TU Backs San Juan Wilderness

Rep. John Salazar’s bill will protect 60,000 acres of public land in Colorado

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congressman John Salazar’s introduction of the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act on Thursday has met with an enthusiastic response from Trout Unlimited, which represents 140,000 members nationwide and 10,000 in Colorado.

The bill, which includes 61,682 acres of public land on portions of Colorado’s Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison and San Juan National Forests, and the San Juan BLM Resource Area, will provide permanent protection for some of the state’s most renowned mountain areas – including Mt. Sneffels and Wilson Peak – as well as the top-quality fish and wildlife habitat that surrounds them.

“You would be hard-pressed to hand-pick a more gorgeous selection of mountain and basin scenery than this bill protects,” said David Petersen, Colorado Field Director for TU’s Sportsmen’s Conservation Project. “For hunters and anglers, tourists and backcountry recreation enthusiasts of every stripe, these areas comprise a ‘Heaven on Earth.’”

The proposed legislation, which has the support of the county commissions and communities affected by the bill, will add irreplaceable high-altitude acreage to the existing Lizard Head and Mt. Sneffels Wilderness Areas, and will designate over 8,500 acres of the McKenna Peak Wilderness Study Area as wilderness. Speaking on Thursday, Rep. Salazar emphasized the importance of granting wilderness status to these areas.

“San Miguel, Ouray and San Juan County representatives have expressed their hope that a portion of natural lands that surround them will be given a wilderness designation for future generations. These are lands which define the character and spirit of our great state and nation and as such, it is my honor today to introduce the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Bill.”

“Elk, deer, bighorn sheep, bears, a variety of birds and several world-class trout streams can be found in these areas,” Petersen added. “We are deeply grateful to Congressmen Salazar and his staff for their wisdom and tenacity in pulling these wilderness additions together. We encourage both houses of Congress to show pride in the best of wild America by passing the San Juan Wilderness Act unanimously.”

Trout Unlimited is a private, non-profit organization with 140,000 members dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.

Contact:

David Petersen (970) 259-3161

David Vackar (970) 769-0687