Denver — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper celebrated the completed sale of a 31.1-acre parcel of federal land from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to Mesa County for economic development on Monday as directed by their bipartisan Clifton Opportunities Now for Vibrant Economic Yields (CONVEY) Act.
“I welcome the news that the Bureau of Land Management will convey approximately 31 acres of land to Mesa County to spur economic development in Clifton,” said Bennet. “This is a model for how public land transfers should happen—carefully considered, locally supported, small in scale, and clearly in the public interest.”
“Mesa County is ready to put this land to work to create new economic opportunities,” said Hickenlooper. “Our rural communities know best what they need. We are always ready to help Colorado counties cut through red tape to achieve important goals.”
The bipartisan CONVEY Act directed the Secretary of the Interior to convey 31.1 acres of federal land near Clifton to Mesa County. BLM previously identified the parcel of land as suitable for disposal. Mesa County has long supported the purchase, and plans to use the land to encourage economic development in the town of Clifton.
The 31 acres are part of a 39-acre parcel originally withdrawn to the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) for the Grand Valley Reclamation Project, but BOR has since relinquished the 31 acres considered in the sale. The CONVEY Act required the sale to be conducted at fair market value.
Bennet and Hickenlooper originally introduced the CONVEY Act in July 2024 and celebrated its passage later that year. The bill was signed into law on January 4, 2025.