|
The number two official at the Bureau of Land Management told Congress that the agency supports a bill to protect the Dolores River and surrounding landscape in southwest Colorado. The legislation would protect more than 68,000 areas of public lands, including 45,000 acres of BLM-managed lands and 15,000 acres of national forest.
Nada Wolff Culver, BLM's deputy director of policy and programs, testified during a committee hearing for the Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act, saying the bill “continues Colorado’s long tradition of locally driven conservation efforts guided by the people who live and recreate in western Colorado to protect these special places for future generations.”
The bill is backed by Democratic senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper in the Senate, and all three of Colorado's Republican representatives, Lauren Boebert, Doug Lamborn, and Ken Buck, introduced identical legislation in the House.
During the hearing, Bennet said the bill was the product of nearly two decades of compromise, and the resulting legislation protects native fish, honors water rights, provides certainty for farms and ranches, and helps Colorado's outdoor recreation economy.
“The bill represents a balanced, sensible way forward to resolve many of the longstanding disagreements, protect the river for all parties and provide long-term certainty for generations,” Bennet said.
Earlier this year, the Center for Western Priorities visited the Dolores River Canyon as part of our Road to 30: Postcards multimedia series.
Podcast: How Biden can reach 30x30
Even bipartisan bills like the Dolores Act face an uphill battle in the next Congress, where a narrowly divided House appears unlikely to pass any major legislation. On the latest episode of CWP's podcast, The Landscape, Aaron and Kate talk to Drew McConville and Sam Zeno from the Center for American Progress about their new report, which identifies the top eight actions Biden can take to meet his America the Beautiful goal of protecting 30 percent of American lands and waters by 2030. Listen now or subscribe on Apple Podcasts.
|
The critical part about what’s been happening and what 
