It’s good for Colorado that a bill designed to protect the scenic beauty at the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park is moving through Congress.
The measure is being sponsored by Sens. Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar. It was approved last Wednesday by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Under the bill, 324 privately owned acres at the northeastern corner near the entrance would be acquired and incorporated into the park.
Another 38-acre parcel donated by the Mesa Verde Foundation also would be added to the park.
Mesa Verde contains 52,073 acres of mesas, canyons and more than 4,000 known archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloans.
Incorporating the 324-acre Henneman property is important to preserving scenic values and preventing development around the northeastern corner of the park. The Hennemans have said they would like to see their land protected for future generations as part of the park.
The family is to be commended for their efforts to preserve the natural beauty of the national park, which was created by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.
“This legislation shows how the government should preserve public lands. Finding public support and working with outside groups and private property owners to find mutually beneficial ways to preserve our land is the appropriate way to operate,” Allard said. “The Henneman family has owned this land for generations, and during this time they have been great stewards of their land. I commend them for their work as land managers and I believe that the National Park Service will continue that tradition.”
“This effort,” Salazar said, “exemplifies the best cooperation of a local community, the National Park Service and landowners coming together to expand and enhance one of the crown jewels of our state and nation.”
Mesa Verde, along with the whole national park system, has been wrestling for several years with budget problems and deferred maintenance. The pending land acquisition and a proposed park service budget increase, which includes a 17 percent hike for Mesa Verde, are encouraging signs for one of Colorado’s treasures.
