Colorado’s U.S. senators are joining a bipartisan effort to reauthorize the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act, a Western land program that sold unwanted federal lands in exchange for more desirable conservation areas. The act expired in 2011.
The bill, which was introduced by Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Dean Heller, R-Nev., is supported by a bipartisan coalition, including Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; Cory Gardner, R-Colo.; Tom Udall, D-N.M.; Mike Crapo, R-Idaho; Jon Tester, D-Mont.; and Steve Daines, R-Mont.
“Colorado’s heritage is rooted in the intrinsic value of our public lands,” Bennet said. “The conservation of these lands is crucial to our tourism and outdoor recreation industries and to ensuring that future generations of Coloradans will be able to enjoy them as we do. This bill gives federal land management agencies additional tools to preserve important parts of our state and help boost economic development without cost to taxpayers.”
The act, which Congress passed in 2000, generated more than $100 million for the conservation of public lands before it expired. The “land for land” program allowed federal agencies to preserve high-priority lands in the 11 contiguous western states and Alaska.
Because the program relied on the public sale of isolated or unwanted public lands to conserve pristine acreage, prime conservation areas were acquired at no cost to the taxpayer. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that reauthorization of the act would reduce the nation’s deficit by $5 million over 10 years.
According to The Conservation Fund, the land act allowed the Bureau of Land Management to acquire 4,500 acres for preservation within Colorado’s Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. The U.S. Forest Service was able to acquire 75 acres of threatened land within the White River National Forest’s Holy Cross Wilderness because of the program.
“Conserving and protecting the public lands Coloradans cherish is a bipartisan priority,” Gardner said. “FLTFA is a responsible program which benefits both conservation efforts and the private sector, leading to economic development while protecting critical public lands.”