Where Senate candidates Cory Gardner and John Hickenlooper stand on Colorado issues

Cory Gardner vs John Hickenlooper on Colorado issues: Where the U.S. Senate candidates stand


Q: Public lands



What efforts do you support to expand access to public lands, and would you vote for the CORE Act?

Background: The fierce debate over who can use Colorado’s federally owned public lands -- and for what purpose -- is a constant fault line in Colorado politics. The U.S. House last year passed the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act -- a massive public lands measure that would designate roughly 100,000 acres for new wilderness and recreation in the state, and remove more than 200,000 acres from oil and gas development. The measure has stalled in the GOP-led Senate and faces a veto threat from the White House.


He won’t support the CORE Act but passed other public lands legislation

A: Gardner is not supporting the CORE Act, in part because of opposition from U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, whose district covers much of the land that would be designated under the bill. However, he led the push for the Great American Outdoors Act, a measure that provided full funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which will help preserve public lands.




Supports passing the CORE Act

A: Hickenlooper made public lands a focus in his terms as governor and is touting the CORE Act in his campaign for U.S. Senate. He supports dedicating 3% of the Land and Water Conservation Fund to be used to expand public access to federal lands and make exploring them more accessible. He has said that he wants federal agencies working with local agencies and the sports and recreation industry to invest in projects that will increase access to the outdoors.



The Issues

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The Candidates

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Cory Gardner

Cory Gardner

U.S. senator   

John Hickenlooper

John Hickenlooper

Former Colorado governor and Denver mayor