A 100,000-acre swath of southwest Colorado wilderness is now under federal protection that will preserve the area for use by outdoor enthusiasts.
President Barack Obama signed legislation on Friday that protects the Hermosa Creek Watershed area near Durango. Earlier in December, the U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act that included the Hermosa bill.
The legislation pulls together three parcels for protection, the Durango Herald reported:
Conservationists, Democrats and Republicans have backed the project, which has been in the works for years.
"Thanks to the diligent work of U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, U.S. Representative Scott Tipton, and local stakeholders in southwest Colorado, we are poised to add 108,000 acres of protected lands, including 37,236 acres of new wilderness, to the Hermosa Creek Watershed near Durango," Conservation Colorado Wilderness advocate Scott Braden said in a statement.
