Congressman John Salazar, D-Colo., was highly praised Jan. 21 at a House Natural Resource Committee hearing for his efforts to protect wilderness areas in southwest Colorado’s snow-capped San Juan Mountains.
The proposed legislation, supported by The Wilderness Society and known as the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act of 2009, would protect more than 60,000 acres of public lands within Colorado’s Ouray, San Miguel and San Juan counties, where majestic mountain peaks and outdoor recreation are the backbone of the area’s tourist economy.
