The Colorado Outdoor Recreation & Economy Act was passed for the second time by the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, giving the Senate another opportunity to pass the measure after it was first sent to the chamber nine months ago as a standalone bill.
The CORE Act was successfully introduced as an amendment by Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., to the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual bill that provides a budget for the military and national defense initiatives and commonly attracts a variety of rider bills. Now that the Senate has passed its own version of the NDAA, the two chambers will meet in conference to determine whether provisions like the CORE Act will be put to a vote in both chambers.
“The CORE Act would create the first-of-its-kind National Historic Landscape at Camp Hale to honor the 10th Mountain Army Division and the legacy of Sandy Treat, a local WWII veteran, with an overlook named in his honor,” Neguse said in a statement. “As a result, the bill’s inclusion in the NDAA makes perfect sense, and I am proud to see its passage out of the House today.”
The CORE Act previously passed the House last fall. The bill would designate 80,000 new acres of recreation and conservation management areas, including the new Sheep Mountain Special Management Area west of Silverton that would be part of 61,000 protected acres in Southwest Colorado alone.
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, who has campaigned heavily against Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., on his record of supporting public lands, released a statement applauding the step and advocating for the CORE Act’s passage in the Senate.
“This is fantastic news for Colorado’s public lands and everyone who enjoys them,” Hickenlooper said. “Sen. Gardner needs to stop putting President Trump before Colorado and pass the CORE Act into law – or I’ll get it done next year as Colorado’s new U.S. senator.”
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., has been working with local officials throughout Colorado to design the CORE Act for 10 years, his office has said.
“The CORE Act was developed by Coloradans, and once again, the U.S. House of Representatives heard their voices loud and clear,” Bennet said. “Now, it’s up to the Senate to deliver, and the inclusion of the CORE Act in NDAA provides a real opportunity to see this across the finish line.”
Jacob Wallace is an intern for The Durango Herald and The Journal in Cortez and a student at American University in Washington, D.C.
