Neguse, conservation groups to celebrate CORE Act at Outdoor Retailer

At the 2020 Outdoor Retailer Show in Denver, Congressman Joe Neguse, Conservation Colorado, the Wilderness Society, and other environmental stakeholders will celebrate the one-year anniversary of Congressman Neguse and Senator Michael Bennet’s Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act.

The legislation passed out of the U.S House of Representatives in October, ushered through by Congressman Neguse, making it the first major Colorado wilderness legislation to pass out of the U.S. House of Representatives in over a decade.

A reception will be held in the evening on January 30th in conjunction with the Outdoor Retailer Show. Neguse and others will give remarks on the progress of the legislation thus far and the work that lies ahead. 

In January 2019, Senator Michael Bennet and Congressman Joe Neguse introduced the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act, major Colorado wilderness legislation that was a culmination of more than 10 years of work by Coloradans. The legislation has broad local support from county commissioners, outdoor businesses, conservationists, and ranchers, including the counties of Eagle, Summit, San Juan, Ouray, San Miguel, Gunnison, and Pitkin and the towns of Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, Ridgway, Crested Butte, Ophir, Telluride and Basalt. 

“I’m incredibly pleased with the momentum we have seen for this legislation, it is a true testament to Colorado’s commitment to investing in our treasured public lands and outdoor recreation economy,” said Congressman Joe Neguse. “From Gunnison to Carbondale, to Eagle and Summit Counties, and so many other communities across our state, Coloradans have been waiting for over 10 years for Congress to act to preserve the lands they love. I was honored to lead passage out of the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year, and look forward to continued momentum in the Senate.”

“The swift action we’ve seen in Congress is evidence of the CORE Act’s wide-ranging base of support, and is well deserved after years of work by Coloradans to develop and fine tune the bill,” said Senator Bennet. “The outdoor industry’s presence in Colorado, and their support for the protections in the CORE Act, has been paramount to the progress we’ve made over the last year. The Outdoor Retailer Snow Show is a great opportunity to join with outdoor industry leaders and build on the momentum the CORE Act has already amassed as we look to pass the bill in the Senate.”

“The CORE Act demonstrates that protected public lands are common ground in Colorado,” said Brady Robinson, Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance.  “As nearly 30,000 people arrive to Denver to celebrate outdoor recreation and its growing and sustainable economy, the importance of protecting Colorado’s public lands couldn’t be more relevant. We applaud Congressman Neguse’s leadership on moving the CORE Act through the House of Representatives, and are hopeful we’ll be standing here next January celebrating the bill becoming law.”

“Our shared public lands are the backbone of Colorado’s $62.5 billion outdoor recreation economy,” said Jim Ramey, Colorado state director for The Wilderness Society. “The CORE Act continues a proud, bipartisan tradition of protecting our mountain peaks, streams and trails for future generations and it is no surprise that voters on the western slope support the bill by a two to one margin. It’s time for Senator Gardner to heed his constituents’ and business leaders’ calls to work with Senator Bennet and get this important legislation across the finish line.”