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Congresswoman Lauren Boebert Introduces the House Companion to the Bipartisan Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act

August 2, 2022

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert introduced the House companion to the bipartisan Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act, which would designate a portion of the Dolores River Canyon as a National Conservation Area (NCA) and a Special Management Area (SMA) and protect private water rights.

Congresswomen Lauren Boebert said, “This locally-driven, bipartisan bill is a public lands compromise put forth by local stakeholders that threads the needle. H.R. 8601 protects the Dolores River Corridor, conserves wildlife, and ensures scenic public lands for future generations while still protecting private water and private property rights. This well-crafted legislation ensures traditional uses like grazing, uranium mining and other mineral extraction, and motorized-vehicle use will continue. Importantly, this bill prevents a wild and scenic river designation in perpetuity, something that would negatively impact all the aforementioned uses. The hard work of everyone who came to the table to make this happen should be applauded.”

Background:

Congresswoman Boebert’s bipartisan Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act, H.R. 8601, is the identical House companion to the bill introduced by Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper.

Nearly two decades in the making, the proposed National Conservation Area and Special Management Area would span three counties (Dolores, San Miguel, and Montezuma) covering 68,851 acres in the San Juan National Forest and the Dolores River Corridor.

In the 1970s this stretch of the Dolores River was deemed suitable for a Wild and Scenic River (WSR) federal designation by the Bureau of Land Management. A WSR designation would not be in the best interest of rural Colorado since it would include a new federal reserved water right, negatively impacting existing private water rights.

Congresswoman Boebert is a strong advocate for private water rights, and she introduced the Western Water Security Act to prevent federal water grabs.

In response to the threat of a WSR negatively impacting private water rights, the Dolores River Dialogue (a coalition of diverse interests, focused on improving the ecological conditions of the McPhee Reservoir) formed the Lower Dolores Plan Working Group. This working group brought together a diverse and bipartisan group of about 50 local stakeholders, representing water users, ranchers, farmers, boaters, conservationists, outdoor enthusiasts, private property owners, mining companies, off-highway vehicle enthusiasts, and others.

The Lower Dolores Plan Working Group was tasked with submitting a report to the public land managers regarding the Dolores Corridor Plan to find an alternative to the potential WSR designation. After weighing their findings and the available options, the Lower Dolores Plan Working Group decided to pursue a NCA designation. By creating a NCA designation, the threat of a WSR designation is neutralized.

In 2008, the Legislative Subcommittee of the Lower Dolores Plan Working Group drafted the Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act. Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper introduced a version of this bill, and Congresswoman Boebert introduced the House companion bill.

This bill would designate the section of the Dolores River in question as a NCA and eliminate it from WSR candidacy, permanently preserving the river and protecting private property and water rights.

This legislation will not infringe on private property rights or on the jurisdiction of local county governments. The NCA management plan will only impact preexisting public land in the designated area. Additionally, nothing in the bill will prohibit or mandate actions on private land.

This legislation will ensure that community-led conservation continues. The bill will create an 11-person Dolores River National Conservation Area Advisory Council to advise the Secretary of the Interior on issues impacting the Dolores River and local communities.

Supporters of the Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act include: San Miguel CountyDolores CountyUte Mountain Ute TribeMontezuma CountyDolores River Boating AdvocatesThe Wilderness SocietyAmerican Rivers, Conservation Lands FoundationAmerican WhitewaterSan Juan Citizens AllianceConservation Colorado, and Sheep Mountain Alliance.

A map of the proposed Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area is available here.

The full text of the Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act is available here.

House co-sponsors of Congresswoman Boebert’s Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act include Ken Buck (CO-04) and Doug Lamborn (CO-05).

For additional background, see fact sheet courtesy of Senator Bennet’s office.