A subcommittee on Natural Resources heard testimony about a plan that sets aside 850,000 acres of federal land as wilderness, a designation would protect areas from road building, and other development.

“We can’t just let this just drift along indefinitely that at some point we have to act to preserve these very special resources,” said Rep. Diana Degette, D-Colo., who has introduced the legislation for the past 11 years.
 
Degette said her proposal has been constantly evolving and changing and this is the first time it has gotten a hearing on Capitol Hill. The latest version includes Red Cloud Peak and the wildlife areas of Beaver Creek near Colorado Springs.

"I have scaled back my bill over time to focus on those areas that are most deserving of protection and have the fewest potential conflicts,” Degette said.

Degette said her bill is urgent because the state’s population is getting larger and pressure to use public land for oil and gas drilling is growing. She pointed out a recent poll that shows more than 70 percent of Colorado residents support more wilderness and wild lands.

Still, the bill faces criticism.

"Major water uses could be curtailed causing severe economic hardship in my district, and the most important part of it is that it could jeopardize interstate compact agreements. This bill also does not have language that protects the existence of ditches and reservoirs that are within the areas proposed for wilderness,” Rep. John Salazar D-Colo., said.

Salazar has also introduced a wilderness bill. His legislation would preserve a region of the San Juan Mountains and it focuses on his district only. His regional approach is getting a lot of support from wilderness advocates, some of whom used the hearing to encourage Degette to take a similar region by region approach.

Others, like Denver lawyer Kent Holsinger, testified Degette’s wilderness bill would result in a massive federal takeover of private land that would hurt energy jobs.

“We have great concerns that this legislation would have significant economic impacts at a time when Colorado is facing a billion dollar budget deficit,” Holsinger said.

Not all the witnesses were tough on Degette’s proposal. Bill Dvorak runs his own outfitting company 90 miles west of Colorado Springs. He argued Degette’s plan would be good for the local rafting and tourism industry.

“It kind of is an addition to Colorado’s economy because a designated wilderness area in my experience has proven to be an actual good marketing tool, Dvorak said.

Both Colorado wilderness bills have their best chance of moving forward as long as Democrats remain in control of Congress. Still, they face a long legislative process before either comes to vote.