The Sarvis Creek Wilderness Completion Act was the subject of a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining hearing on Tuesday, as part of a continuing push to expand the wilderness area to its originally proposed boundaries.

The bill would expand the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Area in the Routt National Forest by 6,817 acres, protecting subalpine wilderness habitats and wildlife while preserving access to outdoor recreation. The additional acreage is located on the northwest section of the existing wilderness area and to the southeast of Lake Catamount in the watersheds for Harrison and Green creeks.

U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet and U.S. Representative Joe Neguse issued a media release this week applauding progress and continuing to advocate on behalf of the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Completion Act.

“Sarvis Creek Wilderness has outdoor recreation opportunities and landscapes that are hard to imagine anywhere but where you see them there,” Hickenlooper, a member of the Senate committee, said this week.

“Colorado’s public lands are the cornerstone of our Western way of life, and for decades, Sarvis Creek Wilderness has deserved further protection,” Bennet said. “Local elected officials and outdoor recreation, agriculture, water and environmental leaders came together to craft this bill that protects critical watersheds, enhances wildlife habitat and safeguards outdoor exploration for Coloradans.”

“I’m excited to see the Senate consider our critically important bill, the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Completion Act, which would expand protections in the Routt National Forest, helping preserve public lands, support wildlife and more,” Neguse said. “I remain committed to advancing the bill in the House and look forward to continuing our bicameral efforts to usher it across the finish line.”

State, tribal and local leaders including Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Routt County Board of Commissioners and several local towns have expressed their support for the legislation. The bill also received support from a range of conservation and outdoor recreation organizations such as The Wilderness Society, Trout Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation and Rocky Mountain Wild.

The legislation would add 6,817 acres to the existing 44,556 wilderness acres. The proposed expansion is land originally excluded from the wilderness due to a previously proposed plan to develop a ski area near Lake Catamount in past decades. The legislation would extend wilderness protection to the Harrison and Green Creek watersheds that feed into the Yampa River to safeguard aquatic resources and preserve water quality.

Hickenlooper, Bennet and Neguse reintroduced the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Completion Act in April to protect subalpine wilderness habitats and wildlife while preserving access to outdoor recreation.