Arapaho National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act of 2017

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have introduced the Arapaho National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act, also known as the Wedge Act.

Frankly, Mr. Speaker, I wish all of my bills could come to the floor so quickly, within a week of introducing them. But I am very glad, on behalf of Grand County, which I am honored to represent, that we could move so expeditiously, at least through the House, through this body.

Once again, I will call upon the Senate, upon passage, to move on this bill. Again, this is another bill the House did its work on, we did pass last session, and the Senate failed to pass into law.

It is very important for Grand County. It is a commonsense protection of public lands. It was coordinated with local landowners and local officials, supported by the county commissioners and Federal land agencies.

The legislation involves a parcel of 10 lots in Grand County, which we and locals call the ``wedge.'' As indicated by its name, the parcel is wedged between Arapaho National Forest and Rocky Mountain National Park, effectively separating the two. Although the wedge is integral for the successful management of the public land, it remains outside of the National Forest Service boundary.

Millions of visitors already enjoy the parcel's beauty 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, in my district. The area is undeveloped. Seven of the ten parcels are already being managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The owners of the remaining parcels are all in favor of this bill. It is very important to point out that all of the stakeholders are supportive of this effort in statute.

Development of the wedge parcel would significantly affect the health of Rocky Mountain National Park and hurt the adjoining Colorado River headwaters. Not only would the development harm clean water for millions, but it could also harm the economic potential for what is truly a jewel of the National Park System, Rocky Mountain National Park, supporting millions of visitors in the surrounding communities.

In recognition of these potential threats to the quality and character, as well as the economy and jobs in the area, there has been significant support locally for this bill. Supporters include everyone from local officials, like the Grand County Commissioners and the town of Grand Lake, to conservation and outdoor recreation groups, including Headwaters Trails Alliance, Conservation Colorado, and the Rocky Mountain Nature Conservancy.

H.R. 688 simply responds to the wishes of my constituency--including the landholders in these areas, particularly those living in and around the wedge, as well as the visitors every year--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, just as we did when the House passed this exact bill last year.

This strong, bipartisan bill has the express support of my Colorado colleagues in both chambers, including the cosponsorship of Mr. Tipton and Mr. Lamborn, and introduction by Senator Bennet and Senator Gardner in the Senate.

It was passed out of the Natural Resources Committee unanimously last Congress and passed here on the House floor. Unfortunately, the clock ran out before the Senate was able to consider it. I am looking forward to, after expeditiously moving it out of this body, allowing the Senate to do their work and pass this bill into law.

I am extremely grateful for the House Natural Resources Committee's support of this bill. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this bill.

Furthermore, I call upon the United States Senate to bring up these series of bills that are very important to those of us like Mr. Tipton, Mr. Lamborn, and me, who represent areas with substantial public land where our constituents in the private sector, our residents, interact every day with issues around public land and land management. These issues will improve the quality of life in our communities. This bill will help improve the quality of the tourism experience, as well as the conservation goals of Rocky Mountain National Park.

I urge a ``yes'' vote.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 688) to adjust the boundary of the Arapaho National Forest, Colorado, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 688, sponsored by Congressman Jared Polis and cosponsored by Congressman Tipton and myself, would adjust the boundary of the Arapaho National Forest in the State of Colorado to incorporate 93 acres. It passed the House under suspension of the rules during the 113th and 114th Congresses.

The legislation would incorporate 10 undeveloped parcels of land into the Arapaho National Forest. The parcels sit between the Arapaho and the Rocky Mountain National Park and will help the Forest Service to better manage this land. The bill ensures that private landowners with parcels within the national forest will continue to have access through these parcels. Additionally, the land purchased by the Forest Service must be with the written consent of the landowner.

I urge adoption of the measure.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to just build on what my colleague was saying about the rest of his bills.

On this one, there is strong collaboration and consensus. I look forward to working with him to pass it. I will make an offer on the rest of his bills. If he lets me help him write them, I bet we could get them to the floor sooner.

In all seriousness, the Rocky Mountain National Park is a crown jewel of the National Park System. I believe it is in the top five of all parks in the entire country in terms of visitorship. It is very popular, and for good reason. It is a spectacular and accessible place near Boulder, Colorado, not far from Denver.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.