Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act
Key claim: The bill would establish the Dolores River National Conservation Area (~52,872 acres of BLM land) and Special Management Area (~15,452 acres in the San Juan National Forest) in Colorado, with management plans, tribal traditional-use protections, wilderness-character rules for Ponderosa Gorge, an advisory council, and release of river segments from further Wild and Scenic Rivers study.
Abstract
(S1787 · 119th Congress) Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act This bill establishes the Dolores River National Conservation Area and the Dolores River Special Management Area in Colorado to protect certain natural, recreational, scenic, cultural, historical, and other values of the areas. The conservation area must consist of approximately 52,872 acres of Bureau of Land Management land. The special management area must consist of approximately 15,452 acres of federal land in the San Juan National Forest. A management plan must be developed for each area. The bill directs the Department of the Interior to allow for the continued use of the areas by members of Indian tribes for traditional ceremonies and as a source of traditional plants and other materials. Additionally, Interior must manage the portions of the areas identified as Ponderosa Gorge in a manner that maintains its wilderness character, including by prohibiting (1) road construction; (2) the use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, or mechanical transport; and (3) projects undertaken for the purpose of harvesting commercial timber. Interior must also establish the Dolores River National Conservation Area Advisory Council. Finally, the bill releases segments of the Dolores River inside the areas from further study for potential addition to the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Latest action (2026-07-23): Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 480.
Why this matters
Site-specific public-lands designations like the Dolores River NCA/SMA determine on-the-ground rules for grazing, motorized use, mineral withdrawal, and tribal access across tens of thousands of acres, while also foreclosing future Wild and Scenic Rivers protections for the released segments. The bill illustrates the recurring congressional pattern of substituting negotiated NCA/SMA frameworks for stronger conservation tools, balancing recreation, extraction, and cultural-use interests within a single management regime.