[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 2, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S2111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ALLARD:
  S. 503. A bill designating certain land in the San Isabel National 
Forest in the State of Colorado as the ``Spanish Peaks Wilderness''; to 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.


                  SPANISH PEAKS WILDERNESS ACT OF 1999

  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, wilderness is described in the law as 
lands that are, ``* * * in contrast with those areas where man and his 
own works dominate the landscape, * * * an area where the earth and its 
community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a 
visitor who does not remain.'' With today's introduction of the Spanish 
Peaks Wilderness bill congressmen Scott McInnis, Bob Schaffer and I are 
setting aside around 18,000 acres of land that more than meets the 
intent of the authors of the 1964 Wilderness Act. This land will be an 
important addition to wilderness in Colorado.
  Spanish Peaks had been considered for inclusion in previous 
wilderness bills. However, because of unresolved issues it was not 
appropriate to designate it in the past. Those issues included various 
inholdings, the use of an old access road in the wilderness area, as 
well as the potential coal bed methane production on portions of the 
land. Those issues have either been resolved in this bill or they have 
been resolved through other methods. The resolution of these issues has 
maintained the integrity of the proposed wilderness area as well as 
protecting the needs of the local community.
  Because of this, the legislation should have the backing of the local 
community, Colorado environmental groups, and the majority of the 
Colorado delegation. There is no reason why it cannot be passed 
quickly.
  All Colorado wilderness bills should go through the process this bill 
went through. Congressman McInnis, Congressman Schaffer and I decided 
that cooperation, consensus, and communication were essential to 
success. Therefore, we casted our net broadly for concerns, and when 
they were raised in good faith we actually sat down and worked them 
out. I have been struck by the fact that when people are given the 
opportunity to be part of the process they feel like they have a stake 
in the outcome and they try to be constructive in their criticisms. 
Because of constructive critics like the Huerfano County Commissioners, 
this legislation is better now then it was when they first looked at 
it.
  Whil the legislation is complete, we are still seeking clarification 
on one point. The Huerfano County Commissioners are seeking to have a 
trail that is slightly inside the wilderness area, as designated in the 
legislation, excluded. My staff has spoken with the local Forest 
Service staffer and they appear to have no objection to this change. It 
is still uncertain whether we actually need to change the legislation 
to do this or whether the map can be adjusted by the Forest Service 
without any legislative changes. If it is the former than we will make 
that change prior to passing it out of the Senate. If it is the latter, 
we will exchange letters with the Forest Service to ensure we are 
talking about the same trail in the same place. This change should not 
be of concern. It is only slightly inside the boundaries and any 
changes we make to exclude it would be of only a slight impact on the 
entire designation.
  I want to thank Congressman McInnis, Congressman Schaffer, and the 
local community for working through this process. When the Colorado 
delegation works as a team they work the best for the State of 
Colorado.
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