John Stansfield
On December 6, over 500 people gathered in Salida, Colorado, to attend a hearing on the possibility of creating a new national monument protecting Browns Canyon. Conducted by US Senator Mark Udall (CO-D), the hearing also featured Senator Michael Bennet (CO-D),Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, and Bureau of Land Management Deputy Director Steve Ellis.
Browns Canyon is a 20,000 acre parcel of public land along the Arkansas River, one of the most heavily rafted rivers in the country. Located 100 miles southwest of Denver, the landscape of Browns Canyon is marked by spectacular geology and wildlife habitat, with craggy granite rock formations and plenty of room for herds of deer, elk, and bighorn sheep to roam. The canyon is unique in its location, being much lower in elevation than the surrounding alpine peaks, all of which are already protected. The landscape is “more like Arizona” than other regions of Colorado, making it a distinctive habitat in the state, says Sierra Club leader John Stansfield.
The Arkansas River itself is protected, but the uplands surrounding the river are not. These uplands not only provide scenic views to river rafters, but are also ecologically tied to the river’s health. Although there is no petrochemical drilling threatening the area, the looming possibility of gold mining and road development make the future of Browns Canyon far from certain.
Ironically, the biggest change to Browns Canyon that would come from a national monument designation would be that it wouldn’t change. All current uses, including recreational fishing, hunting, and grazing, would be kept steady, but new developments would be halted, preserving sustainable recreation in the area for future generations.
The Sierra Club has been building support for protecting Browns Canyon for at least a decade, stoking the fire and building pressure on Congress to designate the canyon as a wilderness area. However, the congressional attempts always stalled out, prompting a new angle: to use the Antiquities Act to make the landscape into a national monument. And now, as the efforts come to a head, the Sierra Club has “unleashed a tremendous amount of support,” according to Stansfield.
The Sierra Club had a major presence at the meeting, with over 60 members in attendance, including David Scott, Sierra Club Board President. The conference room had standing room only, and even the overflow room was jam-packed.
A few voices of opposition came from motorized sports enthusiasts, and cattle ranchers in the area were cautious, wanting to make sure that they would still be able to practice limited grazing in the canyon. However, the public comments at the hearing were overwhelmingly supportive of designating Browns Canyon as a national monument.
Although each person given an opportunity to speak was cut off after one minute, the period of public comment went on for over an hour and a half. Everyone, it seemed, had their own story and words of support for Browns Canyon. And though Scott did not get a chance to comment, many other Sierra Club members did. Stansfield spoke, moving listeners with a poetic comparison of the canyon to a beautiful woman, and quoting Ed Zahniser, son of the author of the Wilderness Act: “Be persistent, be consistent, be actively patient.”
Now, the Sierra Club and all who care about Browns Canyon wait with baited breath, anticipating that President Obama will declare the area a national monument within the next month. To show your support, sign our petition to tell President Obama and Secretary Jewell to make Browns Canyon a national monument.