Sen. Bennet Introduces Protections for San Juan Mountains

Although this news is several months old I just found out about this piece of legislation, known as the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act, and fully support it, as some trails in the San Juan Mountains are being overrun and need further protection:

Earlier this year, in April, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet introduced the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act to protect approximately 61,000 acres of land located in the heart of the San Juan Mountains in Southwest Colorado. The bill would designate some of the state’s most iconic peaks as wilderness areas, including two fourteeners: Mount Sneffels and Wilson Peak.

“We must do our part in Washington to push this bill across the finish line,” Bennet said. “Not only are these iconic landscapes vital to outdoor recreation and local economies, but they also stand as a symbol of our public lands legacy in Colorado—a legacy we must pass onto our kids and grandkids. I’m grateful to all of the county commissioners and leaders who have tirelessly worked to advance this effort for over a decade, and I’m particularly grateful to Commissioner Hilary Cooper, who has played an instrumental role in shaping the legislation we introduced today.”

This legislation is the result of years of collaboration among San Miguel, San Juan, and Ouray Counties. Originally introduced in 2009, the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act passed the House Natural Resources Committee unanimously in 2010 and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in 2013.

Since 2009, Bennet has worked closely with local leaders in Southwest Colorado to update and advance the bill in the Senate. In March of this year he joined supporters in Ouray County to renew their efforts to pass the legislation. Bennet looks forward to engaging with all stakeholders and interested parties to hear any additional input on the legislation.

In addition to the expansion and designation of new wilderness areas, the legislation would create the Sheep Mountain Special Management Area, which would provide special protection for the Ice Lakes Basin.

For more information, please click here for a map of the areas impacted, and click here for the text of the bill.



Jeff
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