Colorado Wilderness Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. CROW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Protecting America's Wilderness Act.

I would first like to thank my friends and colleagues in the Colorado delegation, Congressman Joe Neguse, Congresswoman Diana DeGette, and Senator Michael Bennet for their leadership on this package.

Colorado's identity is closely tied to nature. Colorado is home to four national parks, 42 State parks, and a wide variety of outdoor activities ranging from hiking, to camping, and skiing. Our public lands are central to the Colorado way of life, and I want to ensure that future generations can enjoy these treasures just as my children do now.

The conservation package we are considering today will grow the outdoor recreation economy, help create jobs, and protect hundreds of thousands of acres of Colorado land for future generations.

The Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act will establish the first-ever national historic landscape at Camp Hale. Now, Camp Hale was the training ground of the storied 10th Mountain Division, an elite unit trained in mountain climbing and skiing. They fought valiantly in World War II, and many of them later returned to Colorado, where they helped establish the U.S. ski industry.

This is particularly important to my family as my wife's grandfather served in the initial 10th Mountain during World War II and was actually wounded in fighting in Italy. As a veteran, and a Coloradan, I believe it is important to honor their service and their legacy, and to preserve this historic landscape so that we can tell the story to future generations.

I commend my Colorado colleagues for their work on this effort and their commitment to our public lands, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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