U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton will join in a celebration of the passage of the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act at noon Friday at the Powerhouse Science Center.
The event, scheduled from noon to 1 p.m., will include a slide show, comments from Bennet and Tipton, refreshments donated by Carver Brewing Co. and a light lunch, according to a news release Wednesday.
Bennet, D-Colo. and Tipton, R-Cortez, along with Sen. Mark Udall, sponsored the act in Congress. Attached to the nation’s defense bill, it passed the Senate on Friday after passing the House earlier in December and now awaits President Barack Obama’s signature, which is expected soon.
The Hermosa Creek act adds protections to more than 100,000 acres and includes 37,236 acres of federal wilderness. It is the result of a process begun six years ago by the Hermosa Creek Workgroup, which included recreationists, conservationists and other land users.
Friday’s event at the Powerhouse, 1333 Camino del Rio in Durango, will be co-hosted by the San Juan Citizens Alliance, Conservation Colorado, Trout Unlimited and the Wilderness Society.
johnp@durangoherald.com