The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is expected to vote on the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act out of committee today.
The CORE Act would protect more than 400,000 acres of land in the state through new wilderness, recreation, and conservation areas in the Thompson Divide, the Continental Divide, the San Juan Mountains, and the Curecanti National Recreation Area.
The act can also establish new protection protocols for the historic Camp Hale, where the storied Tenth Mountain Division trained during World War II.
Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper sponsored the bill. Bennet, who actively worked to have elements of the bill passed for years, said if it passes, it could be the “most significant public lands bill for Colorado in a quarter of a century.”
“I think there’s a high probability we’re going to get it done this year,” said Hickenlooper, who ran for Senate promising to pass the bill. “I think this is the year that the logjam breaks.”
At a news conference, he and others before the committee meeting emphasized that Coloradans drafted the elements of the bill.
“This is exactly the kind of local, carefully constructed agreement that you’ll find throughout the CORE Act,” Bennet said. “And it’s more evidence, I think, to our Senate colleagues that this bill wasn’t written in Washington. It was written in Colorado from the ground up to ensure that every line in this bill reflects local values and local interest.”
Bennet also said another instance of the on-the-ground compromise that shaped the bill was an agreement between the town of Crested Butte and mining company Freeport-McMoRan.
The agreement included around 19,000 acres of land in the Thompson Divide portion of the bill to prevent future mining while the company receives a beneficial land exchange. It is expected to be offered as an amendment to the bill during the committee markup.
Over a decade ago, Rancher Bill Fales was one of many Coloradans that gathered and discussed how to protect the land outside his backdoor.
“Frankly, we’re struggling, and we need some certainty, and that’s what this legislation will give us,” Fales said. “I really hope this Senate committee … can move it to the full vote of the Senate so we can get some final resolution to this. After, what? Thirteen years.”
But not all local officials support the bill. Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, like her predecessor, has opposed the bill, describing it as “a partisan land grab.”
The CORE Act has passed the House several times. However, this vote is the furthest it has ever reached in the Senate, which many supporters cautiously celebrated.
If the bill passes the committee, the next step could be the Senate floor. With a 50-50 chance, it could still have a hard lift with the Senate calendar filling up and election season getting into full swing.
This article originally appeared on The Durango Herald.
It’s wonderful to hear that the CORE Act has garnered bipartisan support and reflects community input. Protecting 400,000 acres is a remarkable step for Colorado’s conservation efforts.