H.R. 7425: Colorado Wilderness Act of 2026

This bill, titled the Colorado Wilderness Act of 2026, aims to expand the National Wilderness Preservation System in Colorado by designating certain lands as wilderness areas. Here’s a summary of the key components of the bill:

Designations of Wilderness Areas

The bill proposes to designate multiple areas of land located in Colorado, totaling over 300,000 acres, as wilderness. These areas include:

• Bull Gulch Wilderness: Approximately 20,171 acres.
• Castle Peak Wilderness: Approximately 19,033 acres.
• Redcloud Peak Wilderness: Approximately 38,176 acres.
• Handies Peak Wilderness: Approximately 26,557 acres.
• McIntyre Hills Wilderness: Approximately 17,213 acres.
• Demaree Canyon Wilderness: Approximately 25,897 acres.
• Additional wilderness areas are also proposed, with specific acreages highlighted throughout the bill.

Management and Regulations

Once designated, these wilderness areas will be managed in accordance with the Wilderness Act, meaning that the land will be preserved in its natural state, with specific restrictions on development and resource extraction activities. The following points highlight the management approach:

• Grazing of livestock will be regulated under existing provisions for wilderness areas.
• The United States will retain authority over wildlife management in these areas, including state jurisdiction regarding fish and wildlife.
• No protective buffer zones will be created around the wilderness areas, allowing activities adjacent to the wilderness as long as they don’t disrupt the designated areas.

Water Rights and Access

The bill addresses water rights by ensuring that existing water rights are not affected by the new wilderness designations. Key points include:

• All existing water use and allocation rights will remain intact and unchanged.
• The Secretary of the Interior has the authority to secure necessary water rights to maintain river and stream flows for ecological purposes within the wilderness.
• Access routes for existing water facilities may continue to be used, maintained, or repaired.

Potential Wilderness Areas

Some areas designated as potential wilderness will only receive full wilderness status after the cessation of any nonconforming use. The specific areas include:

• Deep Creek Proposed Wilderness: Approximately 20,742 acres.
• Pisgah East Wilderness: Approximately 7,376 acres.
• Pisgah West Wilderness: Approximately 6,828 acres.

Military Activities

The bill allows for certain military activities to continue, including low-level overflights and navigation training exercises over designated wilderness areas, ensuring military operations are not restricted by the new designations.

Maps and Documentation

As part of the implementation of this bill, the Secretary will file maps and descriptions of the designated areas for public record, which will help clarify the exact boundaries and management considerations for the newly designated wilderness.

Acquisition of State and Private Lands

If private or state lands within the designated wilderness boundaries are acquired by the United States, they will automatically become part of the wilderness area. This will be conducted following the stipulations of the Wilderness Act.

Relevant Companies