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<br />j I. t. ::t3r, <br /> <br />Wilderness battle ., <br />"~A~~~~~~;~~PW-~eh-?91~afr' <br />state's wildemess controversy has Irt CalmS aes <br />,beendescribe<lbySen.TimWinh, m"slead'lng publ'lC <br />.D-Colo, as "the last great range <br />, ,- .. ' on his bid to add <br />Wirth. who spoke in CatIon City <br />.Sotu<day,,,,,,..dwilderneuo.. acreage to wilds <br />nents of mounting a <br />. ormation campaign about his <br />. to add thouS3llds of acres to <br />ado's wilderness areas. <br />e assailed the role played by <br />do Springs officWs, smgling <br />~_ Harold MiskeL who heads reo <br />'~.ce planning for the city's de- <br />ent of utilities. On the advice <br />e department, the city counciJ in <br />" unanimously voted for a res. <br />opposing Wirth's wilderness <br /> <br /> <br />t's happening on the other <br />lie is a massive campaign of <br />. ormation and misinformation," <br />'W",Itth said, speaking to the Colorado <br />EfMronmental Coalition's annual <br />erness conference. <br />_ . . kel and others in the Colorado <br />-" .1pter developmenl community have <br />F~ i~d Wirth's bill, which they say <br />. ";fould establish a wilderness water. <br />~ ..dgbts precedent that could weaten <br />:- . the ability of the state in the future <br />I. ;tofully de\.elop its water. <br />~"'.~... Wirth and those in the environ- <br />, ~' otal lobby deny the bill will in- <br />, fringe upon any water projects. <br />'. ey say the water rights iuue is <br />. . ' g u~ as an excuse by those <br />>1 '" simply oppose the addition of <br />1 'any' more wilderness areas in the <br />sute. <br />,:$1., <br /> <br />n<' <br /> <br />Water providers in the slate also <br />say Wirth's bill would decide a feder. <br />allawsuit in favor of the Sierra Club. <br />in that case, which has been ap- <br />pealed to the 10th Circuit Court of <br />Appeals, a federal judge ruled that <br />whenever a wilderness is created, <br />water within its boundaries are auto- <br />maticaUy reserved for the purpose <br />of protecting wilderness valu~. <br />Wirth's bill contains language ac. <br />knowledging the existence of such <br />implied water rights - a point that <br />Miskel and other water providers <br />are unwilling to concede. <br />The state's two announced U.S. <br />Senate candidates. Democrat Buie <br />Seawell and Republican Rep. Hank <br />Brown, also spoke to the CEC con. <br />ference, which featured a collection <br />of most of lhe sUle', politically im. <br />portant environmental groups. <br />Seawell has long since given his <br />support to Wirth's bill, while <br />Brown's position on various deuils <br />has been leS5 clear. <br />On Saturday. Brown acknowl. <br />edged that Wirth makes "a valid <br />point" by including only alpine head. <br />. W1ter areas thal are relatively free <br />of water rights conflicts. <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />WF <br /> <br /> <br />b <br />n <br />