Arapaho National Forest Boundry Adjustment Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, the name Colorado is a Spanish word. It means the color red. ``Rado'' is an archaic version of the better known ``rojo.'' So Colorado--of course, the southern two-thirds of our State having been part of Mexico prior to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ceded the southern two-thirds of our State to the United States after our troops took Mexico City.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of legislation I was proud to author, the Arapaho National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act of 2015.

This legislation involves a parcel of 10 lots in Grand County, Colorado, nicknamed the ``wedge.''

As indicated by its name, this parcel of land is wedged between the Arapaho National Forest and the Rocky Mountain National Park, effectively separating the two. Although the wedge is integral to the successful management of both of these public spaces, it currently remains outside of the National Forest boundary. This parcel's beauty is enjoyed by millions of visitors who come by as they travel west from the 13,000-foot apex of the Rocky Mountains, along the Trail Ridge Scenic Byway, and into the destination Town of Grand Lake. The wedge is currently undeveloped, and 7 of its 10 parcels are already under management by the U.S. Forest Service.

The owners of each remaining parcel are all strongly in favor of this bill. Development of the wedge parcel would hurt the health of the Rocky Mountain National Park and harm the adjoining

Colorado River headwaters and hurt our economy on both sides of the park. In recognition of these potential threats to the quality and character of the area and to protect the enormous number of recreation industry jobs, again, on both sides of Rocky Mountain National Park--in Estes Park in Larimer County and in Winter Park in Grand County--there has been enormous local support for this locally driven bill, including support from the Grand County Board of Commissioners, the Town of Grand Lake, the Headwaters Trails Alliance, Conservation Colorado, and the Rocky Mountain Nature Conservancy.

H.R. 1324 simply responds to the wishes of my constituents, particularly those living in and around the wedge but also those with businesses and who operate in the tourism and construction industries on both sides of the Rocky Mountain National Park, by incorporating it into the Arapaho National Forest boundary and adding the lots owned by the Forest Service into the adjacent Bowen Gulch Protection Area.

This is a strong, bipartisan bill that has the express support of my Colorado colleagues in both Chambers. It was passed through the House Natural Resources Committee by unanimous consent in the 113th Congress, and it was voice voted out of the House shortly thereafter. While the clock ran out on moving this legislation through the Senate in the 113th Congress, I am very confident that we can get that done here in the 114th. Hopefully, the sooner the better. I am grateful for the House Natural Resources Committee's quick consideration of this bill, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of its passage.

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