Bruce F. Vento: “H.R. 1134 is a bill by the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. Skaggs] that addresses the complicated land-ownership pattern in…”

“H.R. 1134 is a bill by the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. Skaggs] that addresses the complicated land-ownership pattern in Clear Creek County, CO. This area was the locale of some of the earliest discoveries of gold and silver in Colorado. As a result, the Federal lands in the county have been fragmented by extensive patenting of mining claims. Some of the Federal lands in the county are now within the National Forest System. The remainder are under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management but, because of the fragmentation, are not readily manageable. As a result, BLM has proposed that they be added to the national forest or transferred out of Federal ownership. The purpose of H.R. 1134 is to facilitate that process, by providing for the transfer of lands from BLM to the Forest Service, to the State of Colorado, to Clear Creek County, and to local governments.”