Dinosaur National Monument was designated in 1915 to protect several hundred acres of a dinosaur fossil quarry and was greatly expanded two decades later to include the awe-inspiring canyons and plateaus that surround the site. The monument includes some of the wildest and most spectacular scenery in the American Southwest. It includes a large stretch of the Yampa River, the last free-flowing river in the Colorado River System. The areas is home to the imperiled peregrine falcon, bald eagle, and several endangered species. Black bears and mountain lions share the landscape with antelope, elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, and beaver, while Native American rock art within the monument testify to the allure these canyons and rivers had for prehistoric people.
The fantastic canyons of the Green and Yampa Rivers make the Monument a popular rafting area, while other recreationists seek out the peace and quiet of the Monument for hiking, camping, and backpacking. In 1978, the National Park Service recommended more than 200,000 acres of the monument for protection as wilderness based on the area's wild, roadless nature.
What's at Stake
In 2003, the Moffat County Board of County Commissioners claimed more than 2,000 miles of routes in northwest Colorado, including 240 miles of claimed "constructed highways" within the national monument. Moffat County's resolution admits that the county's highway claims include hiking trails, cow paths, and horse trails. Based on field reviews of county maps, their Dinosaur National Monument assertions include numerous cattle trails so faint that they are difficult or impossible to find.
Moffat County's RS 2477 claims hamper sound management by the National Park Service and threaten to undermine the wilderness quality of Dinosaur National Monument. Opening the Monument to motorized use or "improving" paths into real highways would damage wildlife habitat, harm archeological resources, and disrupt the peace and quiet found on some of America's most wild and spectacular public lands.
How You Can Help
Write elected officials and the National Park Service and tell them to protect the Monument by opposing the RS 2477 claims there.
- Contact the Director of the National Park Service: Fran Minella, Director, National Park Service, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240. Phone: 202-208-6843. Fax: 202-208-7889. Email: fran_minella@nps.gov.
- Write to your local member of Congress, and Colorado Senators Wayne Allard and Ben Campbell.
For More Information
- Jen Seidenberg, Colorado Wilderness Network, PO Box 771045, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477. Tel & fax: (970) 871-1786.
