Re: “Obama to declare Browns Canyon a national monument,” Feb. 18 news story.
The protection of Browns Canyon should be reflected as a positive move for environmental protection and not as a tyrannical political act by President Obama. By choosing to designate Browns Canyon as a national monument instead of waiting on a deadlocked Congress, President Obama was allowed to bypass congressional action to respond to our resounding local support. This wasn’t an authoritarian executive action, but rather fancy political footwork directly responding to the local voices of our community and leaders, including former Sen. Mark Udall, Sen. Michael Bennet and Gov. John Hickenlooper.
This area of the beautiful Colorado landscape was designated a national monument to protect its beauty, recreation and habitat we all enjoy — both as Coloradans and Americans — for generations to come.
Parker-Jameson Raabe,Boulder
This letter was published in the Feb. 21 edition.We’re puzzled over Rep. Doug Lamborn’s criticism of Browns Canyon National Monument designation: “… national monuments created by presidential executive order under the Antiquities Act almost always become underfunded, neglected properties.”
Say what?
National treasures like the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Great Sand Dunes, Muir Woods, Chaco Canyon and Ellis Island were all originally national monuments created by the Antiquities Act.
Over the past 20 years, the vast majority of Chaffee County residents have expressed their enthusiasm for national monument designation for Browns Canyon, and today we all say hooray!
Katherine and Michael McCoy,Buena Vista
This letter was published in the Feb. 21 edition.I find it ironic that Browns Canyon (which contains a section of the Arkansas River) will now have more federal protection, but just several miles downstream we will allow Christo to make the river look like a gigantic circus tent all in the name of “art.”
Ken Staroscik,Firestone
This letter was published in the Feb. 21 edition.
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