In a recent letter to the BLM, the Montezuma County commissioners conclude their refusal to accept the master leasing plan process by stating: “We must underscore that a citizens working group appointed by the BLM has no authority to represent Montezuma County. Only duly elected officials have any legal authority to represent the citizenry of this county, and citizens trying to make an end run around elected officials is unethical and outside the boundaries of proper protocol.”

The citizens can no longer speak for themselves? The commissioners are the sole voice of the county? It is not the job of the commissioners to deny authority to its citizens, but to facilitate it. This can be difficult when there are opposing voices, but it is the commissioners running roughshod over the county’s citizens that is unethical and outside of proper protocol.

Isaac Murphy

Mancos