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Posted on: February 27th, 2011 No Comments

Udall: Input valued in Monument debate

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Stephanie Summar
News Reporter

When John Otto began his battle to protect the canyon lands outside Grand Junction by designating them as a national park, he couldn’t have anticipated it would rage for the next 105 years. United States Senator Mark Udall is the latest to take up the mantle of conservationism, supporting the potential transformation of the Colorado National Monument into a national park.
On Wednesday, he facilitated a public hearing in the College Center Ballroom, which attracted a large audience of community members of students, faculty, local business owners, wildlife advocates and park rangers.
Mayor Teresa Coons and Colorado Monument Superintendent Joan Anzelmo joined Udall in soliciting concise public opinions regarding the change. Several previous attempts to turn the Monument into a national park failed due to public objections. The facilitators emphasized that nothing was going to happen without fair consideration of all perspectives. Udall said he was present at the meeting to hear the varied opinions, record them, and take them into account before asking Congress to designate the monument as a park.
The proposal has several vocal advocates. The Grand Junction Visitor and Convention Bureau expressed support for the switch, citing the economic benefits and jobs that national parks create for the communities nearby. Conservationists laud the change because national park status would increase the protections granted to wildlife.
Mesa State Environmental Science professor Deb Kennard said she supports the Monument becoming a national park partly because it would put Mesa State on the map. As a faculty member, Dr. Kennard has taken many students to the Monument to study the pristine environment.
“One thing we’ve learned is that the trees on the Monument are ancient. They’re over a thousand years old in many cases, so it is truly a treasure that I certainly hope remains protected for a long time,” Kennard said.
Detractors have pointed to several issues tied to the crowds that come along with national parks. Several community members mentioned that Grand Junction already suffers from traffic congestion, which could be negatively impacted if a national park is next door. The city itself could become nothing more than a “service area” for tourists. The trails would become more crowded, and many pointed out that the reason the area is so pristine and spiritually meaningful is its isolation and relatively sparse crowds.
“I believe that the Monument meets the technical criteria laid out by the Park Service to qualify as a national park, but that’s not the answer to whether it’s right for this community,” Udall said.
The most contentious point was one John Otto himself instigated. Otto’s original dream for a national park was an expansive one. He went as far as including land on the Grand Mesa in his plans. Today, some Grand Valley residents want to include more land in the proposed park’s boundaries, providing a greater area for more visitors and protecting a larger amount of wildlife. Others are opposed to the idea of expansion, as it could potentially prohibit use of the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area and infringe on current land and water rights.
“I hope the new legislation does not have a growth plan,” Rebecca Frank, treasurer of the Colorado National Monument Association, said. “There are too many people in this valley who like to hike with their dogs in McInnis Canyons, who like to ride horses in McInnis Canyons, and who might like to do some wildlife advocacy or perhaps even some hunting.”
Udall assures that all options will thoroughly be considered before any decisions are made.
“This is our Monument, and by that I mean any changes we make should be carefully considered and debated if necessary,” Udall said. “We should only move forward if you believe this will be a positive change.”

ssummar@mesastate.edu

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