Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and U.S. Representative Joe Neguse today announced the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act will receive a hearing in the House Natural Resources subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands, and has gained additional support from all members of the Colorado Democratic delegation and several key stakeholders.
The CORE Act hearing will take place on Tuesday, April 2nd. It will include testimony from Dan Gibbs, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources.
U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette (CO-01), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), and Jason Crow (CO-06) are cosponsors of the CORE Act. Since its introduction in January 2019, the legislation has received statements of support from several stakeholders, including the counties of Eagle, Summit, San Juan, Ouray, San Miguel, Gunnison, and Pitkin; the cities of Glenwood Springs and Carbondale; the towns of Ridgeway and Crested Butte; and the Outdoor Industry Association, Conservation Alliance, and Vail Resorts.
“The name of the bill says it all: We don’t have to choose between protecting public lands and boosting the economy. Coloradans reject that idea. We believe protecting the places we love drives economic growth,” Bennet said. “Congressman Neguse and I are grateful for the diligence of communities across Colorado who developed the CORE Act over the last ten years, and we welcome the support of our Colorado colleagues. We look forward to working with the relevant committees, both in the House and Senate, to move this bill forward.”
“I am proud to spearhead this effort in the House to protect Colorado’s precious public lands and boost our state’s outdoor recreation economy,” Neguse said. “I’m proud to see the CORE Act included as one of the first bills to be heard before the Natural Resources Committee, and am excited to have critical support from our colleagues in Colorado, local municipal leaders and the outdoor industry. We are seeing early momentum on this bill and I look forward to continued work to get this legislative package over the finish line.”
“Preserving and protecting Colorado’s natural landscape for future generations to enjoy has always been a one of our delegation’s top priorities,” DeGette said. “And this bill will help us do exactly that by setting aside hundreds of thousands of additional acres for Colorado’s residents and visitors to enjoy for years to come.”
“Colorado’s natural beauty and public lands are one-of-a-kind,” Perlmutter said. “By creating new wilderness areas, preserving existing public lands and protecting our world-class outdoor recreation opportunities, all Coloradans will be able to access the best of what Colorado has to offer today and for generations to come.”
“Colorado has a proud tradition of protecting public lands and the CORE Act continues that by ensuring that they will be there for future generations to come,” Crow said. “I'm pleased to join Senator Bennet and Rep. Neguse in supporting this historic bill that will help protect our wildlife and supports Colorado's outdoor recreational economy."