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Release Date: August 11, 2010
WASHINGTON, DC—After an extensive review and public input process, Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) has released a discussion draft of legislation to create new wilderness areas in Eagle and Summit County, which have garnered broad consensus and are ready for legislative action. "Our mountain landscapes are something that we take great pride in here in Colorado," said Polis. "These areas are essential to our economy and our environment, and through this legislation we can ensure that more of our beautiful areas are preserved and can be enjoyed by our children for years to come." The discussion draft, titled the Summit and Eagle County Wilderness Preservation Act, would preserve a number of pristine Colorado wild areas by designating some areas as Wilderness, and designating others that have outstanding community needs, as special management areas. This bill would designate nearly 90,000 new acres of wilderness, and preserve an additional estimated 80,000 acres as special management areas or companion designations. "This discussion draft is the result of many long-hours spent bringing stakeholders together, poring over maps, and finding and building consensus within the community," said Polis. "We went to great efforts to take into account the reasonable needs of users and residents on all sides, and have produced a product that is ready to advance through the legislative process." The discussion draft is not to be considered final, but Polis hopes to introduce a bill this fall preserving areas currently ready for legislative action, while continuing to build consensus around other areas not appropriate for legislation at this time. While the ongoing citizen-led Hidden Gems wilderness proposal helped inform Polis' bill, his proposed legislation is the direct result of his public outreach process. Polis has also not ruled out introducing additional wilderness legislation in the future. "This proposal should by no means be considered a 'comprehensive' or 'Hidden Gems' wilderness bill," said Polis. "There is a still an ongoing discussion about other potential wilderness areas, and I will continue working with local governments, residents, and stakeholders on issues and areas that this legislation doesn't address." Eagle and Summit County Wilderness Preservation Act Resources: More information on Polis' draft legislation is available at www.polis.house.gov/wilderness.
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