Sponsors (2)
The bill protects and consolidates large areas of public land to secure recreation, habitat, and wildfire management benefits while shifting costs and restricting extractive uses and certain recreation access, trading economic and access flexibility for conservation and public-safety gains.
Residents, visitors, and nearby communities gain long-term protection and recreation access over roughly 129,000 acres through multiple wilderness, Special Management Area, and National Recreation Area designations, preserving scenery, habitat, and outdoor tourism opportunities.
Local communities and visitors retain and improve recreational opportunities and associated local economic benefits (boating, fishing, hunting, trails, events) through new recreation area designation and allowances for certain permitted activities and bicycle corridors.
Residents and nearby towns get increased capacity for proactive hazardous fuels, insect, and disease treatments and other land-management actions, reducing wildfire risk to communities and infrastructure.
Ranchers, miners, and energy developers face significant restrictions as thousands of acres are withdrawn from mining, mineral leasing, timber harvest, and some grazing, reducing local resource jobs, royalties, and future development options.
Trail users, motorized recreationists, some bicyclists, and people who rely on vehicle access (including some disabled visitors) will face new prohibitions or limits on motorized/mechanical use, permanent roads, and certain trail access, constraining recreation and access for some users.
Taxpayers may incur new federal costs for land acquisition, expanded management responsibilities, mapping, developing management plans, and possible appropriations to cap or destroy unleased methane sources or support program incentives.
Based on analysis of 10 sections of legislative text.
Introduced February 27, 2025 by Michael F. Bennet · Last progress February 27, 2025
Designates multiple new wilderness areas, wildlife conservation areas, and special management areas across federal lands in Colorado; withdraws specified lands from many mining and leasing laws; creates the Curecanti National Recreation Area; and sets up a Bureau of Land Management pilot to inventory and capture fugitive methane from coal mines. The bill lays out management rules, access limits, grazing and permitting processes, land transfers between federal agencies, and timelines for maps, plans, and certain administrative actions.