Salazar celebrates passage of Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area act

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the United States House of Representatives passed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, by a vote of 285-140. Among the pieces of individual legislation in the bill was the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Act which will conserve water and land resources in approximately 210,000 acres of federally-owned land on the Uncompahgre Plateau in lands in Montrose, Delta, and Mesa Counties. On the passage of the Act, Congressman Salazar offered the following statement: 
 
“This legislation is an important and historic step to better protect this land and water in Mesa, Montrose and Delta Counties,” he said. “I am proud to have sponsored this bill in the House and I’m honored to continue the hard work of other legislators including that of Secretary Salazar. This bill has broad support and I am glad that we were able to pass it and preserve this remarkable piece of Colorado’s heritage.”

THE DOMINGUEZ-ESCALANTE NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA ACT: 
• Designates approximately 210,000 acres of federally-owned land on the Uncompahgre Plateau as the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area (NCA), of which approximately 65,000 acres would be designated as the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area.
• Directs the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) develop a comprehensive management plan for the long-range protection and management of the Conservation Area; and (2) establish the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Advisory Council to advise the Secretary on the preparation and implementation of the management plan.
• Designates certain lands in Mesa, Montrose, and Delta Counties as wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, to be known as the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area.
• Is intended to conserve and protect the unique and nationally important values of certain public land in Mesa, Montrose, and Delta Counties and the water resources of area streams that are necessary to support aquatic, riparian, and terrestrial species and communities.

The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 now goes to the President for consideration.