31.1-acre land sale was driven by Mesa County and required under Hickenlooper and Bennet’s bipartisan CONVEY Act
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet celebrated the completed sale of a 31.1-acre parcel of federal land from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to Mesa County for economic development on Monday as directed by their bipartisan Clifton Opportunities Now for Vibrant Economic Yields (CONVEY) Act.
“Mesa County is ready to put this land to work to create new economic opportunities,” said Hickenlooper. “Our rural communities know best what they need. We are always ready to help Colorado counties cut through red tape to achieve important goals.”
“I welcome the news that the Bureau of Land Management will convey approximately 31 acres of land to Mesa County to spur economic development in Clifton,” said Bennet. “This is a model for how public land transfers should happen—carefully considered, locally supported, small in scale, and clearly in the public interest.”
The bipartisan CONVEY Act directed the Secretary of the Interior to convey 31.1 acres of federal land located near Clifton to Mesa County. The parcel of land was previously identified by BLM as suitable for disposal. Mesa County and the community have long supported the purchase and plans to use the land to encourage economic development in the town of Clifton. The 31 acres are part of a 39-acre parcel originally withdrawn to the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) for the Grand Valley Reclamation Project, but BOR has since relinquished the 31 acres considered in the sale. The bill required the sale to be conducted at fair market value.
In December, Hickenlooper spoke on the Senate floor in support of the bipartisan CONVEY Act. The bill was signed into law on January 4, 2025.
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