[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 28, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H2488-H2489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        ARAPAHO NATIONAL FOREST BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 2015

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 1324) to adjust the boundary of the Arapaho National 
Forest, Colorado, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1324

       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 ``Arapaho National Forest 
     Boundary Adjustment Act of 2015''.

     SEC. 2. ARAPAHO NATIONAL FOREST BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.

       (a) In General.--The boundary of the Arapaho National 
     Forest in the State of Colorado is adjusted to incorporate 
     the approximately 92.95 acres of land generally depicted as 
     ``The Wedge'' on the map entitled ``Arapaho National Forest 
     Boundary Adjustment'' and dated November 6, 2013, and 
     described as lots three, four, eight, and nine of section 13, 
     Township 4 North, Range 76 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, 
     Colorado. A lot described in this subsection may be included 
     in the boundary adjustment only after the Secretary of 
     Agriculture obtains written permission for such action from 
     the lot owner or owners.
       (b) Bowen Gulch Protection Area.--The Secretary of 
     Agriculture shall include all Federal land within the 
     boundary described in subsection (a) in the Bowen Gulch 
     Protection Area established under section 6 of the Colorado 
     Wilderness Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 539j).
       (c) Land and Water Conservation Fund.--For purposes of 
     section 200306(a)(2)(B)(i) of title 54, United States Code, 
     the boundaries of the Arapaho National Forest, as modified 
     under subsection (a), shall be considered to be the 
     boundaries of the Arapaho National Forest as in existence on 
     January 1, 1965.
       (d) Public Motorized Use.--Nothing in this Act opens 
     privately owned lands within the boundary described in 
     subsection (a) to public motorized use.
       (e) Access to Non-Federal Lands.--Notwithstanding the 
     provisions of section 6(f) of the Colorado Wilderness Act of 
     1993 (16 U.S.C. 539j(f)) regarding motorized travel, the 
     owners of any non-Federal lands within the boundary described 
     in subsection (a) who historically have accessed their lands 
     through lands now or hereafter owned by the United States 
     within the boundary described in subsection (a) shall have 
     the continued right of motorized access to their lands across 
     the existing roadway.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Bishop) and the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Tsongas) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 1324 would adjust the boundaries of the Arapaho National Forest 
in the State of Colorado to incorporate 93 acres. This land may be 
acquired only with the written permission of the landowners, and this 
bill preserves motorized access for the landowners within the new 
boundary.
  An identical bill, H.R. 4846, passed this Congress by a voice vote 
last year. It is appropriate that it is with us again.
  I am here to make sure that everyone mentions the fact that this is 
found in Colorado, not Colorado.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis), the sponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, the name Colorado is a Spanish word. It means 
the color red. ``Rado'' is an archaic version of the better known 
``rojo.'' So Colorado--of course, the southern two-thirds of our State 
having been part of Mexico prior to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 
which ceded the southern two-thirds of our State to the United States 
after our troops took Mexico City.

                              {time}  1700

  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of legislation I was proud to author, 
the Arapaho National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act of 2015.
  This legislation involves a parcel of 10 lots in Grand County, 
Colorado, nicknamed the ``wedge.''
  As indicated by its name, this parcel of land is wedged between the 
Arapaho National Forest and the Rocky Mountain National Park, 
effectively separating the two. Although the wedge is integral to the 
successful management of both of these public spaces, it currently 
remains outside of the National Forest boundary. This parcel's beauty 
is enjoyed by millions of visitors who come by as they travel west from 
the 13,000-foot apex of the Rocky Mountains, along the Trail Ridge 
Scenic Byway, and into the destination Town of Grand Lake. The wedge is 
currently undeveloped, and 7 of its 10 parcels are already under 
management by the U.S. Forest Service.
  The owners of each remaining parcel are all strongly in favor of this 
bill. Development of the wedge parcel would hurt the health of the 
Rocky Mountain National Park and harm the adjoining

[[Page H2489]]

Colorado River headwaters and hurt our economy on both sides of the 
park. In recognition of these potential threats to the quality and 
character of the area and to protect the enormous number of recreation 
industry jobs, again, on both sides of Rocky Mountain National Park--in 
Estes Park in Larimer County and in Winter Park in Grand County--there 
has been enormous local support for this locally driven bill, including 
support from the Grand County Board of Commissioners, the Town of Grand 
Lake, the Headwaters Trails Alliance, Conservation Colorado, and the 
Rocky Mountain Nature Conservancy.
  H.R. 1324 simply responds to the wishes of my constituents, 
particularly those living in and around the wedge but also those with 
businesses and who operate in the tourism and construction industries 
on both sides of the Rocky Mountain National Park, by incorporating it 
into the Arapaho National Forest boundary and adding the lots owned by 
the Forest Service into the adjacent Bowen Gulch Protection Area.
  This is a strong, bipartisan bill that has the express support of my 
Colorado colleagues in both Chambers. It was passed through the House 
Natural Resources Committee by unanimous consent in the 113th Congress, 
and it was voice voted out of the House shortly thereafter. While the 
clock ran out on moving this legislation through the Senate in the 
113th Congress, I am very confident that we can get that done here in 
the 114th. Hopefully, the sooner the better. I am grateful for the 
House Natural Resources Committee's quick consideration of this bill, 
and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of its passage.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I encourage people's votes for this 
great bill from the gentleman from Colorado, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 1324.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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