Survey of County Commissioner candidates in Eagle, Garfield, and Pitkin Counties shows broad-based support for keeping federal public lands public and accessible

CARBONDALE, Colo. — A nonpartisan voter education survey conducted by Wilderness Workshop reveals cross-party consensus among western slope county commissioner candidates regarding the critical importance and values of Colorado’s federal public lands. The 100% response rate from all eight candidates seeking to represent Eagle, Garfield, and Pitkin counties highlights common ground in keeping public lands public, accessible, and adequately funded for present and future generations. While there were some shared themes across questionnaires, candidates also articulated their own priorities for land stewardship and conservation.

“Public lands help define life in western Colorado, supporting clean water, wildlife, recreation, local economies, and the places that make our communities home,” said Erin Riccio of Wilderness Workshop. “Voters deserve to know where county commissioner candidates stand on the issues that matter to them. I encourage everyone who is casting a ballot in Eagle, Garfield, and Pitkin counties to read our candidate questionnaire to see how these candidates think about public lands.”

The questionnaire responses revealed several key interconnected themes across the three counties:

• Keeping lands public and accessible for present and future generations: Responses emphasized retaining federal public lands in public ownership and ensuring that residents can continue to access and enjoy them. Public lands are central to our communities’ culture and quality of life; they define our communities and are the reason we live here.
• Economic and Environmental Vitality: Candidates consistently tied the health of local watersheds, wildlife habitats, and ecosystems directly to the success of regional economies, including tourism, outdoor recreation, hunting, fishing, and grazing.
• Federal Capacity and Funding Shortfalls: Candidates expressed concerns over U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management understaffing and underfunding, noting that federal budget constraints directly impair trail management, wildfire response, and stewardship.
• Protecting Irreplaceable Wild Places: Candidates stressed the importance of keeping wilderness and other undeveloped public lands intact, noting that once these places are developed or degraded, they can be difficult or impossible to restore. Candidates raised concerns about development, mineral extraction, land transfers, or privatization that could alter landscapes or diminish their values.
• The Critical Power of Local Voices: Candidates emphasized that county commissioners must advocate for their constituents by engaging federal agencies, pushing back against top-down policy changes, and ensuring local perspectives drive federal land-use decisions.

Candidates also highlighted specific local landscapes that are important for local communities, including the Thompson Divide, Roan Plateau, Mt. Sopris, and the Maroon Bells-Snowmass, Hunter-Fryingpan, Flat Tops and Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Areas.

While county commissioners do not directly manage federal public lands, they serve as vital community partners, conveners, and advocates. These responses show that regardless of political affiliation, candidates recognize that our wild spaces are central to our quality of life and require strong local leadership to protect them from current and emerging challenges.

The full, unedited responses from all eight participating candidates—representing Republican, Democratic, and Unaffiliated parties—are publicly available to help voters make informed choices ahead of the November 3, 2026, election. Wilderness Workshop encourages all eligible voters to review the responses and make a plan to vote.

Full candidate responses are available on Wilderness Workshop’s website: https://wildernessworkshop.org/commissioner-candidate-questionnaire/

Participating Candidates by County and District

The following candidates received and completed the 2026 public lands questionnaire:

• Eagle County (District 3): Wendy Sacks (R) and Kathleen Brendza (D)
• Garfield County (District 1): Eric Rudd (R) and Jonathan Godes (D)
• Pitkin County (District 1): Rob Ittner (D) and John Doyle (U)
• Pitkin County (District 2): Ted Mahon (D) and Emily Kolbe (U)

About Wilderness Workshop
Wilderness Workshop is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting the wilderness, water, and wildlife of western Colorado’s public lands. As a nonpartisan organization, Wilderness Workshop does not support or oppose any candidates for public office.