Contacts:
- Jay Chancellor, Trout Unlimited, jay.chancellor@tu.org, 720-484-9247
- Kaden McArthur, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, mcarthur@backcountryhunters.org, 435-770-3774
Grand Junction, Colorado – Mesa and Montrose counties released a national conservation area (NCA) proposal that included 29,806 acres of public lands in the Dolores River watershed.
“While the NCA proposal from Mesa and Montrose counties makes strides to conserve the Dolores, it doesn’t do enough to protect fish and wildlife habitat and sporting opportunity. We look forward to continuing to work with the counties, elected officials, and anglers and hunters to advance a monument proposal this year,” said Steve Kandell, Trout Unlimited.
The counties’ NCA proposal is significantly smaller than the Protect the Dolores coalition’s 391,000-acre national monument proposal. “Colorado’s hunters and anglers are dedicated to protecting this area for future generations, and the national monument designation is the best way to achieve this goal. The current NCA proposal leaves out important tributaries of the Dolores River, such as West Creek, Roc Creek, and Blue Creek, which support wild and native trout and some of the most sought-after hunting units in the state. Without permanent protections for these habitats, future generations of anglers and hunters could lose these treasured places to development,” said Bryan Jones, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.
“Threats to the northern reaches of the Dolores River watershed are growing. We need to deliver permanent protections for this incredible landscape – but Mesa and Montrose counties’ proposal falls short for Coloradans,” said Jay Chancellor, Trout Unlimited. “Colorado Senators and President Biden must move swiftly to designate the Dolores Canyons National Monument.”
Sportsmen for the Dolores coalition remains committed to designating a national monument that aligns with principles in National Monuments: A Hunting and Fishing Perspective. These principles include creating a monument that safeguards fish and wildlife habitat, maintains reasonable public access for hunting, fishing, and wildlife management, and provides assurance that authority over fish and wildlife populations will be retained by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Launched by Trout Unlimited and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Sportsmen for the Dolores represents anglers and hunters across Colorado. This coalition’s purpose is to conserve fish and wildlife habitat and sustain sporting opportunities on Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service lands in the Dolores River watershed.