Congress·In Committee·H.R. 1728

House Committee Reviews Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act to Protect Public Lands, Block New Mining

Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov

Part of: Congress Advances Major Colorado Wilderness and Conservation Protections

⏸

Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

Would set aside large areas of federal land in Colorado as new or expanded wilderness, plus new conservation and special management areas, which generally means less development and more protection.
Creates wildlife conservation areas in parts of the White River National Forest (including a migration corridor over Interstate 70), with limits on new roads, heavy equipment, and commercial timber cutting.
Sets up the Thompson Divide Withdrawal and Protection Area to block new mining and most new oil and gas leasing there, while offering lease credits if current leaseholders give up certain leases.
Starts a pilot program to find and reduce leaking methane from coal mines in parts of western Colorado, including possible leases to capture the gas for energy or to destroy it safely.
Creates the Curecanti National Recreation Area (about 50,300 acres) in the National Park System, generally allowing boating, hunting, and fishing while giving the Park Service clearer authority and planning duties.

EnvironmentClimate ChangeEnergyInfrastructureAgriculture

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Mixed Impacts(1)

Farmer Rancher

Neutral

Positive Impacts(1)

Tribal Member

Helps

State Impacts

ColoradoCO

Mixed

Creates/expands multiple wilderness and conservation designations on federal land across Colorado; withdraws certain areas from new mineral leasing; creates a methane pilot program in Garfield/Gunnison/Delta/Pitkin Counties; and establishes the Curecanti National Recreation Area as a National Park System unit (about 50,300 acres) with continued boating/hunting/fishing but possible safety zones/closures.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 27, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Feb 27, 2025

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Soon after the law takes effect

Some new wilderness and conservation boundaries start being managed under the new rules

Expect updated maps/signs and possible changes in where motor vehicles, bikes, or new roads are allowed in the newly designated areas

Related News

3 articles

POLITICO·almost 2 years ago

Feds bar new drilling, mining in Colorado’s Thompson Divide

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland signed a public lands order withdrawing over 221,000 acres in western Colorado from new mineral leasing for 20 years. The action, a core component of the CORE Act, was hailed by conservationists but criticized by industry groups as a hurdle to domestic production.

Colorado Public Radio·over 3 years ago

President Joe Biden declares Camp Hale a national monument

President Biden used the Antiquities Act to designate the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, a 53,804-acre site honoring WWII veterans. The designation protects a major portion of the CORE Act, though other elements like the San Juan Mountains protections remain stalled in Congress.

Colorado Public Radio·over 3 years ago

As CORE Act stalls, supporters continue to hope the Colorado land legislation will become law someday

Despite passing the House multiple times, the CORE Act faces a deadlock in the Senate. Opponents, including Rep. Lauren Boebert and several Colorado county commissioners, argue the wilderness designations limit land use, increase wildfire risks, and ignore the concerns of rural communities.