Just north of the town of Salida, Colorado, lies the Browns Canyon Wilderness Study Area (WSA). The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recommended this area for wilderness protection more than a decade ago. Citizens have inventoried this area and found significant additional wilderness quality land (both BLM and Forest Service) that surrounds the existing Browns Canyon WSA making this a significant wilderness unit. The Browns Canyon area (including the WSA and additional adjacent citizens' proposed BLM and Forest Service wilderness) is included in Rep. Diana DeGette's Colorado Wilderness Act of 2003 (H.R. 2305).
Browns Canyon is the view shed for a large stretch of the Arkansas River -- the most popular white water river in Colorado. This rugged area is dotted with granite boulders and pinyon-juniper forest and is home to bighorn sheep, among other important species.
Update
The Friends of Browns Canyon, a local grassroots group based in Salida has been working to organize their local community in support of protecting Browns Canyon and to educate elected officials about the wilderness values of the area. Their effort specifically has been focused on building local political support for this proposal and working to get support from their Member of Congress -- Joel Hefley (R-CO) -- for designating Browns Canyon as wilderness.
In constituent correspondence, Hefley has said that he is working on legislation to protect the Browns Canyon area. In addition to designating the existing Browns Canyon WSA, Hefley is also considering adding the adjacent Forest Service land to his proposal.
He is expected to tour the area later this month and wilderness legislation could be introduced in this Congress.
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