Bolts Ditch Access and Use Act

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

Mr. Speaker, I introduced H.R. 689, the Bolts Ditch Access and Use Act, at the request of our local community in my district, Minturn, Colorado. In Eagle County, Minturn really needs this legislation because it improves

public land and water management in my district.

The bill has bipartisan support. I thank Mr. Tipton and Mr. Lamborn for collaborating with me on this bill here in the House. I am thankful that Senator Gardner and Senator Bennet have partnered to pass this bill as well.

This legislation passed the House last session, but once again was held up in the Senate. I call upon the Senate, after House passage, to act expeditiously to put this matter to rest. I am very hopeful we can get it across the finish line soon.

I am grateful to the town of Minturn, to the conservation community, and to water utilities for working together for a commonsense solution that I am proud to support. This is an example of how we can truly solve any problem when everybody comes together and works together to solve it.

The need for this bill is to solve a vital local problem for the people of Minturn, Colorado, a town of about 1,000 people in Eagle County. The problem it fixes results from a mistake, an error, in the 1980 Wilderness Act, which inadvertently left Bolts Ditch off of the list of existing water facilities, where it should have been included.

This legislation would simply authorize the special use of the Bolts Ditch headgate and the segment of the Bolts Ditch within the Holy Cross Wilderness area, allowing Minturn to use rights that it already has, existing water rights, to fill Bolts Lake.

The residents of Minturn, including the mayor, whom I have met with, who brought this bill to me, as well as Coloradans across the central mountains, have long relied on water infrastructure like Bolts Ditch to access clean and affordable drinking water for our growing communities. This bill will ensure that the town of Minturn is able to utilize a crucial resource, and do so without compromising the sanctity of the surrounding wilderness areas.

I thank the Republican and Democratic staffs on the committee for working with us on this bill.

It is very important for the people of Minturn and for our central mountain region in Colorado to pass this bill into law. I urge its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful that this body is moving forward on the Bolts Ditch land boundary adjustment bill. I am hopeful that, after passage, the Senate will bring this bill up and pass it on until it becomes law to remove any encumbrances that Minturn has in accessing its preexisting water rights due to a clerical error from the 1980s. 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. 689) to insure adequate use and access to the existing Bolts Ditch headgate and ditch segment within the Holy Cross Wilderness in Eagle County, 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.

Since 1882, the town of Minturn, Colorado, has used Bolts Ditch to fill Bolts Lake, a place of recreation for the town and an important source of water for the surrounding community. When Congress passed the Colorado Wilderness Act in 1980, 450 feet of Bolts Ditch was inadvertently included in the Holy Cross Wilderness area, leading to questions and the town's ability to access this important infrastructure. After a discussion amongst stakeholders, the town agreed to seek a legislative solution to address this access issue.

This bipartisan bill, sponsored by Congressman Jared Polis and cosponsored by Congressman Tipton and myself, simply allows the Forest Service to issue a special use permit to the town of Minturn to allow nonmotorized access to maintain a headgate and water ditch in the Holy Cross Wilderness. This bill ensures the town will have access to Bolts Ditch for basic maintenance needs.

H.R. 689 was developed in consultation with the community and the Forest Service and enjoys support from a wide range of groups in the region. I urge adoption of the measure.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, February 6 and Tuesday, February 7, 2017, I was unable to return to Washington, DC for recorded votes due to inclement weather at home in the Puget Sound region. Had I been present, I would have voted:

``Yes'' on rollcall vote No. 79 (on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 689).

``Yes'' on rollcall vote No. 80 (on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 337).

``No'' on rollcall vote No. 81 (on ordering the previous question on H.Res. 91).

``No'' on rollcall vote No. 82 (on agreeing to the resolution H.Res. 91).

``No'' on rollcall vote No. 83 (on passage of H.J.Res. 44).

``No'' on rollcall vote No. 84 (on passage of H.J.Res. 57).

``No'' on rollcall vote No. 85 (on passage of H.J.Res. 58).

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, February 06, 2017, I missed two votes due to unavoidable travel delays in route to our nation's capital. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

On roll call No.79--H.R. 689, the Bolts Ditch Access and Use Act, I would have voted yes.

On roll call No. 80--H.R. 337, the Black Hills National Cemetery Boundary Expansion Act, I would have voted yes.