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Amends the Colorado Wilderness Act provision cited at 16 U.S.C. 1132 (section 2(a)(11)) by striking the text '1993,' and inserting replacement text (replacement text not provided in this section).
Alters the application of the reference in 16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(4) by specifying that its reference to the Wilderness Act's effective date shall be treated as a reference to the date of enactment of this Act for purposes of administering the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Addition.
Designates an addition to the Sarvis Creek Wilderness in Colorado and clarifies how that addition will be administered. It defines terms used for the new addition, confirms that wilderness protections apply as of the date the law is enacted, preserves tribal treaty rights and access for traditional, religious, and cultural uses (subject to law), and authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to take limited actions to control wildfire, insects, and disease consistent with the Wilderness Act and any terms the Secretary sets.
Defines “Sarvis Creek Wilderness Addition” as the land added to the Sarvis Wilderness by the amendment made by section 3(a).
Defines “Secretary” to mean the Secretary of Agriculture.
Amend Section 2(a)(11) of the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993 by striking "1993," and inserting . (This is a textual amendment to the existing statutory provision.)
For administration of the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Addition, treat the reference in section 4(d)(4) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(4)) to the effective date of that Act as a reference to the date of enactment of this Act. This changes which date is used when applying the Wilderness Act’s timing provisions to the Sarvis Creek addition.
Nothing in this Act affects the treaty rights of any Indian Tribe.
Primary impacts are on tribal communities, federal land managers, local residents, and public land users. Tribal communities gain an explicit statutory right to access the new wilderness addition for traditional, religious, and cultural practices (subject to applicable law), strengthening protection of treaty-based uses. The Secretary of Agriculture (and the Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture) will administer the added acreage under the Wilderness Act framework and may undertake limited, specified interventions to control fire, insects, and disease—actions that otherwise can be tightly restricted in designated wilderness. Local communities and recreational visitors will see the area managed as wilderness, which generally limits mechanized use, new roads, and permanent structures; at the same time, emergency or resource-protection activities (fire/insect/disease control) are authorized within the scope the Secretary sets. The Act, as described, does not provide new spending authorizations or impose unfunded mandates on state or local governments.
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Introduced April 8, 2025 by John Wright Hickenlooper · Last progress April 8, 2025
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Introduced in Senate