S.Amdt. 6002

The Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act is an amendment proposed by Mr. Bennet and Mr. Hickenlooper to be added to bill S. 4784. Its purpose is to expand protected lands, manage natural resources, and establish new conservation areas within the state of Colorado.

The amendment aims to add the following to the bill:

• Wilderness and Conservation Areas:

  • It adds several thousand acres to the National Wilderness Preservation System, including additions to the Lizard Head and Mount Sneffels Wilderness, and the creation of the McKenna Peak Wilderness.
  • It establishes three new Wildlife Conservation Areas: Porcupine Gulch, Williams Fork Mountains, and Spraddle Creek.
  • It designates the Williams Fork Mountains as a potential wilderness area with a path toward full wilderness designation.

• National Park System:

  • It establishes the Curecanti National Recreation Area as a unit of the National Park System, covering approximately 50,300 acres.

• Environmental and Resource Management:

  • It creates the Greater Thompson Divide Fugitive Coal Mine Methane Use Pilot Program to capture, use, or destroy fugitive methane emissions to improve air quality and public safety.
  • It withdraws specific lands in the Thompson Divide Withdrawal and Protection Area and other regions from mining, mineral leasing, and other disposal laws.

• Land and Site Designations:

  • It designates an interpretive site as the Sandy Treat Overlook.
  • It modifies the boundaries of the White River National Forest and adjusts the potential wilderness boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park.

• Administrative Rules:

  • It ensures the continuation of certain grazing rights, protects Tribal treaty rights and traditional uses, and clarifies that military overflights are not restricted.