Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO) sponsored H.R. 803, the Colorado Wilderness Act, which was expanded and renamed the Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act, a package of bills protecting majestic public lands and rivers in Arizona, Colorado, California, Washington and other states. The bill would help nature-deprived communities access parks and public lands, protect areas sacred to Indigenous peoples, ensure clean and safe drinking water, preserve wildlife habitat, and promote the outdoor recreation economy. Highlights of the legislation include protecting more than one million acres around the Grand Canyon from new mining claims, preserving outdoor recreation areas across Colorado, and expanding access to greenspaces around Los Angeles. Listening to the wishes of communities seeking to preserve nearby nature can help the country reach the science-based goal of protecting 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030. On February 26, the House approved H.R. 803 by a vote of 227-200 (House roll call vote 45). YES IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE. The Senate took no action on this legislation in 2021.