Letter to the Editor: Retraction from J.D. Wright

Dear Russ Baldwin:
The Prowers Journal  

It is with sincere regret that I submitted a letter of fact on behalf of Jillane Hixson questioning the Prowers County Commissioner’s efforts on behalf of landowners in the county facing extreme pressure from the Colorado State Department of Revenue. I made the following statement based on inaccurate information which has been brought to my attention, and I am asking the citizens of Prowers County to disregard the following paragraph in the aforementioned letter to the editor.   

Furthermore, I’ll add that contrary to recently reported statements made by a Prowers County Commissioner, (now seeking re-election); when LOU members asked the Prowers County Commissioners to take specific actions to support their constituents (120 land-owners), they backed away while the Otero and Crowley County Commissioners did not hesitate to stand with land owners at the State Capitol.   

The sole purpose of Land Owners United is to bring about a favorable resolution to the conservation easement problem and not to deride or malign the reputation of any public official.    

J. D. Wright,
President
Land Owners United
Olney Springs, CO

Editor’s Note:
A letter from the Board of Prowers County Commissioners, dated March 17, 2011 was sent to State Representative Wes McKinley, State Senator Kevin Grantham and State Senator Greg Brophy.  It urges the representatives to vote in favor of HB11-1208.  Quoting in part: 

“We respectively request that you vote “FOR” HB11-1208, which is aimed at bringing successful resolution to the Conservation Easement Program controversy.  At a minimum, we repeat our request that we voiced to Governor Ritter last year — suspend the entire Conservation Easement Program until there is resolution of the outstanding Easements.  Based on the number of unresolved Conservation Easements (we understand that there are approximately 600 cases) as well as the current extremely challenging economic climate which the State is facing, it makes no sense to continue funding new Conservation Eastments.

Sincerely,
Prowers County Board of Commissioners

c:  Colorado Agriculture Commissioner John Salazar – via Email
c:  Governor John Hickenlooper – via Email
c:  Jillaine Hixson – via Email”