Below is a summary of the positive wilderness legislation that is pending in the current Congress [for the Four Corners states — other areas also have legislation pending].
COLORADO
Colorado Canyon Wilderness (H.R. 2305): The measure would designate over 1.6 million acres of Wilderness in western Colorado on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and some adjacent National Forest lands. The measure was introduced by Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) on 6/3/03 and has been referred to the House Resources Committee.
Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness (H.R. 640): The bill would designate portions of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado as Wilderness. The measure was introduced by Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) on 2/5/03 and has been referred to the House Resources Committee.
NEW MEXICO
Ojito Wilderness Act (S. 1649/H.R. 3176): The measure, which was introduced on 9/24/03, would designate the approximately 11,000-acre Ojito Wilderness Study Area northwest of Albuquerque as Wilderness. The measure would also allow certain adjacent land managed by the BLM to be taken into trust for the Pueblo of Zia to be managed as open space. In the Senate, the bill is sponsored by Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and co-sponsored by Pete Domenici (R-NM) and in the House the measure is sponsored by Rep. Tom Udall (D-NM) and co-sponsored by Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM). The measures were referred to the House Resources Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which held a hearing on the Senate bill on 2/12/04.
UTAH
America’s Redrock Wilderness (H.R. 1796/ S. 639): The bill would designate over nine million acres of land managed by the BLM in Utah as Wilderness. The measure is sponsored in the House by Rep. Hinchey (D-NY) and in the Senate by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL). The bill currently has 161 co-sponsors in the House and
15 in the Senate and was referred to the House Resources and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committees respectively.