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National Trust for Historic Preservation
Chimney Rock in southwest Colorado on Friday became the 103rd national monument.
Getting Republicans and Democrats to agree on anything, especially when they're in campaign mode, isn't easy, but an ancient rock formation in southwest Colorado on Friday became an exception to the election rule.
Obama administration officials, joined by some Republicans, announced the creation of the Chimney Rock National Monument on a site that was home to the ancestors of Pueblo Indians 1,000 years ago.
The move will preserve 4,726 acres of high desert at Chimney Rock, which holds spiritual significance for the Pueblo and other tribes. Some 200 ancient homes and ceremonial buildings are part of the area, many perched 1,000 feet above the Piedra River Valley.
The monument is the third created by the Obama administration, but it was the Republican congressman who represents the area, Rep. Scott Tipton, who first sponsored a monument bill.
It passed the House in May and Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., proposed a similar bill, but partisan squabbling derailed it in the Senate.
Tipton, Bennet and others then lobbied President Barack Obama to use the 1906 Antiquities Act to create the monument, which had been a national historic site. The law gives a president the power to designate certain historic federal properties as monuments.
The lawmakers saw support from some local business owners who felt the designation would give tourists more reasons to visit the region.
The designation "will preserve and protect the site and drive tourism, drawing more visitors to the region and the state and bringing more dollars," Bennet said in a statement.
A recent study found the designation would bring an extra $1.2 million to the local economy every year, Bennet said.
Ranchers in the area will maintain grazing rights, the Denver Post noted.
The monument is in the San Juan National Forest and surrounded by the Southern Ute Indian Reservation.
Local tribes praised the move as well.
"The story of my tribe, the Pueblo of Acoma, and our history is intimately connected to Chimney Rock," Chandler Sanchez, chairman of the All Indian Pueblo Council, said in a statement, the Durango Herald reported. "This place is still sacred to my people, and we are glad to see it will now be protected for our children and grandchildren."
Tipton praised the designation, noting that lawmakers had done much of the groundwork by contacting local communities for input.
"I'm a strong believer that this and all public lands designations be locally driven, and as such the preferred method to advance this designation would be through legislation developed with extensive community input, such as my bill," he said in a statement.
Republicans have been wary of Democrats in the White House and their use of the Antiquities Act.
In 1996, President Bill Clinton angered many in Utah when he designated the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Many had hoped to tap the underground energy deposits there.
When Obama took office, some Western conservatives were suspicious he would go on a national monument-creating spree.
But Obama has so far designated two other national monuments:
- The 14,000-acre Fort Ord National Monument on California's coast.
- Fort Monroe, a former Army base in Virginia that was a refuge for slaves during the Civil War.
Chimney Rock becomes the 103rd national monument and will be managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The vast majority are managed by the Interior Department, but a few come under the jurisdiction of the Departments of Agriculture, Defense and Commerce.
National monuments are different from national parks in that they are created to preserve at least one nationally significant resource, so they are usually smaller and less diverse in wildlife, plant life and terrain.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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Leave a Comment:
Love those hard working politicians on both sides. Just what the Dr. ordered another monument to waste federal tax dollars to maintain.
It seems to me the good folks in Washington should be trying to fix real issues.
Please note that it was the Republicans in the Senate who put the kybosh on a bill that had already passed a Republican-controlled House.
Yeah, they should have sold it to some private company who could make major money from it as a tourist attraction. Or maybe strip mined it.
Please note that the Democrats control the Senate.
denver bill 2, the Democrats do not control the Senate, at least not until January when they can get rid of the Republican filibuster.
You will also note that a Democrat did what the law allows and governed the nation without the need of the obstructionist Republicans in Congress to pass another law.
ORB
Well, they could have been like the democrats that lifted the ban on horse meat for human consumption or the democrats that redefined pizza as a health food a week before the first lady announced her new nutrition standards for school lunches.
Wow, now the kids are going to get served pizza in school as a health food. That's sure going to lower the Obama's national debt.
The Democrats do control the Senate, and they have enough votes to pass whatever they want there if they had the time and inclination to kill the filibuster. All they have to do is keep it open for debate.
GREAT, we have a NEW MONUMENT while our country is drowning in debt, NO BUDGET, faltering economy, high unemployment, skyrocketing consumer prices, pending legislation, and our Congressional representatives go on "vacation".
WHERE is the LEADERSHIP in Washington ? Another round of golf, on another campaign tour, or making another advertisement for Pakistani T.V.
But that is OK.....the DHS is putting the final touches on their CyberSecurity regulations for Mr. Obama to sign as an Executive Order to fulfill another one of his agenda items. Expect more E.O.'s and court appointment to come by-passing Congressional procedures while Congress is on vacation.
This nation has alreay plundered the majority of the land it stole from the native people and here you are now, squabbling at what few wild places remain like old witches and demons slitting a corpse.
Vile, disgusting pieces of human trash, everyone of you.
@what happened What's wrong with eating horse meat? Absolutely nothing. Just because you think it's taboo to eat a horse doesn't mean other people do. Have you ever tried horse meat? It's delicious. We eat cows, pigs, lamb, deer, buffalo, all sorts of poultry, etc and what makes a horse any different?
when i read the headline first thought was where was obama gonna get a lump of coal that big? lol
@ jeff- What's wrong with eating horse meat? Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven footed, and chews the cud, among the beasts, that shall you eat-
Leviticus 11:3
i am not religious just saying it is in the bible, kinda like Muslims don't eat pork
horses, zebras, donkeys, tapirs and rhinos. are in this class of hoofed animals
Look at denver bill and dirp - now they got pee all over each others legs...phew.
The government did something right - good thing I was sitting down when I read this.
We have an Native American tribe here in Tucson - when the Spanish came they forced them to convert to Catholicism and build a scary Mission - that Catholic brainwashing fear must work damn good - cuz they still haven't reverted back to their native beliefs.
When I read the headline I though we were going to get an Obama face on Mount Rushmore. I was like, "Nooooooooo." That would be one sure way to turn Rapid City into a ghost town.
The democrats do not control the Senate. They have the majority, but it is a moot point because its not a supermajority (the amount needed to pass anything without the other party being able to filibuster, which is 60)
The bill in question, would be the veteran bill. It was voted in favor by only 5 republicans, it woul have required all the Dems and 7 republicans to pass this bill.
Not that any of this has anything to do with the topic
Geez, it's really a sad state of affairs when the blog-o-sphere is ripe with little whiners whimpering about how much of their precious tax burden will go to saving a national monument.
Taxes are the price for living in a civilized society. Don't like paying them, move to Pakistan, where paying taxes are optional, national monuments are few, and cry-babies are plentiful.
ldo
Yes, where is the leadership in Washington... Let's look at what the GOP focuses on:
They have introduced 44 bills on abortion (one just the other day reaffirming existing legislation on this subject). 99 on religion. 71 on family relationships. 36 on marriage. 67 on firearms and gun control. 552 on taxation—and though most were to reduce taxes, there have been no significant changes on tax law with all time invested and bills introduced. And finally a massive 445 bills on ‘government investigations.’
Yes, it's the economy.... not
Dirp: Look up "Cloture". Republicans alone could never have filibustered the Bill -- get a life and stop the lies.
@hillbilly-genius I could care less if it's in the bible are not. You said you're not religious, so why bring it up? Your argument still fits into the category of just because someone thinks it's taboo everyone else shouldn't do it. Horse meat would be a cheaper alternative and leaner than beef. The only reason it was included in the bible was it was a pagan tradition. Evidence has been found that our ancestors over 10,000 years ago ate horses.
Just wait until Islam controls Egypt... We'll see then, what can be done with national monuments.
'You won't know what you had 'til its gone'
'They'll... pave pyramids and,, put up a parking lot!' (sounds like a 70's song by Joni Mitchell.
Nice to see somebody cares about people other than themselves, was that our US government?
Now, if somebody would just put a stop to Washington State DNR plans to kill an entire pack of wolves who have developed an affinity for T-bone steaks.
@Gil I did look up the definition of cloture:
cloture - The only procedure by which the Senate can vote to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter, and thereby overcome a filibuster. Under the cloture rule (Rule XXII), the Senate may limit consideration of a pending matter to 30 additional hours, but only by vote of three-fifths of the full Senate, normally 60 votes.
Note the requirement for 60 votes, which the Democrats do not have, and why they therefore do not control the senate.
Good for him! We need to preserve our national treasures before they are blown up and paved over.
Him, who? (wincing in expectation of the answer)
An estimated 61,000 square miles of the U.S. is paved: 1.6% of the land area. God forbid it should rise to 1.7%.
And by % denver bill, how much of the US is considered national treasure? Because that was the statement. No one said @!$%# about the entire U.S. You like to throw numbers around at least keep them relevant.
Dumbass.
Ahhhh, name-calling, the mark of a well-reasoned and persuasive argument. The original quote to which I responded was "we need to preserve our national treasures before they are blown up and paved over", which makes a response that includes how much of the U.S. is paved relevant. But, since you seem to need the numbers spoon-fed to you, allow me to elaborate.
The United States has an area of approximately 3,794,000 square miles. The National Park Service, which administers national monuments (among other things) is responsible for about 84,000,000 acres, or about 131,250 square miles, or somewhat less than 3.5% of the total U.S. land area. If the odds are 16 in 1,000 that a particular area is paved, and you assume that it is equally likely that an acre in the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument will be paved as an acre in New York City (totally untrue, but simple arguments work best on simple audiences), then the probability that part of a national monument is going to be paved is .016 x .035 = .00056, or approximately 6 in 10,000.
Obama was lucky someone did not discover a couple of hundred gallons of oil in that area. Republicans would have never agreed to sacrifice 'energy independence' in the name of protecting the environment.
If by "protecting the environment" you mean "building a fence around a rock", you are correct.
It is a nice rock......but just a rock
please, please .......................... agree on something constructive
It's not "just a rock". It was a key part of the Chaco Canyon culture, which spread throughout the Four Corners region. Chimney Rock has been a recognized archaeological site, and was also utilized by Chacoan and later peoples as an astronomical observatory.
This "upgrade" of "Archaeological Area" to "National Monument" will better protect and preserve this treasure for future generations of Americans. That seems rather constructive to me.
(I have worked at Chimney Rock, as a volunteer and at my own expense, to assist with the archeoastronomy discoveries found on-site.)
Michael,
Be nice to Sunlitensmiles. He can't help that he's uneducated and can't read/understand the article he just commened on.
Light does not enter into, nor emanate from a closed mind! "Just a rock", how ignorant.
Rather than deed the land back to the Navajo nation, Obama and Congress has now stolen more sacred land so the entire US population can wander around on it. The Navajos would rather the white people just stay away and not desecrate the area.
Where in this article did you see any mention of the Navajo Nation?
"The monument is in the San Juan National Forest and surrounded by the Southern Ute Indian Reservation."
Also, just so you know, there is this thing called reading, maybe you should try it before posting pointless comments.
If anyone should be deeded the land its the Southern Utes, or possibly the Hopi (who are descendants of some of the Pueblo people).
I can understand your point, why did they (feds) have to open up the area to tourism. The bottom line is always money.
I don't understand. Did the article mention the installation of ticket booths?
Better to consider that federally protected land is off-limits to oil and gas drilling, and fracking.
Depending on your proclivities, that's either a picture of 2 t i t s or 2 d i c k s. Happy Friday, y'all
Sometimes a rock is only a rock.
Arizona strongly resisted turning the Grand Canyon into a national park, so Teddy Roosevelt had to use the antiquities act to protect it. Now of course they can't live without it. So relying on a "locally driven" designation, as Rep. Tipton would do, is more just a continuation of Republican mistakes rather than a useful strategy.
They agreed, because men agreed and voted they "Looked like two nipples on titties"
LOL!!!!
Nah. If that were the case, the Repubs would've demanded they'd be probed first to check if they were legitimate.
Wow, if only they could come together on something more important, like an actual budget, not just some trivial monument.
while this may be nice, what f else is congress doing that matters?!
Nothing. They adjourned after working a whopping 12 days of the last 3 months.
Certainly NOT what the Republicans promised to do when they gained the House majority.
Just like the 90s, the Repubs use all of their time and efforts, and our tax dollars, to try to toss out a sitting President, rather then work for their pay. Does that make them part of the 47%?
I'd rather see Obama doing this than spending $20 million to develop a children's TV program in Pakistan or any other foreign country like he's been doing.
Foreign aid is approved through Congress. Send your concerns to Boehner and McConnell.
JK, don't confuse them with facts. It makes their heads hurt.
I love the ignorance of the masses who criticize without even knowing what and where they are talking about. Just a rock? This is one of the most critical archaeological sites in this region. The 800 year old Ancient ruins was a major archeoastronomy site. Against those in this column probably don't even know what a lunar standstill is, but with the earth's tilt the moon travels from the northern to to the southern hemisphere and every 18.6 years the full moon rises between those two rock spires and are in direct alignment with the ancient kiva and ruins. Chimney Rock was a Chaco outlayer - and the ancient people based their entire culture and region of the ancient Anasazi upon this sky calender. This is the science of preistoric astronomy in the southwest which phd's at Los Alamos Labs spend life times studing. Before people flap their mouths before speaking or writing - maybe go on the internet and do some research. Read! It is amazing what education and science can teach.....
