With southwest Colorado leaders behind him, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet will try again to extend protections to about 61,000 acres in the San Juan Mountains, home to some of the state’s highest peaks and most breathtaking landscapes.

San Miguel County Commissioner Hilary Cooper was in Washington Thursday and as Bennet, the Democrat from Denver, introduced the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act. She joined a list of written endorsements from San Miguel, San Juan and Ouray counties. Leaders in Telluride, Mountain Village, Silverton, Ophir and Ridgway have sought the federal protections for years, as well.

“We must do our part in Washington to push this bill across the finish line,” Bennet said in a statement. “Not only are these iconic landscapes vital to outdoor recreation and local economies, but they also stand as a symbol of our public lands legacy in Colorado-a legacy we must pass onto our kids and grandkids.

“I’m grateful to all of the county commissioners and leaders who have tirelessly worked to advance this effort for over a decade, and I’m particularly grateful to Commissioner Hilary Cooper, who has played an instrumental role in shaping the legislation we introduced today.”

The harsh reality about the southwest Colorado request it faces a White House that hasn’t been keen on setting aside public land, but instead has trimmed national mountains and sought to open up more public lands for drilling, mining and other public uses.

Scott Braden, wilderness and public lands advocate for Conservation Colorado, the state’s largest environmental organization, credited Bennet’s “continued vision and leadership” to protected the region and urged Republican Rep. Scott Tipton of Cortez and Sen. Cory Gardner of Yuma to get on board with a bill support by their constituents.

“This bill will ensure that Colorado’s San Juan Mountains stay wild and are protected for generations to come,” he said.

First introduced by Bennet in 2009, the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act got out of the House Natural Resources Committee in 2010 and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in 2013, only to languish.

Ouray County supporters asked Bennet last month to try again, while the state’s senior senator gathered input and organized support from other locals who had sought protections from development with other federal wilderness protections.

“The San Juan Mountains Wilderness Bill is a culmination of citizens and stakeholders coming together and crafting a true community-driven, broadly supported piece of legislation,” Cooper stated. “I am proud of our counties coming together to support this 10-year effort.”

San Juan County Commissioner Pete McKay said local leaders have sought the designation for more than a decade, because it is “a balanced approach to protecting the public land that helps drive our recreation economy.”

Ouray County Commissioner Ben Tisdel called the act is a home-grown idea from the three southwest Colorado counties, because of their “magnificent lands,” including two Fourteeners, Mount Sneffels and Wilson Peak.

“Local support has not only been sustained, but has increased over these years, and our local leaders who are actively involved in mining also support this designation,” he said in a statement. “Ouray County stands firm in its support for this act and is thankful to its past, current and future congressional delegations for listening and being responsive to our input and for taking this act across the finish line.”