STAFF REPORT

WASHINGTON — As he prepared to leave the U.S. Senate to serve in President Elect Barack Obama’s cabinet, U.S. Senator Ken Salazar on Thursday helped pass by a large margin the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 that includes provisions that preserve areas in Salazar’s native San Luis Valley.

Included in the bill that will now go to the House of Representatives for consideration were the Baca National Wildlife Refuge Management Act and the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Act.

The Baca National Wildlife Refuge Management Act will amend the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000 to assist in the administration of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge in the San Luis Valley. The act defines the purpose of the refuge as one, “...to restore, enhance, and maintain wetland, upland, riparian, and other habitats for native wildlife, plant, and fish species in the San Luis Valley.”

Salazar said, “The lands in the Baca National Wildlife Refuge are a special part of the San Luis Valley. The bill we passed today will help preserve and enhance the natural beauty of these lands by providing a working framework for managing the refuge. Having fought for this important legislation for years, I am pleased that we are one step closer to getting it across the finish line and signed into law.”

Senator Salazar was an original co-sponsor of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge Management Act in the last Congress. Though the bill received unanimous support from the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last year and had strong support from local communities, it ultimately did not receive consideration on the Senate floor.

The Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Act would establish a national heritage area (NHA) in Conejos, Costilla, and Alamosa counties.

“With its rich history and unrivalled natural beauty, the San Luis Valley is truly one of our nation’s crown jewels,” said Senator Salazar. “This NHA designation will help communities protect their cultural and natural assets, while spurring local economic development. I applaud the citizens and organizations in the Valley for their work to fulfill the criteria for becoming an NHA set forth by the National Park Service, and I am proud of the great progress this bill has made.”

Senator Salazar introduced the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Act during the 110th Congress. The legislation authorizes the federal government to provide up to $10 million matching funds over 15 years to rehabilitate historic structures, protect cultural and natural resources, develop tours, establish exhibits or programs, and increase public awareness of the Sangre de Cristo NHA. The bill ensures that private property rights and water rights are in no way affected by the creation of the National Heritage Area.

In passing the omnibus legislation in the senate by 73-21 on Thursday, Salazar said, “I have worked on these important bills since my first days in the U.S. Senate. They reflect the input of local communities throughout Colorado and will help us protect the land and water that is fundamental to our way of life.”

U.S. Senator Mark Udall said he was also pleased with the passage of the legislation on Thursday. He said he had authored a number of the bills included in the legislation while he served in the House of Representatives and was gratified to see their passage in the senate.

“The passage of this bill in the Senate marks the culmination of many years of work by many Coloradans,” Udall said.

“The omnibus public lands bill will ensure that future generations of Americans experience the beauty of Western landscapes. For Coloradans, this package makes good on long-discussed efforts to preserve the Front Range Mountain Backdrop, and resolves a Nixon-era promise for wilderness at Rocky Mountain National Park. The bill also takes an important step toward protecting water supplies for the Arkansas Valley.”

Summaries of the Colorado land and water bills, besides those already mentioned, that are included in the legislation are below:

THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK WILDERNESS ACT

The bill would designate approximately 250,000 acres of backcountry in Rocky Mountain National Park as wilderness. It includes key agreements reached in the 110th Congress that help protect water rights and water delivery through RMNP to northern Colorado communities, provide the possibility of constructing a bicycle trail along the Western edge of the park, and allow for continued efforts to mitigate the impacts of bark beetles and to prevent and combat forest fires.

THE DOMINGUEZ-ESCALANTE NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA ACT

The bill would designate 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.

THE ARKANSAS VALLEY CONDUIT ACT

The bill would establish a 65% federal cost share for the construction of he Arkansas Valley Conduit, a proposed 130-mile water delivery system from Pueblo Dam to communities throughout the Arkansas River Valley. The Conduit was originally authorized in 1962 as part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas project.

THE JACKSON GULCH REHABILITATION ACT

The bill would authorize $8.25 million in federal funding to rehabilitate the Jackson Gulch irrigation canal, which delivers water from Jackson Gulch Dam to residents, farms and businesses in Montezuma County. In addition to providing supplemental agricultural water for about 8,650 irrigated acres and a domestic water supply for the Mesa Verde National Park, the Mancos Project also delivers water to the more than 500 members of the Mancos Rural Water Company, the Town of Mancos and at least 237 agricultural businesses.

THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAIN BACKDROP PROTECTION STUDY ACT

The bill would direct the Forest Service to work with local communities along the Front Range to identify ways in which they can protect open spaces and natural resources near the Arapahoe-Roosevelt National Forest. The study required by the bill would have no effect on private property rights or local planning processes.

THE SOUTH PARK NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA ACT

The bill would designate South Park in Park County, Colorado, as a National Heritage Area. The area would help protect 19 working ranches along 30 miles of stream corridor and 17,000 acres of wetlands and agricultural lands in the headwaters of the South Platte River. The legislation authorizes up to $10 million in federal matching funds over 15 years to help protect historic, cultural, natural, and recreational resources. The National Heritage Area would be managed by local citizens and organizations, but the National Park Service will provide administrative and technical support.

THE CACHE LA POUDRE RIVER CORRIDOR NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA TECHNICAL ADJUSTMENT ACT

The bill would fix a problem in the law that originally established the Cache La Poudre River National Heritage Area in 1996. Because of a glitch in the statute, the Secretary of Interior has been unable to appoint a commission to manage the heritage area. This bill designates a local non-profit organization, the Poudre Heritage Alliance, as the management entity for the heritage area. It also extends the authorization for the area for an additional ten years, to allow for a total of $10 million in federal assistance for historic, cultural and natural resource preservation.