Letter to Sen. Gardner regarding National Park Service nominee

Sen. Cory Gardner, the confirmation hearing for Raymond Vela as the head of the National Park Service is happening soon.

As your constituent and a Coloradan I am naturally concerned for the welfare of our state and our nation’s beautiful natural spaces and I trust that you are too.

I know you will do what is best for the wild lands of our country and not only the economy; I understand there must be balance. I know that you will do your due diligence on the committee in ensuring that the pick for the National Park Service is someone of integrity, someone who understands the value of these places to our economy and culture.

Further, I ask that you be mindful of the other duties of the head of the National Park Service. Our nation is founded on free speech and the rights of Americans to gather in public places, not only the parks but the National Mall and areas across Washington, D.C., and especially the White House.

When interviewing Mr. Vela, I trust that you will question him to ensure that he has every intention of upholding the rights of the citizens of our great nation and will defend our free speech from enemies both foreign and domestic.

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