Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act on a bipartisan basis for the second time, incorporating the collaborative, locally-driven bill to protect 400,000 acres of Colorado public lands bill into must-pass bipartisan legislation.
John Hickenlooper strongly supports the CORE Act, dating back to his opposition to drilling in Thompson Divide as governor. But Senator Cory Gardner has refused to support the wilderness bill, calling it a “partisan, political tool” despite bipartisan support from every county the bill impacts. Without Gardner’s support, the CORE Act hasn’t moved forward in the Republican-controlled Senate.
“This is fantastic news for Colorado’s public lands and everyone who enjoys them,” said Hickenlooper. “Conservation advocates, outdoor recreation businesses, ranchers, veterans, environmentalists, and people who simply enjoy our public lands have been working across party lines on this bill for a decade. Senator Gardner needs to stop putting President Trump before Colorado and pass the CORE Act into law — or I’ll get it done next year as Colorado’s new U.S. Senator.”
The CORE Act now moves to the Senate as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. The bill also passed the House last fall.
