Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act (PAW+)
will work toward the vision of protecting
30% of our nation's public lands and waters by 2030
The U.S. House of Representatives on Feb. 26 approved the Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act (HR 803) that aims to permanently protect nearly three million acres primarily in Colorado and in Arizona, California, Maine, North Carolina, Oregon, Virginia, Washington.
The Colorado designations includetheColorado Wilderness Act (CWA) sponsored by Rep. Diana DeGette and theColorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act (CORE) co-sponsored by Rep. Joe Neguse and Sen. Michael Bennet.The CWA proposes 660,000 acres of Wilderness in 36 areas statewide, including six in the Arkansas Valley. The CORE's 400,000 acres on the West Slope is divided among several new Wildernesses, outdoor recreation lands and historic Camp Hale. Together both bills protect about 1.6% of the total area of the state.
The legislation has been sent to the Senate and referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
CWA: Badger Creek gathers waters across a wide expanse of land before flowing into the Arkansas River. Photo, Kate Spinelli
CWA: The Palisade is one of western Colorado's rugged canyon country Wildernesses. Photo, John Fielder.
CORE: designates a National Historic Landscape around Camp Hale to preserve and promote the 10th Mountain Division’s legacy. Photo, Sierra Club
Wild Connections' mission is to identify, protect, and restore wildlands, native species, and biological diversity in the Arkansas and South Platte watersheds.
They are the ancestral lands of the Ute, Cheyenne, Arapaho and other indigenous peoples.
