Bennet, Hickenlooper voice support in protecting Dolores

MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) — Colorado’s Dolores River Canyons regions must be “permanently protected” and there is a way to do so going forward, U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper said in a joint statement.

The two Democratic senators said to protect the Dolores, these principles should be considered: management, fees, grazing, motorized travel and ATVs, mountain biking, hunting and fishing, mining and water.

They said they based their decision on talks and visits to the Northern Dolores Basin — located in Mesa, Montrose and San Miguel counties — over the past few months.

“Based on these conversations, it is clear that Coloradans care deeply about this landscape, and many want it permanently protected. We also recognize there are legitimate questions and the need for further discussion,” Hickenlooper and Bennet said in their statement. “We are committed to continuing to work with local leaders, public land users, affected counties and tribes to determine the best path.”

The senators provided some guidance on how to protect the Dolores.

They noted management of the landscape should fall on the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service to continue to manage the federal lands.

There should be no charge to enter the Dolores while animal grazing should continue and be managed based on current regulations and laws, Bennet and Hickenlooper said.

They added motorized vehicles should remain to be open on the Rimrocker Trail and mountain biking should continue with the chance of creating new trail developments.

Regarding mining, designations should protect any current reasonable rights, the senators said.

Hunting and fishing should continue in the Dolores and any designation should protect existing water rights and should not create a federal reserved water right, Bennet and Hickenlooper said.

The Protect the Dolores Coalition said in a press release it is thankful for the Colorado senators’ support and for the time they spent looking into the effort.

The coalition said it hopes permanently protecting the Dolores can come in the form of designating it as a national monument. The senators did not say in their statement anything about a national monument designation.

“Western Slope community leaders, local elected officials, business owners and conservationists agree now is the time for swift conservation action to protect these incredible public lands as a national monument,” the coalition said. “Local advocates have been striving to conserve the Dolores Canyons’ diverse wildlife, rich cultural and historic resources and extraordinary canyons and mesas for five decades.”

The Protect the Dolores Coalition isn’t the only group hoping for the designation. Several community leaders are asking Hickenlooper and Bennet to act soon.

“2024 is the year for decisive action to safeguard the Dolores Canyons as Colorado’s next national monument. Grand Junction loves our national monuments and the economic opportunities they offer Colorado’s communities. Leaders in Grand Junction and across western Colorado are ready to pull up our sleeves and finalize the Dolores Canyons National Monument,” Grand Junction Councilmember Anna Stout said in a press release.

“I am thankful to Sens. Bennet and Hickenlooper for their leadership, but I’m also worried that misinformation from bad faith actors and conservation opponents will stall momentum. Overwhelming numbers of Coloradans support seeing these public lands conserved. Waiting any longer will result in the Dolores Canyons remaining unprotected and open to industrial development.”

Not everyone is in support of making the Dolores a national monument. The Halt the Dolores Movement has been vocal in the matter saying the proposed designation can create severe economic hardships for the nearby communities.

According to the movement, it believes the designation could end mining, restrict hunting and cattle grazing and limit motorized travel and outdoor activities. However, Bennet and Hickenlooper’s statement indicated none of that would be negatively impacted.

Trout Unlimited Colorado Advocacy Campaigns Manager Jay Chancellor said he believes a national designation will be positive for the Dolores.

“We support a national monument designation as the best way to protect fish and wildlife habitat and sporting opportunity on these public lands,” Chancellor said in a press release.

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