Student. Climber. Adventurer. Conservationist. Entrepreneur. These are a few of the words I use to describe myself. I have happily found my home here in Durango, a town with many an activity to entertain myself and other like-minded individuals. Many of the things that I love about our little mountain city are made possible by the pristine and accessible wilderness that surrounds this area. The area known as the Hermosa Creek Watershed is among my favorite of these largely untouched, wild lands.

It is of great concern to me that, although we have a bill, the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act, currently in Congress, it has been relatively stagnant in recent weeks.

The Hermosa Creek Protection Act is not alone in this political listlessness, as cited by EqualGround.org’s “Languishing Lands.”

There is considerable support for the Hermosa bill, both in Congress and from constituents of all political preferences; an efficient, timely passage of the bill would be in everyone’s best interest.

With the passage of this bill, all those who find themselves captivated by the gem that is Durango would not only be granted continued access to such pristine lands, but also be ensured a supply of clean drinking water for generations to come.

Hope is prevalent in my mind as I watch our bipartisan Colorado congressional delegation work together on this vital piece of legislation – a refreshing deviance from the lack of cooperation seen during the recent government shutdown – and for this, I extend a round of applause to both Sen. Michael Bennet and Rep. Scott Tipton.

Yet, their work is far from completed! I urge our Colorado delegation to continue to actively fight for and pursue the timely passage of this bill. A sincere thank you from myself and many other students of Fort Lewis College.

Phil Carter

Durango