116 S241 IS: Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act U.S. Senate 2019-01-28 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

II116th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 241IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESJanuary 28, 2019Mr. Bennet introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesA BILLTo provide for the designation of certain wilderness areas, recreation management areas, and conservation areas in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title; table of contents

(a)

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act. (b)

Table of contents

The table of contents for this Act is as follows:Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings. Sec. 3. Definition of State. TITLE I—Continental Divide Sec. 101. Definitions. Sec. 102. Colorado Wilderness additions. Sec. 103. Williams Fork Wilderness. Sec. 104. Tenmile Recreation Management Area. Sec. 105. Porcupine Gulch Wildlife Conservation Area. Sec. 106. Williams Fork Wildlife Conservation Area. Sec. 107. Camp Hale National Historic Landscape. Sec. 108. White River National Forest boundary modification. Sec. 109. Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness boundary adjustment. Sec. 110. Arapaho National Forest boundary adjustment. Sec. 111. Bolts Ditch access and use. Sec. 112. Administrative provisions. TITLE II—San Juan Mountains Sec. 201. Short title. Sec. 202. Definitions. Sec. 203. Additions to National Wilderness Preservation System. Sec. 204. Special Management Areas. Sec. 205. Release of Wilderness Study Areas. Sec. 206. Administrative provisions. TITLE III—Thompson Divide Sec. 301. Purposes. Sec. 302. Definitions. Sec. 303. Thompson Divide Withdrawal and Protection Area. Sec. 304. Thompson Divide lease exchange. Sec. 305. Methane leasing in Lower North Fork Valley. Sec. 306. Effect. TITLE IV—Curecanti National Recreation Area Sec. 401. Definitions. Sec. 402. Curecanti National Recreation Area. Sec. 403. Acquisition of land; boundary management. Sec. 404. General management plan. Sec. 405. Boundary survey.

2.

Findings

Congress finds that— (1)Coloradans value public land and have a long and proud history of balanced, varied, sustainable use of public land for agriculture, energy development, recreation, and other purposes; (2)public land— (A)is an essential part of the Colorado way of life and what makes the State a desirable place to live, work, and visit; and (B)provides for— (i)a clean water supply; (ii)access to recreational opportunities, including hiking, backpacking, camping, mountain biking, skiing, climbing, snowmobiling, off-highway vehicle travel, and rafting; (iii)high-quality wildlife habitat and migration corridors that support at-risk species and big game animals important to hunters and anglers across the United States; and (iv)grazing land that supports the agricultural economy of the State; (3)outdoor recreation on public land is a key component of the economy of the State, supporting large and small businesses and communities statewide; (4)according to the Outdoor Industry Association— (A)71 percent of Colorado residents participate in outdoor recreation each year; and (B)in Colorado, outdoor recreation generates— (i)$28,000,000,000 in consumer spending annually; (ii)229,000 direct jobs; (iii)$9,700,000,000 in wages and salaries; and (iv)$2,000,000,000 in State and local tax revenue; (5)the wilderness, conservation, and recreation areas in this Act will— (A)protect— (i)3 highly visible mountain peaks with an elevation of at least 14,000 feet (commonly known as Fourteeners), including Mt. Sneffels, Wilson Peak, and Quandary Peak; and (ii)many well-known smaller peaks; (B)preserve iconic landscapes across Colorado; (C)conserve important wildlife habitat; (D)safeguard important watersheds that provide many communities a supply of clean drinking water; (E)protect valuable, high-quality land for biking, skiing, and other road- and trail-based recreation; and (F)provide access to world-class hunting and fishing opportunities; (6)the Camp Hale National Historic Landscape designation honors the legacy of the 10th Mountain Division, the members of which— (A)trained at Camp Hale; (B)contributed to the United States victory during World War II; and (C)went on to help create the modern outdoor industry in Colorado, including several iconic Colorado ski areas; (7)the Thompson Divide in western Colorado— (A)supports a robust agriculture-based economy; (B)provides outstanding recreation and hunting opportunities to the public; (C)serves as important spring and summer grazing land for ranching operations; and (D)was described by President Theodore Roosevelt as a great, wild country; (8)the National Park Service has formally recommended that Congress legislatively establish Curecanti as a National Recreation Area with a new legislative boundary; (9)Curecanti National Recreation Area— (A)includes an abundance of natural features in a setting of reservoirs, canyons, pinnacles, cliffs, and mesas; (B)includes Blue Mesa Reservoir, the largest body of water entirely contained in Colorado and home to an outstanding fishery; (C)offers the public outstanding opportunities for recreation; and (D)is 1 of the few remaining units of the National Park Service that has never been legislatively established by Congress; (10)the provisions contained in this Act are the result of years-long, locally driven, collaborative efforts from a diverse set of stakeholders regarding the management of public land in Colorado; and (11)this Act will provide long-term certainty for management of public land in Colorado, protecting the relevant areas in perpetuity for the benefit of the people of the United States.

3.

Definition of State

In this Act, the term State means the State of Colorado.