[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 27, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E664-E666]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE HISTORY OF THE GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK AND 
                                PRESERVE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 27, 2004

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the grassroots 
effort to protect one of Colorado's greatest natural treasures: The 
Great Sand Dunes. I was privileged to play a part in this momentous and 
exciting process. My own effort to preserve this beautiful area began 
in 1989 on a family vacation to the Great Sand Dunes National Monument 
in Colorado's San Luis Valley, where I had a conversation with my 
friend Bob Zimmerman about his idea to re-designate the Great Sand 
Dunes National Monument as a National Park and Preserve. This 
conversation with Bob was the catalyst for a decade-long effort to put 
the Sand Dunes in their rightful place alongside the nation's other 
crown jewels as a National Park and Preserve.
  A rare gem, Colorado's Great Sand Dunes cover an area of thirty-nine 
square miles and reach heights of 700 feet above the floor of the flat 
San Luis Valley, making them the tallest dune fields in the western 
hemisphere. The Dunes are nestled between rugged, snowcapped mountains 
that include 14,000-foot peaks peppered with pristine alpine tundra. 
The Great Sand Dunes of Colorado are a unique hydrological system that 
feeds one of Colorado's largest wetland areas and are home to beaver 
meadows and spacious grasslands that are dotted with beautiful mountain 
flowers. High mountain streams cascade first into pristine lakes 
situated above the timberline, flowing into dense spruce and fir 
forests, streaming farther to reach large Aspen groves, ponderosa 
forest, pinion-juniper woodlands, cottonwood and mountain willow 
riparian areas. As the newest member of America's National Park system, 
the Great Sand Dunes is one of the nation's most biologically diverse 
parks, encompassing wetland species such as sandhill cranes, the rare 
white-faced ibis, and Rocky Mountain species of bighorn sheep, marmots 
and ptarmigan. The park also represents a diverse cultural heritage, 
where Native American sites spanning thousands of

