POLITICS
U.S. Senate Passes Rep. Lauren Boebert’s CONVEY Act
WASHINGTON D.C.– The U.S. Senate passed Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s “Clifton Opportunities Now for Vibrant Economic Yields Act,” also known as the CONVEY Act. The legislation directs the Bureau of Land Management to sell a parcel of land to Mesa County for economic development in Clifton, Colorado. Rep. Boebert’s CONVEY Act now heads to the White House to be signed into law.
“My CONVEY Act will bring jobs to Mesa County and foster long-term economic growth on the West Slope by removing the bureaucratic red tape that has stalled this conveyance for more than six years. I thank Senator John Hickenlooper for his willingness to fight for this bill and its passage in the United States Senate and all of my colleagues in Congress for recognizing the importance of my legislation and voting in favor of it. I am also thankful for Minority Leader and former Mesa County Commissioner Rose Pugliese’s work on this issue over the years, and without her efforts, this bill likely wouldn’t exist. This was a longtime coming and I’m thrilled that this legislation will finally be signed into law,” said Congresswoman Boebert.
“After years of work for Mesa County on this project, it is incredible to see the CONVEY Act now passed through both chambers of Congress. This investment will provide a necessary boost to the economy on the Western Slope and allow this land to be put to good use for rural Coloradans. I am deeply thankful to Congresswoman Boebert for her tireless work on this bill and to Senator Hickenlooper for ensuring the CONVEY Act passed the Senate,” said Colorado House Republican Minority Leader and Former Mesa County Commissioner Rose Pugliese.
“Passing this latest hurdle is another win for Mesa County and our economy, which will benefit greatly from the CONVEY Act,” said Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland. “Our community needs creative opportunities for job growth and the CONVEY Act does just that. Thank you to Congresswoman Lauren Boebert for continuing her work on this bill and standing up for rural Coloradans, as well as Senator Hickenlooper for taking the lead in the U.S. Senate.”
“Acquiring this land for Mesa County will be a victory for our residents and the entire Western Slope,” said Mesa County Commissioner Cody Davis. “We are very excited to see the CONVEY Act get through the Senate and be signed into law soon. Our community is very appreciative of the work Congresswoman Boebert and Senator Hickenlooper have done on this legislation.”
Background:
For more than six years, Mesa County has been attempting to acquire a parcel, designated for disposal by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), at fair market value. Despite the BLM no longer wanting the land, the federal government had consistently created barriers to prevent Mesa County from purchasing it.
The CONVEY Act instructs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer 31.1 acres, designated for disposal and deemed surplus by the federal government, to Mesa County, Colorado, for economic development in Clifton. The legislation mandates that the County compensate the federal government for the land at fair market value. Proceeds from the sale will be deposited into the Federal Land Disposal Account established by the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act, under the custody of the Colorado Bureau of Land Management for in-state use. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Reclamation will retain ownership of 8.25 acres from the initially withdrawn parcel for specific project purposes.
The CONVEY Act was introduced on April 28, 2023, and passed by the House of Representatives on February 5, 2024.
