Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
Establishes the Dolores River National Conservation Area and a Dolores River Special Management Area in Colorado, assigns BLM and Forest Service management duties, creates an advisory council, protects valid existing rights, preserves Dolores Project and McPhee Reservoir operations, limits motorized use to designated routes or emergencies, and clarifies that private property and regulatory authority are not expanded.
Who Benefits and How
Dolores River recreation users benefit from conservation-area and special-management-area designations that preserve river landscapes while maintaining designated access. Wildlife, fisheries, scenic, cultural, and riparian-resource conservation interests benefit from management standards for BLM and Forest Service land. Local governments, Tribal representatives, agricultural interests, conservation users, and recreation users benefit from seats or input through the Dolores River National Conservation Area Advisory Council. Dolores Project users and McPhee Reservoir operators benefit because the bill preserves existing Bureau of Reclamation responsibilities and water operations. Private landowners benefit from explicit protection against new implementation costs or new federal regulatory authority over private property.
Who Bears the Burden and How
BLM land managers and Forest Service land managers must administer the new conservation and special management areas, develop or revise management plans, coordinate with the advisory council, and enforce motorized-use limits. Motorized recreation users bear restrictions because covered land is limited to routes designated for motorized use except for administration or emergencies. Future mineral, infrastructure, or incompatible land-use interests may face more scrutiny under conservation-area management. Advisory Council members must meet and provide recommendations without receiving regulatory authority.
Key Provisions
- Defines the Dolores River Conservation Area, Special Management Area, Council, Secretary, State, and related covered lands.
- Establishes the Dolores River National Conservation Area on BLM-administered land in Colorado.
- Requires the Interior Secretary to manage the Conservation Area under FLPMA and the Act's conservation purposes.
- Creates the Dolores River National Conservation Area Advisory Council.
- Establishes a Dolores River Special Management Area managed by the Agriculture Secretary under forest law and this Act.
- Limits motorized vehicle use on covered land to designated routes, administrative needs, or emergencies.
- Preserves Dolores Project, McPhee Reservoir, water rights, valid existing rights, private property, and existing regulatory authorities.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Establishes the Dolores River National Conservation Area and a Dolores River Special Management Area in Colorado, assigns BLM and Forest Service management duties, creates an advisory council, protects valid existing rights, preserves Dolores Project and McPhee Reservoir operations, limits motorized use to designated routes or emergencies, and clarifies that private property and regulatory authority are not expanded.
Key Policy Areas
Public Lands, Water, Colorado, Conservation
Primary Purpose
Establishes the Dolores River National Conservation Area and a Dolores River Special Management Area in Colorado, assigns BLM and Forest Service management duties, creates an advisory council, protects valid existing rights, preserves Dolores Project and McPhee Reservoir operations, limits motorized use to designated routes or emergencies, and clarifies that private property and regulatory authority are not expanded.
Policy Domains
Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act
Identified Gains
- Dolores River recreation users
- Conservation interests
- Local governments
- Tribal representatives
- Dolores Project users
- Private landowners
Identified Costs
- BLM land managers
- Forest Service land managers
- Motorized recreation users
- Future mineral interests
- Advisory Council members
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
ReportedPlaced on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. …
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Lee …
Reported by Mr. Lee, without amendment
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported …
Mr. Bennet (for himself and Mr. Hickenlooper) introduced the following …
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and …
Introduced in Senate
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Adjacent private landowners, Affected Indian Tribes, Agricultural water users
Positive-direction: Adjacent private landowners, Affected Indian Tribes, Agricultural water users, Dolores River recreation users, Dolores River wildlife and habitat, Native fish and whitewater boating interests, Nonmotorized recreation users, Private landowners near covered land, Recreation and conservation representatives, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and other Tribal representatives, Valid existing rights holders
Negative-direction: Motorized recreation users
BLM and Forest Service land managers, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Land Management advisory staff
Bureau of Reclamation faces effects in multiple directions
Positive-direction: Colorado fish and wildlife regulators, Dolores County, Colorado, Dolores Water Conservancy District, Local zoning and county road authorities, San Miguel and Montezuma Counties
Negative-direction: BLM and Forest Service land managers, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Land Management advisory staff, Colorado and local governments, Forest Service
Developers of harmful water-resource projects, Dolores Project water users, Dolores River water users
Positive-direction: Dolores Project water users, Dolores River water users, Existing uranium lessees, Grazing permittees
Negative-direction: Developers of harmful water-resource projects, Future mineral and commercial timber developers, Future mineral developers, Incompatible future land users
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "blm_manager"
- → Secretary of the Interior and Bureau of Land Management
- "advisory_body"
- → Dolores River National Conservation Area Advisory Council
- "forest_manager"
- → Secretary of Agriculture and Forest Service
- "water_operator"
- → Bureau of Reclamation and Dolores Water Conservancy District
- "affected_public"
- → Recreation users, water users, grazing permittees, and private landowners
- "tribal_partners"
- → Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and other affected Indian Tribes
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology