Hickenlooper, Bennet release Dolores Monument statement
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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet have made their way to Nucla to hear from residents about their concerns for the proposed 400,000-acre national monument that would surround them.
On July 3, the senators released a statement saying they would need more time with further discussion to come to a final decision.
They did, however, include guidelines they would use to help make a determination.
Norwood Mayor Candy Meehan tells WesternSlopeNow she feels as if the senators didn’t listen to her or her community in the way they initially let on.
Director of Colorado Wildlands Project and member of Protect the Dolores Coalition Scott Braden sees this press release in a much different light – he believes the statement is proof Colorado’s senators are listening to both sides.
Over 1,100 uranium and vanadium mines live in the area the monument would cover. In the senators’ statement, it says all existing mines could operate as normal, but Norwood Town Manager Deana Sheriff tells WesternSlopeNow if new mines aren’t allowed, both the town and national security could be threatened.
Both Sheriff and Meehan say Norwood, Nucla and Naturita don’t have the infrastructure needed to support a surge of travelers.
Another concern is emergency services. For instance, if someone breaks down or crashes on the side of the two-lane highway leading through the canyon, there’s close to no cell service all the way from Whitewater to Nucla and Naturita, with the exception of Gateway.
But even if cell service wasn’t the main issue, what would happen if someone got hurt? Meehan tells WesternSlopeNow there’s only three ambulances set to cover the 1200-mile square section of land.
Even the diction used in the statement sets off red flags for Meehan and Sheriff – for instance, the use of the word “should” instead of “could.”
More worries include grazing rights and other trails not included in the ATV statement.
While several arguments await to be settled, only time will tell how this story plays out. WesternSlopeNow will continue to keep you updated along the way.
Here’s a link to the statement.
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