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years, standing Ute Indian wickiups, mammoth kill sites, and a branch 
of the Old Spanish Trail traveled by some of the earliest Spanish 
people in America all sit side by side.
  The Dunes themselves are a historic product of the wind and rain 
eroding the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan Mountain ranges that ring the 
San Luis Valley. For thousands of years prevailing westerly winds have 
come over the Rockies and down the flood plain of the Rio Grande River, 
picking up sand particles on the way. These dry surface layers of sand 
are deposited at the east edge of the valley before the wind rises to 
cross the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. This continuing process gradually 
enlarges and changes the shape and sand patterns of the dunes each day. 
Overall, the dunes maintain a stable form as a result of the 
combination of wind, topography, and moisture from rain and snow. 
Another unique feature of the Great Sand Dunes is a small stream called 
Medano Creek that is fed by melting snow and only flows during spring 
and early summer along the eastern edge of the dunes before 
disappearing below ground in the valley. Medano Creek displays a 
``surge-flow'' behavior in that it flows in waves and is the best 
example of this phenomenon in the world. Under the ground of nearly 
half the valley is a fundamentally important aquifer that serves as 
both the principal source of ground water for irrigation and the 
maintenance of the Dune ecosystem. If the aquifer were even modestly 
depleted, the rivers and creeks that feed these dunes would dry up. 
Part of this vital aquifer underlies the scenic open-space Baca Ranch, 
consisting of 100,000 acres running alongside the Dunes. The expansive 
Baca Ranch property is critical to the preservation of the fragile Sand 
Dunes ecosystem and the economic life of the San Luis Valley. Following 
multiple water battles in the Valley, a plan came together whereby the 
Baca Ranch could be part of a solution to these water issues while also 
helping in the park's designation. The Great Sand Dunes National 
Monument is one of Colorado's greatest natural treasures and I am 
honored to bring the concerns of the people of the San Luis Valley to 
the attention of this nation.
  The Great Sand Dunes National Park proposal was a ground-up, 
community driven effort to enhance the status of the Great Sand Dunes 
National Monument to a National Park and Preserve. The push to preserve 
the Sand Dunes area began in the 1930's as Elizabeth Spencer and other 
members of the Chapter V of the P.E.O. Sisterhood in Monte Vista, 
Colorado circulated petitions and wrote letters to elected officials in 
Washington to prevent construction and commercial mining companies from 
hauling off truckloads of sand. All of their hard work resulted in 
President Herbert Hoover's proclamation creating the Great Sand Dunes 
National Monument. It wasn't until the fall of 1999 that the movement 
to crown one of Colorado's natural jewels while preserving the 
agricultural way of life in the San Luis Valley began to take its next 
steps. Protecting the great natural environment of the Dunes came out 
of requests from citizens who represented the San Luis Valley. Several 
community members contacted me about trying to preserve and protect the 
Sand Dunes while putting an end to the decades long fight over efforts 
to export the Valley's water. This input from the local community was 
critical to the legislative proposal that I planned to draft and 
introduce at the upcoming Sand Dunes Summit.
  In early December of 1999, I invited then Secretary of the Interior 
Bruce Babbitt, to participate in a public forum at the Great Sand Dunes 
to announce our efforts to work together on an initiative to re-
designate the Sand Dunes as a National Park, and also to solidify the 
Administration's support for this proposal. Together with U.S. Senator 
Ben Nighthorse Campbell, U.S. Senator Wayne Allard, and Colorado 
Attorney General Ken Salazar, I affirmed the importance of acquiring 
the Baca Ranch property as crucial to the fragile Dune ecosystem and an 
important step in protecting the water of the San Luis Valley. At the 
same time, the Nature Conservancy, under the leadership of state 
director Mark Burget, was considering entering into tough negotiations 
to purchase the Baca Ranch. I was encouraged by their dedication.
  The communities of the San Luis Valley overwhelmingly supported the 
Great Sand Dunes National Park proposal. For several months following 
the Summit, I worked with my staff to consult with the communities of 
the San Luis Valley through town hall meetings over countless working 
weekends. Our goal was to develop a set of community-generated 
principles that would serve as the basis for my legislative proposal to 
Congress for the authorization of the new park.
  Before going to work on this proposal in Washington, I sent my staff 
out in the community to learn the issues better than anyone else, so 
that the eventual draft legislation would adequately reflect local 
priorities. Ahead of the Summit, my staff had spent significant time on 
the ground, meeting with local citizens and officials who were 
interested in creating the Great Sand Dunes National Park, including 
county officers, Friends of the Dunes' supporters, the Nature 
Conservancy, and park officials. The information gathered through these 
meetings was instrumental in formulating the legislative proposal to 
create the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. For instance, 
one of the priorities voiced locally was the need to preserve the 
ability of the Colorado Division of Wildlife to manage the big horn 
sheep population. That required some creative problem solving, since 
typically hunting is not allowed in a park. That's where we came up 
with the idea to create a nature preserve, managed by the National Park 
Service, that would protect the aspects, such as the hydrology, that 
make the park unique, while also allowing for the hunting needed to 
manage the big horn sheep population.
  Another creative idea that was implemented in the proposal was the 
designation of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge. That designation 
allowed for different management regimes than a national park. It was 
envisioned for land diverse enough to be managed for wildlife 
(including the overpopulated elk), while also flexible enough to 
account for an area that could support significant migratory bird 
populations, such as waterfowl, cranes and shorebirds, through 
continuation of many of the Ranch's irrigation practices. In this way, 
the park could become an economic draw in and of itself. Additionally, 
I listened to the wishes of the citizens of Saguache County who were 
concerned about the potential for traffic congestion created by a 
possible northern entrance to the park. I decided to include a locally 
driven advisory council that could be a platform for ensuring that 
these local concerns were considered when the management of the future 
park was being crafted. I was also able to offer the Forest Service 
some incentives to support the bill. While the Forest Service was very 
reluctant to give up the land that it was currently managing in what 
was to become the preserve, I was able to offer them the chance to 
manage the area of the Baca Ranch that includes the mountains, 
specifically the 14,000+-foot Kit Carson Peak. This helped ease some 
management headaches because of travel restrictions across the Baca 
Ranch that broke up the continuity of the forest and notably the 
14,000-foot ridge. This enticement helped to eventually convince the 
Forest Service to support the goals of the legislation.
  Finally, the most important part of this process was the innovative 
way in which my staff and I offered to protect the hydrologic resources 
of the area with an approach that respected the local water interests. 
This was a unique and creative effort to give the federal government 
the ability to protect the water in a manner that made everyone 
comfortable with the process. This is perhaps the lynchpin of the 
legislation, and one of the primary reasons for the bill. After all, it 
is the interwoven hydrologic system in the San Luis Valley that creates 
the Dunes themselves. In fact, without the water to move the sand back 
down to the dunes and create the conditions for the dunes themselves, 
the Valley's agriculture and Colorado's largest concentration of 
wetlands would cease to exist. It is important to remember that the San 
Luis Valley had just gone through a lengthy and expensive water fight 
with American Water Development Incorporated and Stockman's Water--a 
battle that led to two ballot initiatives in 1998 that the Valley 
worked together to defeat. As a result of that effort, the provisions 
in this bill that offered a way to protect the Dunes and the water and 
agriculture in the Valley ensured our success.
  On March 28, 2000 I introduced H.R. 4095, a bill to establish the 
Great Sand Dunes National Preserve and authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to re-designate the Great Sand Dunes National Monument as a 
National Park. This legislation was well received in the local 
community, where numerous organizations passed resolutions or wrote 
letters in support of my bill. My staff and I worked with members of 
the Administration, along with State and local government officials to 
bring this important legislation to the attention of my colleagues in 
the Congress. Without the support of many of these organizations and 
numerous dedicated individuals, this legislation would never have 
become law.
  I am grateful for the support of several individuals who worked with 
us to make this legislation a reality. Christine Canaly of the San Luis 
Valley Ecosystems Council, a retired Adams State College professor and 
president of the Friends of the Dunes organization; Hobey Dixon, whose 
efforts to elevate the dunes and save the ecosystem, with special 
attention to keeping the water in the San Luis Valley, were 
instrumental to building a coalition of local support. Mike Gibson, 
former head of the Nature Conservancy's San Luis Valley Project; Ray 
Wright, the Chairman of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District; 
Ralph Curtis, the manager of the Rio Grande Water Conservation 
District. Ralph, along with the rest of the Colorado water community, 
were helpful in working with us to creatively forge consensus solutions 
to the water issues central to the ecosystem and the Valley's

[[Page E666]]

economy. Their suggestions helped us to push for the purchase of the 
Baca Ranch property that is crucial to maintaining the fragile Dunes 
ecosystem. Mike Blenden, the local manager for the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, played a significant role in helping me to craft the 
``Refuge'' portion of the bill. Steve Chaney, who serves as 
superintendent of the Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve, 
was also an invaluable source of support and dedication throughout the 
entire process. I was fortunate to receive the support of Colorado 
State Legislators Gigi Dennis and Lewis Entz, who teamed up to pass a 
resolution in the Colorado legislature that supported our efforts to 
create the new National Park and Preserve. My staff and I were also 
grateful for the dedication of various individuals from the Governor's 
office and the Colorado State Land Board, who worked with us to help 
structure the finances of the Baca Ranch land purchase. The Action 22 
organization also passed a supportive resolution encouraging the park's 
re-designation. However, this legislation could never have been 
successful without the initial support of the grass-roots efforts of 
people like local organizer Dion Stewart, Rio Grande County 
Commissioners Randall Brown, Doug Davie, and Vern Rominger, Alamosa 
County Commissioners Darius Allen, Charlotte Bobicki, and Bob 
Zimmerman, and citizens throughout the region.
  Despite this overwhelming support from state and local officials, 
neighboring communities and statewide organizations, H.R. 4095 had 
opposition from two of Colorado's U.S. Congressional Representatives 
from Teller County and Eastern Colorado, whose disagreements centered 
on concerns over control of water usage in Colorado and a belief that 
the Great Sand Dunes National Monument was not on par with our other 
national parks.
  In response to the clear intentions of the Representative from Teller 
County to kill the legislation through the Committee process in the 
U.S. House of Representatives, it became clear that we would have to 
try another route. I went to Senator Wayne Allard and worked out a 
strategy with him to pass an identical measure in the Senate. Senator 
Allard quickly agreed and S. 2547 was introduced on May 11, 2000. 
Within a month, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
held a Subcommittee hearing and a full Committee mark-up. On October 5, 
2000 the U.S. Senate unanimously passed S. 2547. Pursuant to a prior 
arrangement with the Speaker of the House, the following day the 
Senate-passed version of my bill was received in the House and held at 
the desk for subsequent consideration on the Floor. This parliamentary 
procedure is very unusual. On October 24, I debated well into the 
evening with my opposing colleague about the merits of the bill. I 
welcomed the support that I received from other members of the Colorado 
Congressional delegation, who spoke in favor of this legislation on the 
Floor. However, given the Representatives position on the Resources 
Committee at the time, we couldn't take anything for granted. That 
evening, after the debate, I had my staff personally deliver a ``Dear 
Colleague'' letter from me to each Member of Congress asking that they 
support my Sand Dunes bill, which would be voted on the next day.
  On October 25, 2000, by a vote of 366 to 34, the House of 
Representatives overwhelmingly approved the legislation. On November 
22, 2000, the President signed the legislation designating the Great 
Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve into law.
  I was overjoyed with the enactment of our legislation, but I also 
knew that, in order to make sure the monument made the transition to a 
national park, the essential Baca Ranch property would need to be 
incorporated into the park. My staff and I have continued to work with 
the Nature Conservancy to stave off a few procedural battles and have 
asked for the necessary appropriations to acquire the funds necessary 
for the purchase of the Baca Ranch and the transfer of ownership from 
the Nature Conservancy to the federal government. As of April of 2004, 
we have managed to acquire all but roughly $3 million of the funding 
needed to go towards the closing costs to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, which is the last step in re-designating the Great Sand Dunes 
National Park and Preserve. My staff and I have, in conjunction with 
U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, already made the request for the 
final appropriation. We are encouraged by the resolve of all of our 
supporters in this final step. It has been a long journey and I 
especially want to thank all of those devoted individuals and 
organizations that have worked with me to make this initiative a 
legislative success. The designation of this park is a tribute to the 
natural beauty of Colorado and the hard work of numerous capable and 
committed people. The realization of our goal is in sight, and I hope 
that in the very near future we will achieve our common dream of 
creating the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
  I'd like to thank Elizabeth Peetz of my staff who helped compile the 
history of these efforts.

                          ____________________