PRESS RELEASE: Western Colorado leaders call for action on national monument

Senator Bennet to visit Dolores Canyons this weekend

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7th, 2024

NUCLA, CO—Senator Michael Bennet is hosting a public meeting on Sunday in Nucla to hear directly from Coloradans about the effort to establish the Dolores Canyons National Monument in western Mesa and Montrose counties.

Colorado voters support the effort to conserve the Dolores Canyons by overwhelming margins, with one recent public opinion survey finding 92 percent of Colorado voters support protections. Over 100,000 individuals have signed a petition calling on Colorado’s senators to partner with President Biden’s administration and conserve the Dolores Canyons as a national monument. More than 200 businesses have endorsed the proposal — including 197 Colorado-based businesses. Farms and ranches, museums, outdoor outfitters and manufacturers, sporting retailers, real estate firms, breweries, restaurants, and many other businesses across the state support creating the Dolores Canyons National Monument. The City of Grand Junction — the largest gateway community adjacent to the proposed national monument — have backed the proposal and called for action.

For fifty years, local communities have worked to safeguard the public lands and waters around the Dolores River, which feature an incredible array of cultural and historic sites, habitat for big game and other sensitive plants and animals, scenic beauty, and unmatched outdoor recreation opportunities.

In advance of his visit, western Colorado leaders are calling on Senator Bennet to work alongside constituents and stakeholders to finally secure permanent protections for the Dolores Canyons. These individuals and additional spokespeople from the Protect the Dolores Coalition are available for press interviews on request.

Amber Clark, Executive Director of Dolores River Boating Advocates (Dolores, CO)

“Thank you, Senator Bennet, for taking the time to visit western Colorado and learn about our proposal to safeguard the outstanding public lands encompassing the Dolores River in Montrose and Mesa counties. This proposal complements the Dolores River Canyon National Conservation Area, which is currently pending in Congress and will provide long term protection for lands to the south. We have been working to conserve these incredible lands and waters, sensitive cultural sites, core wildlife areas, and unparalleled scenery for decades. Now is the time to act.”

Anna Stout, Grand Junction City Council Member (Grand Junction, CO)

“Protecting the Dolores Canyons as a national monument is something Coloradans overwhelmingly agree on. Here in Grand Junction, we are deeply committed to conserving the public lands that surround us for the benefit of our residents, all Americans, and future generations.”

Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk, Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Member & Former Tribal Councilwoman (Towaoc, CO)

"The Dolores River and surrounding lands are the ancestral homelands of the Nuchu (Ute peoples). The proposed Dolores Canyons National Monument can help preserve access and protect cultural sites and landscapes. Protection honors Indigenous connections to these lands, waters, and ecosystems."

Natalie Binder, Founder of CampV (Naturita, CO)

“CampV is a former mining town that has been transformed into a hotel and community gathering place. Our business values are grounded in conservation and economic prosperity — rural western Colorado can prosper and we can protect our public lands. A national monument for the Dolores Canyons is an opportunity to safeguard delicate lands, while also bringing in new visitors, benefiting our community and economy, and respecting traditional land uses like mining and ranching.”

Craig Grother, Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Board Member (Norwood, CO)

“Healthy, intact public lands are essential to sustaining and improving hunting and fishing opportunities. More than one million hunters and anglers enjoy the pursuit of fish and game in Colorado each year, and the conservation of these wild landscapes, like the Dolores Canyons as Colorado’s newest national monument, is critical for many who rely on them for their sporting traditions.”

Sarah Shrader, Owner and Co-Founder of Bonsai Design (Grand Junction, CO)

“Like many communities in the rural Mountain West, we've had a history of a dependence on extractive industries that create boom and bust economic cycles. As we transition into a more diversified economy, what has brought people to our community is the incredible natural assets that we are so lucky to have: the rivers, the Grand Mesa, and the expansive high desert. These natural landscapes provide wonderful places for growing businesses and young families to thrive. In this ever-divided society, places like the Dolores Canyon provide the opportunity to deeply interconnect us."

Thor Tingey, CEO and Co-Owner of Alpacka Raft (Mancos, CO)

“Protected public lands and rural economic development go hand in hand. By protecting the Dolores Canyons in western Mesa and Montrose Counties we have an opportunity in western Colorado to continue building a diverse economy that leverages the incredible natural beauty in our backyard while protecting it for future generations. The Dolores Canyons National Monument can be an asset that nurtures businesses like Alpacka Raft, while sustaining a robust and resilient Main Street.”