helps predict wildfires, monitors droughts, and studies air quality.

 

Those cuts would hurt research jobs across the state and directly hurt the work being done at NOAA labs right here in Colorado. It leaves communities less prepared to face climate disasters.

💪I’m Fighting Back

I joined a coalition of lawmakers demanding we protect this science, because if we lose it, we lose our ability to plan for droughts, respond to wildfires, and keep our communities safe.

I’ll keep fighting to protect Colorado’s lands, lower costs for working families, and leave a planet where our kids can thrive.

 

Until next time, keep speaking out and standing up. I will do the same. And be sure you’re following me onInstagram,Facebook,Bluesky, andX.

Thanks for reading,
 
 
Brittany Pettersen Signature
 
Brittany Pettersen
Member of Congress