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<br />WilLIAM L. ARMSTRONG <br />COLORADO <br /> <br />oooll-"L <br />0~'iO'I? <br />. I '. () . <br /> <br />tlnitEd ~tatES ~rnatc <br /> <br />WASHINGTON. DC 20510 <br /> <br />ISSUES SUMMARY <br /> <br />Colorado Natural Heritage Preservation Act of 1990 <br /> <br />The Armstrong legislation has evolved from over five <br />years of consultation with thousands of Colorado citizens <br />and represents an effort to balance the preservation of <br />beautiful and unique natural areas in Colorado while <br />protecting private rights, jobs and a sound economy. The <br />bill addresses three major issues: <br /> <br />1) 471,875 acres of Colorado's beautiful high country <br />would be designated as National Wilderness Areas. These 14 <br />new areas would complete wilderness designation of <br />Colorado's National Forest lands and increase our state's <br />wilderness sytem to over 3 million acres. Passage of this <br />legislation would clear the way for designation of Bureau <br />of Land Management lands now under study for wilderness <br />suitabili ty. <br /> <br />2) 122,300 acres of outstanding high country would be <br />designated as National Recreation Areas. Creating this new <br />classification for four areas solves the dilemma of how to <br />protect and manage unique areas which do not qualify as <br />wilderness. Innovative use of this designation would <br />establish recreation as the priority use for this scenic <br />backcountry and protect its beauty while accomodating <br />pre-existing rights, uses and inholdings. <br /> <br />3. A solution to the water rights problem is advanced. <br />with language developed by Colorado's top water experts, <br />the bill clearly denies federal water rights for wilderness <br />purposes but provides a way for the federal land managers <br />to obtain essential state water rights for wilderness <br />areas. By utilizing Colorado's well-established instream <br />flow system, we can avoid massive disruption and damage <br />which would result from imposing new federal water rights <br />on our century-old water rights system. This is a balanced <br />solution which can break the five year impasse over <br />wilderness designation. <br />