Since the election, it has been difficult for readers and opinion writers alike to get through a sentence without consuming or producing the words, fiscal cliff. After all, it has been the primary order of business for lawmakers at both ends of the National Mall, and with the Dec. 31 deadline looming, speculation and rhetoric is at its height. Publicly, though, action has thus far been elusive. That is not altogether or even a little bit unexpected, but in the shadow of these discussions, many items ripe for action are languishing unaddressed.
It need not be the case, and Colorados delegation has an opportunity to move some non-controversial measures that would add to the states collection of protected landscapes. By taking late-session action on the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act and the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act, Congress could turn the lame duck session into one of significance for Southwest Colorado. There is little to lose and much to gain in doing so.
The San Juan bill would protect more than 33,000 acres of pristine landscapes in San Juan, San Miguel and Ouray counties, extending wilderness designation to such icons as McKenna Peak in the Disappointment Valley northeast of Dove Creek, and additions to the existing Lizard Head Wilderness Area. It would also add a special management designation to the Sheep Mountain area that spans San Miguel and San Juan counties, giving increased protection to 21,000 acres of high alpine terrain while still allowing for activities not allowed in wilderness, such has helicopter-accessed skiing. The measure was crafted after several years of local input and received near universal support from stakeholders. Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet are co-sponsoring the legislation, and it has long been worthy of movement.
So, too, is the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act. The measure would protect more than 100,000 acres with a trio of management prescriptions ranging from wilderness designation to higher-impact uses that allow for mountain biking, off-road vehicle use in designated areas, as well as logging. This innovative bill resulted from an exhaustive collaborative, consensus-based stakeholder process held over two years to discuss shared values and methods available for protecting them. It is an excellent example of public involvement in policymaking and Sens. Bennet and Udall are again co-sponsors of the Senate bill encompassing the local groups efforts.
While both measures are small, targeted and have relatively isolated effect, there is significance in moving them. Doing so would protect in perpetuity some iconic wildlands that comprise the heart of Southwest Colorados landscape. The values economic, environmental, scenic, recreational, and otherwise inherent in that landscape are critical to the regions identity both to residents and visitors. Recognizing that via legislative action is the sign of an involved and responsive lawmaker that understands the physical, political and economic landscape of the region he represents.
By moving the San Juan Mountain Wilderness Act and the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act and the myriad other land-related protection bills being carried by lawmakers across the country Congress has an opportunity to demonstrate that it is capable of such involvement and responsiveness. For too long during the 112th, doubt has been building. How refreshing it would be to see it wane in the final days of the year.
