Neguse Amendment to Attach the CORE Act to the NDAA Passes the House
the CORE Act passes the House for a 2nd time as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act
Washington D.C. —Today, an amendment led by Congressman Joe Neguse which would add the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act, or the CORE Act, as well as the Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The amendment is cosponsored by Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl Grijalva, lead sponsor of the Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act.
See Congressman Neguse debating the amendment on the House floor here.
“It has been nearly 9 months since the House of Representatives passed my bill, the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act, and still the Senate has not taken the legislation up or brought it to Committee for consideration,” said Congressman Joe Neguse. “The CORE Act was carefully-crafted by Coloradans over the last decade and they deserve to see this bill—which would conserve treasured public lands in our state and make major investments in our outdoor recreation economy—considered by the Senate. The CORE Act would create the first-of-its-kind National Historic Landscape at Camp Hale to honor the 10th Mountain Army Division and the legacy of Sandy Treat, a local WWII veteran, with an overlook named in his honor. As a result, the bill’s inclusion in the NDAA makes perfect sense, and I am proud to see its passage out of the House today.”
“The CORE Act was developed by Coloradans and, once again, the U.S. House of Representatives heard their voices loud and clear. For over a decade, communities across our state have worked together in an effort to protect public lands and secure outdoor recreation opportunities, which are vital to our state’s economy,” said Senator Bennet. “Now, it’s up to the Senate to deliver, and the inclusion of the CORE Act in NDAA provides a real opportunity to see this across the finish line. I’m grateful to Congressman Neguse for his leadership and tireless work to pass the CORE Act in the House, again. I will keep pushing for bipartisan support of the CORE Act in the Senate so we can finally sign this long standing Colorado priority into law.”
The Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act was carefully crafted by Coloradans over the last 10 years, each of the bill’s provisions have been considered and are supported by the local communities they would impact. The bill would preserve approximately 400,000 acres of public land in Colorado. Of the land to be protected, about 73,000 acres are new wilderness areas, and nearly 80,000 acres are new recreation and conservation management areas that preserve existing outdoor uses, such as hiking and mountain biking. The bill also includes a first-of-its-kind National Historic Landscape to honor Colorado’s military legacy at Camp Hale.
The CORE Act is supported by a majority of the Colorado delegation, the counties of Summit, Eagle, San Juan, Ouray, San Miguel, Gunnison and Pitkin, the cities of Glenwood Springs and Carbondale, and the towns of Ridgway, Crested Butte, Ophir, Telluride and Basalt.
The following resources for the CORE Act are available below: