September 30, 2010 07:04 PM UTC

How to NOT Win Friends in Forested Areas

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• by: Colorado Pols

Democrats would do themselves a favor to spread far and wide the word, in a press release today from liberal coalition Strong Colorado, that SD-16 “Tea Party” candidate Tim Leonard was busted in 2006 for violating a fire ban on his property. SD-16, as Strong Colorado notes in their release, is heavily forested, and severely impacted by the recent pine beetle epidemic.

Says Director Ellen Dumm, “It’s ironic that someone who wants to be in the position of creating policy to protect and defend our natural resources either didn’t know or didn’t care there was a fire ban in effect in his own county.” We know some mountain residents this morning who can look out their window at forests wanting only an errant match to become epic tragedies, who might employ language a little stronger than “ironic.”

September 30, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Ellen Dumm, 303 810-4370, ellen@strongcolorado.org

Burn This!

SD 16 Candidate Fined for Violating Fire Ban

Those who live in glass houses should not throw rocks. And those who are surrounded by beetle kill trees in the mountains should not light fires.

GOP candidate for Colorado Senate District 16 (Jefferson, Clear Creek, Summit, Boulder Counties) Tim Leonard was fined for violating a fire ban in 2006.  His campaign website lists “wildfire prevention” as one of his top priorities.

“It’s ironic that someone who wants to be in the position of creating policy to protect and defend our natural resources either didn’t know or didn’t care there was a fire ban in effect in his own county,” said Ellen Dumm, director of Campaign for a Strong Colorado.

Leonard’s district is heavily forested and is one of the most heavily-impacted areas of tree bark beetle kill in the state.