Well said.
And there seems to be many out there. PS: Love your state!
He should save that card and use it at the end of his second term.
Not to be unkind, this should have happened several years ago. It is nice that it is done, but just what did obama do to make this? NADA!
plork you jest, but don't be surprised if they take your jokes and run with the idea.
I can see it now; tell all NASA book drops before election. Details of how anonymous NASA engineer felt Obama was holding the rover back.
(Thinking . . ) "I have a leak in my basement after that downpour last night. That darned Obama!"
plork
nope but he sure as hell will take the bows.........................:)
I don't object to national parks and monuments, but would like to see a moratorium on adding more until the National Park Service can clean and fix up Grants Tomb in NYC - and KEEP it cleaned. Few people know, but Ulyss and Julia Grant are one of our presidential super love stories.
WHOOPEE! Another Place to Go Camping and Drink Beer!
AND, if Colorado votes for it this November, maybe smoke a joint, too!!! WhoopEEEE!
We can safely surmise two things from the passage of the bill: 1. It's been determined that there is no oil there, and, 2. It was a republican bill (which it was). Had a democrat written it and represented the area, it would have been filibustered to death.
A republican was first to use the antiquities act. Teddy Roosevelt
Teddy Roosevelt, by today's standards, would be labeled an uber-liberal by the Teabaggers. Whatever, he did good.
It's so very sad that these are the ONLY kinds of issues that our elected officials can work together on. It scares me that once a person is elected to office....is elected to govern, it's not possible any longer. We have become so hostile towards each other because of labels that we can't seem to move forward. This is why our Congress is breaking down.
You can thank the negative propaganda of the Lintballs / Hannity / Beck / Coulter / Palin (and pretty much all of the talking heads a Faux Noise Network, especially that little pencil neck blond sissy on the morning show . . wow, what a dweeb!)
How much will this cost us?
Can the Fed possibly think of any more ways to spend money?
I'm guessing it won't cost you anything, because you don't pay any taxes.
Cost, or investment?
What is the price of priceless archeological treasures being lost forever? What modest investment is a good value to preserve this important part of our history and culture?
1) I pay a bigger % of taxes than Mitt.
2) I am underemployed and about bankrupt.
3) Can anyone argue the Fed is not spending too much money??
4) I'm glad to see congress passing such important legislation instead of facing the fiscal cliff before taking another vacation.
I'm surprised any Republicans went along with this, as they're generally trying to destroy the environment, claiming it will give somebody a job doing it. I'll bet those chimneys would make a lot of bags of cement.
In all the years since D-Day 1945,
there are only three occasions when the sitting President of the
United States of America failed to go to the D-Day Monument that honors the
soldiers killed during the Invasion.
Only Three Times...
The occasions were:
1. Barack Obama 2010
2. Barack Obama 2011
3. Barack Obama 2012
For the past 68 years, every single president, except Obama,
have paid tribute to the fallen American soldiers killed on D-Day.
This year, instead of honoring the
soldiers, he made a 3,000 mile campaign trip on Air Force 1 to California to
raise funds for the upcoming election. Priorities?
speaks volumes... doesn't it?
As Arkansas suggests, check Snopes:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/dday.asp
So, your post SailNaked is 100% FALSE.
Speaks volumes... doesn't it.
(Your apology and correction, SailNaked, would speak volumes about your character.)
I agree, it says sail naked is a buttcrack fool.
Wow, that D-Day thing is 100% false. Just plain made up. Look it up on Snopes or something.
Wow. People complaining about preserving just a smidgen of the earth from asphalt. By the way, Teddy Roosevelt started Parks & Conservation and he was a Republican (or a Socialist, by today's standards, since he believed in regulating Robber Barons). Remind me of why we don't need to preserve any of the earth when the Arctic ice cap totally melts and you're standing knee deep in whatever ocean you're closest to.
Tell you what idiot, let us know where you're family is buried so we can go desecrate their graves, just a meaningless piece of dirt afterall.
Li. You are quite right. Grant loved the sauce and was almost continously drunk when he wasn't handing out jobs to his cronies. He was totally incompetent as a President.