DENVER – Today, the U.S. Department of Interior issued recommendations for 18 areas in nine states they deem as deserving Congressionally-designated protection as conservation lands or wilderness areas.  U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-1) was proud to announce that four key wilderness study areas in her Colorado Wilderness Act of 2011 (H.R. 2922) were included in the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) recommendations. 

“As a fourth-generation Coloradoan, I know firsthand that Colorado’s beautiful lands are one of our state’s greatest resources,” said DeGette.  “That is why I am particularly proud that today the Department of Interior recommended protecting four key areas of precious Colorado lands from my Wilderness Act.  These special lands not only provide clean air, clean water and critical wildlife habitat, they help drive tourism as our state’s number one economic engine.  It is critically important we protect these remaining wild areas so that future generations have access to the same benefits we enjoy today. Today’s BLM announcement brings us one step closer to making that a reality for these particular areas.” 

The four wilderness study areas from the Colorado Wilderness Act identified by the BLM today for Congressionally-designated protection are:

• McKenna Peak: With eroded adobe badlands presided over by imposing sandstone cliffs, McKenna Peak is a unique landform with important winter wildlife habitat for large numbers of deer and elk. 
•  Castle Peak: An unusual place among wilderness areas in Colorado, Castle Peak spans the mid-level elevations from 8,000-11,000 feet and supports a large range of plant and animal habitat, from mixed sage and grasslands, to aspen groves, to spruce-fir forest at higher elevations. 
• Browns Canyon: In Browns Canyon, streams cut steep gulches through pinkish granite and metamorphic rock, and pinyon-juniper forest gives way to Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and stands of aspen at higher elevations. 
• Bull Gulch:  Representing a remarkable ecological transition from the alpine source of the Colorado River to desert canyon country, Bull Gulch contains a labyrinth of twisting corridors and sculpted bowls carved through the maroon sandstone.

DeGette’s Colorado Wilderness Act of 2011 sets forth a balanced approach to protecting some of the last remaining wild places in Colorado.  The bill contains 28 proposed wilderness areas, as well as three smaller additions to existing wilderness areas, and in total would permanently protect nearly 700,000 acres of precious land.  

“Over the past 12 years, as I’ve worked on the Colorado Wilderness Act with citizens across the state, I’ve heard many different opinions, but those opinions are most often rooted in a set of shared statewide values.  Coloradoans want to preserve their history, their quality of life and their opportunities. 

“I am thrilled that today we mark an important milestone for some of these precious lands, and I remain committed to working with the Administration and my colleagues in Colorado until all the acres of precious land in The Act are protected for future generations.” 

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