[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 188 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 188

    To provide for a study of options for protecting the open space 
  characteristics of certain lands in and adjacent to the Arapaho and 
    Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 8, 2009

  Mr. Udall of Colorado (for himself and Mr. Salazar) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                      Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To provide for a study of options for protecting the open space 
  characteristics of certain lands in and adjacent to the Arapaho and 
    Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Colorado Northern Front Range 
Mountain Backdrop Protection Study Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to identify options that may be 
available to assist in maintaining the open space characteristics of 
land that is part of the mountain backdrop of communities in the 
northern section of the Front Range area of Colorado.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.
            (2) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Colorado.
            (3) Study area.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``study area'' means the 
                land in southern Boulder, northern Jefferson, and 
                northern Gilpin Counties, Colorado, that is located 
                west of Colorado State Highway 93, south and east of 
                Colorado State Highway 119, and north of Colorado State 
                Highway 46, as generally depicted on the map entitled 
                ``Colorado Northern Front Range Mountain Backdrop 
                Protection Study Act: Study Area'' and dated August 27, 
                2008.
                    (B) Exclusions.--The term ``study area'' does not 
                include land within the city limits of the cities of 
                Arvada, Boulder, or Golden, Colorado.
            (4) Undeveloped land.--The term ``undeveloped land'' means 
        land--
                    (A) that is located within the study area;
                    (B) that is free or primarily free of structures; 
                and
                    (C) the development of which is likely to affect 
                adversely the scenic, wildlife, or recreational value 
                of the study area.

SEC. 4. COLORADO NORTHERN FRONT RANGE MOUNTAIN BACKDROP STUDY.

    (a) Study; Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act and except as provided in subsection (c), the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) conduct a study of the land within the study area; and
            (2) complete a report that--
                    (A) identifies the present ownership of the land 
                within the study area;
                    (B) identifies any undeveloped land that may be at 
                risk of development; and
                    (C) describes any actions that could be taken by 
                the United States, the State, a political subdivision 
                of the State, or any other parties to preserve the open 
                and undeveloped character of the land within the study 
                area.
    (b) Requirements.--The Secretary shall conduct the study and 
develop the report under subsection (a) with the support and 
participation of one or more of the following State and local entities:
            (1) The Colorado Department of Natural Resources.
            (2) Colorado State Forest Service.
            (3) Colorado State Conservation Board.
            (4) Great Outdoors Colorado.
            (5) Boulder, Jefferson, and Gilpin Counties, Colorado.
    (c) Limitation.--If the State and local entities specified in 
subsection (b) do not support and participate in the conduct of the 
study and the development of the report under this section, the 
Secretary may--
            (1) decrease the area covered by the study area, as 
        appropriate; or
            (2)(A) opt not to conduct the study or develop the report; 
        and
            (B) submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
        of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
        House of Representatives notice of the decision not to conduct 
        the study or develop the report.
    (d) Effect.--Nothing in this Act authorizes the Secretary to take 
any action that would affect the use of any land not owned by the 
United States.
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