A bill to protect 400,000 acres of public lands in Colorado passed out of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources on Wednesday.
The Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act would protect four areas in Colorado, including Thompson Divide and part of the Continental Divide. It was introduced in January by Congressman Joe Neguse and Sen. Michael Bennet.
The CORE Act would permanently protect 200,000 acres in the Thompson Divide from oil and gas development. It would also make the 10th Mountain Division training site at Camp Hale, near Leadville, a National Historic Landscape — the first in the country.
Pitkin County Commissioner Greg Poschman and Thompson Divide rancher Tai Jacober were among a group from Colorado who traveled to Washington to advocate for the bill.
