---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 460mmm"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "460mmm"
heading: "Findings and purpose"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/460mmm"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — National Parks, Military Parks, Monuments, and Seashores"
  - "Subchapter CXXIV — McINNIS CANYONS NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA"
---

# §460mmm. Findings and purpose

- (a) **Findings—** Congress finds that certain [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) located in the Grand Valley in Mesa County, Colorado, and Grand County, Utah, should be protected and enhanced for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. These [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) include the following:
  - (1) The [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) making up the Black Ridge and Ruby Canyons of the Grand Valley and Rabbit Valley, which contain unique and valuable scenic, recreational, [multiple use](/usc/16/531.md?p=a) opportunities (including grazing), paleontological, natural, and wildlife components enhanced by the rural western setting of the [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A), provide extensive opportunities for recreational activities, and are publicly used for hiking, camping, and grazing, and are worthy of additional protection as a national [conservation area](/usc/16/460iii–1.md?p=2).
  - (2) The Black Ridge Canyons [Wilderness](/usc/16/460mmm–1.md?p=6) Study [Area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) has [wilderness](/usc/16/460mmm–1.md?p=6) value and offers unique geological, paleontological, scientific, and recreational resources.
- (b) **Purpose—** The purpose of this subchapter is to conserve, protect, and enhance for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations the unique and nationally important values of the [public lands](/usc/16/620e.md?p=7) described in [section 460mmm–2(b) of this title](/usc/16/460mmm–2.md?p=b), including geological, cultural, paleontological, natural, scientific, recreational, environmental, biological, [wilderness](/usc/16/460mmm–1.md?p=6), wildlife education, and scenic resources of such [public lands](/usc/16/620e.md?p=7), by establishing the McInnis Canyons National [Conservation Area](/usc/16/460iii–1.md?p=2) and the Black Ridge Canyons [Wilderness](/usc/16/460mmm–1.md?p=6) in the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) of Colorado and the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) of Utah.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 106–353, § 2, Oct. 24, 2000, 114 Stat. 1374; Pub. L. 108–400, § 1(a), Oct. 30, 2004, 118 Stat. 2254.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2004—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 108–400 substituted “McInnis Canyons” for “Colorado Canyons”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

Pub. L. 108–400, § 1(f), Oct. 30, 2004, 118 Stat. 2254, provided that: “Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the ‘Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area’ shall be deemed to be a reference to the ‘McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area’.”

### Effective Date of 2004 Amendment

Pub. L. 108–400, § 1(g), Oct. 30, 2004, 118 Stat. 2254, provided that: “This section [amending this section and sections 460mmm–1, 460mmm–2, and 460mmm–6 of this title, enacting provisions set out as a note under this section, and amending provisions set out as a note under this section] and the amendments made by this section take effect on January 1, 2005.”

### Short Title

Pub. L. 106–353, § 1, Oct. 24, 2000, 114 Stat. 1374, as amended by Pub. L. 108–400, § 1(e), Oct. 30, 2004, 118 Stat. 2254, provided that: “This Act [enacting this subchapter and provisions listed in a table of Wilderness Areas set out under section 1132 of this title] may be cited as the ‘McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area and Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Act of 2000’.”