Rep. Salazar introduces wilderness bill

Rep. John Salazar (D-Colo.) has introduced legislation that would designate 63,000 acres of land in San Juan, Ouray and San Miguel counties as wilderness or place restrictions on development there.

Under the proposed legislation, the following areas will receive Wilderness Area designations:

• 3,374 acres will be added to the existing Lizard Head Wilderness Area by the Blackface, Sunshine and Wilson additions.
• 9,086 acres will be added to the existing Mt. Sneffels Wilderness Area by the Liberty Bell and Last Dollar additions.
• 13,224 acres will be added to the existing Mt. Sneffels Wilderness Area by the Whitehouse addition.
• 8,614 acres of the McKenna Peak Wilderness Study Area will be designated as wilderness.

In addition, two other designations will be created by the proposed legislation:

• 22,582 acres will be designated as the Sheep Mountain Special Management Area. Currently, permitted uses including helisking will be allowed to continue indefinitely, but no new roads or other development will be permitted.
• 6,595 acres will be withdrawn from eligibility for mineral leasing in Naturita Canyon. No other uses in the canyon will be impacted.