Mount Sneffels and Lizard Head Public Lands

Colorado Wilderness Bill Clears Committee

By Jule Banville, 7-01-10

	The western end of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado (this section of the San Juans is also known as the Sneffels Range), looking northeast from Mt. Wilson in the San Miguel Range. At center is the San Miguel River Gorge, and to its right is the town of Telluride and the slopes of the Telluride Ski Area. Photo by G. Thomas and used under the public domain license.

A bill that would protect some of Colorado’s most picturesque mountains cleared committee this summer and will head for a full vote of the House soon.

The San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act introduced by Rep. John Salazar, D-Manassa, proposes to permanently protect 60,000 acres in Southwest Colorado, designating half of them as wilderness. The area includes the slopes of Mount Sneffels and Wilson Peak, two of the state’s “fourteeners.”

Durango resident Mike Matz, director of the Pew Environment Group’s Campaign for America’s Wilderness, told Eric Mack of Public News Service the bill would benefit Coloradans who ride horses, hike and fish in remote places, as well as the economies of Dolores, Norwood and Telluride.

There is a an add-on that dilutes the bill, according to Metz. The House Natural Resources Committee committee tacked on an amendment from Utah Republican Rob Bishop that would allow hunters to use non-motorized wheeled carts to pack out their game.

“I’ve hunted in the Lizard Head Wilderness, which this bill expands. It’s difficult terrain, but people who need to use those carts generally don’t hunt in those kinds of areas,” Metz said.

In addition to general protection, nearly 22,000 acres in the San Juan and San Miguel counties will be designated as the Sheep Mountain special-management area.

Existing uses of the land, such as heli-skiing, will be allowed, but passage of the bill into law would cut off new roads and development.

Read the full bill here.

CORRECTION: The original post indicated the bill would expand public lands. It will protect existing public land. NewWest regrets the error.

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