WASHINGTON — Rocky Mountain National Park would gain protection from development, and four other Colorado areas would gain federal help under a major lands bill backers hope to put to a vote before Congress’ August recess.
The legislation packages 96 bills on new national parks, wilderness and heritage areas, and water proposals. It passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee just before the July 4 recess.
“This package of bills will help us protect some of Colorado’s signature places,” said Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., who sits on the energy committee.
The wilderness measures in the bill would preserve more than 900,000 acres of federal land in Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Virginia and West Virginia, including 250,000 acres in Rocky Mountain National Park. Although the backcountry of the park is managed as wilderness, the bill would ensure permanent protection.
Passing major land legislation has proved thorny before, however. Republican Sen. Wayne Allard of Colorado has concerns about the Rocky Mountain National Park bill.
When a bill on the park from Allard and Salazar was folded into the larger legislation, language was changed on how much liability the water company in the park would have for future problems.
Water Supply & Storage Co. of Fort Collins manages the Grand River Ditch, a 17-mile water diversion project built before the park was created. It supplies water to 40,000 acres of farmland in Weld and Larimer counties.
The issue of liability for the company has long been a sticky one. After a lengthy disagreement, Salazar and Allard last year came together on legislation that insulated Grand River Ditch from many lawsuits.
But the Bush administration and leaders on the energy committee opposed that, fearing it would set a precedent.
The language now in the bill protects the company from “acts of God,” damage due to a third party or events it can’t prevent, but holds it liable for problems the company caused.
Allard said that threatens the ability of the water company to serve residents. “I can’t tell you how very, very concerned I am about the language,” he said.
Allard and Salazar are working on the language along with others on the committee, aides to both said.
Allard would not say if he’d block the bill if the original language isn’t restored, saying only: “I’m prepared to do whatever’s necessary to get that language change.
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Anne C. Mulkern: 202-662-8907 or amulkern@denverpost.com
