Yesterday was a day of celebration, as two bills that CEC and our coalition partners [including CTU] have been working on for years (even decades) passed -- one federal, one at the state level.

Dominguez-Escalante NCA, protected with the passage of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act!

Victory for Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness In Congress, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, HR 146, passed the House yesterday. The bill (which includes the Rocky Mountain National Park and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness bills) would permanently protect more than 2 million acres of America's wilderness, including 316,000 acres in Colorado. The omnibus lands act would provide the greatest expansion of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 15 years and the first wilderness designation in Colorado since James Peak Wilderness was passed in 2002. With last week's passage by the Senate, the bill now heads to President Obama's desk, where it should be signed into law within a few days!

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Protections from drilling help create healthy energy industry In a major victory for Colorado’s future, the state Senate yesterday passed a broad series of new protections that will safeguard the state’s public health, environment and wildlife and promote a healthy, thriving energy industry. The new safeguards embody common-sense approaches such as prohibiting new oil and gas facilities within 300 feet of a public water supply, requiring companies to identify chemicals used in drilling and opening communication between oil and gas operators, the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to help protect wildlife and public health from long-term effects of drilling. We anticipate that Gov. Ritter will sign it into law sometime next week.

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Both of these bills represent a huge victory for public lands, healthy wildlife, and protecting Colorado's incredible natural beauty!

Thanks for all the work you've done one these bills over the last few weeks, months, and years!

Sincerely,

carrie