Arapaho National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act of 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. POLIS. I thank the gentleman from Arizona and the gentleman from Alaska.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the legislation that I was proud to author, the Arapaho National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act of 2014, H.R. 4846.

This legislation involves a parcel of 10 lots that we call the ``wedge'' in Grand County, Colorado, in the Second Congressional District. The wedge is located just north of the town of Grand Lake and west of the famous Rocky Mountain National Park. Come visit. It is called the ``wedge'' because it is actually a wedge of land which divides the Arapaho National Forest from the Rocky Mountain National Park. Although this parcel is integral to the successful management of these public lands, the wedge is currently outside of the national forest boundary.

I drafted this bill after receiving a lot of feedback and strong local support to incorporate the wedge into the Arapaho National Forest to make sure that this undeveloped land is enjoyed by the millions of visitors who travel west from the top of Rocky Mountain National Park on the Trail Ridge Road scenic byway.

The U.S. Forest Service already owns seven of the 10 parcels, which are already being managed as part of the Arapaho National Forest. There is a nonprofit, the Rocky Mountain Nature Association, that owns one lot, and two lots are owned by private landowners. We have worked with the landowners and the other adjacent landowner, in order to craft this legislation, as well as local government. As a result, all interested parties have sent in letters of support.

The bill is simple. It incorporates the wedge into the Arapaho National Forest boundary; it adds the lots owned by the Forest Service to the adjacent Bowen Gulch Protection Area; and it authorizes the Federal Government to purchase land in the designated area from willing sellers.

The bill is important because the development of the wedge parcel has an important impact on the scenic beauty of the Rocky Mountain National Park. It is also a key driver of our economy in northern Colorado, and it could negatively harm the adjoining Colorado River headwaters if we don't appropriately deal with the wedge parcel. As such, the surrounding communities and landowners all support this idea that preserves the scenic qualities that the wedge has for the area.

The bill is a community-driven effort. I received letters of support from the Grand County Board of County Commissioners, the Town of Grand Lake, the Headwaters Trails Alliance, Conservation Colorado, all three affected landowners, and, of course, many aspects of the tourism industry strongly support this bill as well.

I am very grateful that the House Natural Resources Committee quickly considered this legislation and unanimously passed this legislation on September 18. I urge my colleagues on the floor to similarly support this legislation here today.

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