Mesa, Montrose counties propose new plan for Dolores Canyon

MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) — Mesa and Montrose counties won’t go for a national monument designation for Dolores Canyon, which has brought some pushback from the community.

Mesa and Montrose counties announced Wednesday they are creating a draft for a Dolores Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA) map and seeking public input on the project.

Protect the Dolores coalition, one of the most vocal supporters of a national monument designation, was disappointed in the decision. The group said even though it is glad to see the counties showed the importance of maintaining the Dolores, the proposal “falls woefully short” of expectations.

“I had high hopes that Mesa and Montrose counties would unite and collaborate with local communities and stakeholders to safeguard the Dolores Canyon Country. Unfortunately, this proposal falls short on multiple fronts,” Craig Grother, Central West Slope regional director of Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and a member organization of the Sportsmen for the Dolores Coalition, said in a press release.

“It fails to conserve wildlands that are essential fish and wildlife habitat, overlooking crucial cold-water fisheries and neglecting critical big game habitats throughout the Dolores Canyons. Colorado’s hunters and anglers are dedicated to seeing this remarkable area protected for future generations, and the most effective proposal to achieve this is the designation of the Dolores Canyons National Monument.”

Mesa County Commissioner Cody Davis said although he hasn’t met with the Protect the Dolores coalition yet, he’s open to talk to anyone about the NCA.

The counties created the map as an alternative to the proposed Dolores Canyons National Monument as the NCA would better balance resource conservation, multiple-use principles, economic prosperity and local values, according to Mesa County.

The counties also said they believe a national monument designation would be too restrictive as it is usually proclaimed for historical or scientific purposes. However, an NCA would allow a broader range of activities like hunting, wildlife viewing, fishing, scientific research and traditional uses.

“NCAs continue to be managed for multiple-use by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or U.S. Forest Service rather than the National Park Service, and the legislation would be tailored to the area’s specific needs,” according to Mesa and Montrose counties.

According to the coalition, the NCA proposal excludes:

• Big game wildlife habitat in Unaweep Canyon, the Uncompahgre Plateau and Roc Creek for winter range, calving areas and migration corridors for elk and deer.

• Cold water fisheries like Roc Creek that support well-known species like the Colorado River cutthroat trout.

• Several Indigenous cultural sites that document the lives of the Ute and ancestral Puebloan peoples.

• Historical locations that show the area’s mining history such as Calamity Camp and stretches of the Hanging Flume.

• Most of the Dolores River Canyon, Sewemup Mesa and the Palisade Wilderness Study areas.

• Chances for recreation, including areas used by hikers, hunters, climbers, nature photographers and water enthusiasts.

According to the counties, “We believe an NCA is the best path forward. This approach aligns with our community’s desire to protect the Dolores Canyon’s natural resources​ while ensuring that recreational, economic and socioeconomic resources are accessible for current and future generations. An NCA would also align with the southern Dolores River Area, where (Sens. Michael) Bennet and (John) Hickenlooper introduced the Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area legislation.”

Earlier this month, Bennet and Hickenlooper laid out principles to protect the Dolores which included management, fees, grazing, motorized travel and ATVs, mountain biking, hunting and fishing, mining and water.

The senators also said landscape management should fall on the BLM and U.S. Forest Service to continue managing the federal lands. There should not be a fee to enter the Dolores.

Hickenlooper and Bennet also noted animal grazing should continue and be managed based on existing laws and regulations. Such activities such as ATVs, mountain biking, hunting and fishing should continue. Designations should protect any current reasonable mining rights, they added.

Bennet and Hickenlooper didn’t say anything about a national monument designation in their original statement.

The proposed NCA is a starting point for the community to discuss and refine, the two counties noted. The map boundaries utilized the topography of the Dolores River Corridor. The current NCA covers 29,806 acres which includes 7,043 acres in the southern portion and 22,763 acres north of the Paradox Valley.

Local community leaders also voiced their disappointment in the two counties’ decision.

“For almost 50 years, communities have worked to protect the outstanding wildlife, incredible canyons and world-class scenery found just outside Grand Junction,” said Anna Stout, current Grand Junction city council member and former mayor. “We shouldn’t wait another year to see it protected, much less risk decades of inaction. It is time for Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper to fill the leadership vacuum, work with President Biden and finally conserve the Dolores Canyons National Monument.”

Montrose and Mesa counties stressed the NCA is something that will be developed over time.

“We urge community engagement and input,” the counties said. “As the development process advances, we expect the map boundaries to change. To ensure the most appropriate boundaries, we welcome suggestions on areas needing more protection than those in the approved Resource Management Plans. We invite all residents to join us in determining the best path forward for Western Colorado.”

Davis said he knows this project is a work in progress as “no one has the perfect answer.”

For more information or to provide feedback, visit this website.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.