Colorado business leaders plead for Tipton to reconsider sponsorship of roadless bill

Over 30 Colorado business leaders are asking U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton to reconsider his support of the Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act saying it poses “a serious threat” to their bottom line. Executives from the Wallaroo Hat Company, Sierra Designs, Patagonia, Osprey, Kelty, Jax Mercantile, Brandwise, Backbone Media and other suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, and associations in the outdoor recreation business recently wrote Tipton, R-Colo., to say they are “extremely disappointed” he is co-sponsoring the bill. “Our industry depends on the conservation of our public lands to provide places for our customers to use the products that we make and sell,” their letter states. “H.R. 1581 represents a serious threat to the outdoor recreation industry and the thousands of jobs and local communities we help support. It would also severely undermine the opportunities Americans have to enjoy their federal public lands.” The Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act, aka H.R. 1581, would undo the work put into the Colorado Roadless Rule and open up vast expanses of the American West to drilling, mining and roadbuilding. Its opponents have called it “the biggest attack on wilderness” in modern history...more

If the Republicans maintain control of the House, I think you will see more of this tactic by the wilderness advocates, i.e., creating new or utilizing existing "green" business groups to lobby Republicans and to appear more moderate to the general public. Notice the headline they got as "business leaders".