[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 152 (Friday, December 12, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S6774]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  BROWNS CANYON NATIONAL MONUMENT BILL

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Madam President, I submit this statement for 
the Record to clarify several provisions in my Browns Canyon national 
monument and wilderness bill, S. 1794. I have asked President Obama to 
use this bill as the model for a designation of 22,000 acres of Browns 
Canyon as a national monument under the Antiquities Act because it 
contains many specific provisions that were developed in careful 
consultation with the community.
  I introduced my bill over a year ago after 18 months of working side-
by-side with Chaffee County residents and other stakeholders. I held 
public listening sessions, received thousands of written comments, and 
my staff and I conducted over 50 meetings. The resulting bill was 
emblematic of how public lands bills should be done: from the bottom up 
and based on what the community wants.
  Browns Canyon is a unique natural resource. Hundreds of thousands of 
visitors come to Browns Canyon year after year to raft or kayak the 
canyon's exciting whitewater rapids or to fish the Gold Medal trout 
waters of the Arkansas River. But there is a lot more to this landscape 
than just the river. The rugged and remote lands to the east feature 
quiet canyons and rock formations, outstanding habitat for bighorn 
sheep and elk, and sweeping views of the Collegiate Peaks and Arkansas 
Valley.
  Protecting Browns Canyon has a wide base of support, including more 
than 200 local businesses and sportsmen who welcome the area's Gold 
Medal trout waters and big game hunting opportunities. Both the town of 
Buena Vista and the city of Salida passed resolutions of support, and a 
majority of the Chaffee County commissioners support the proposal with 
its carefully crafted conditions. The Denver Post and local Salida 
Mountain Mail have editorialized in favor of an Executive action. 
Indeed, I hosted a public meeting in Salida last weekend--attended by 
senior State and Federal officials, including U.S. Senator Michael 
Bennet, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell and Bureau of Land 
Management Deputy Director Steve Ellis--to gauge public support for 
protecting this nationally significant landmark. The more than 500 
attendees at the standing-room-only meeting overwhelmingly endorsed the 
idea, noting how a national monument designation would boost the local 
economy, support Main Street businesses and help protect Colorado's 
special way of life.
  The intent of my Browns Canyon national monument bill is to preserve 
this special place just as it is now--for us and future generations. 
Therefore, I submit this statement to clarify the intent behind several 
key passages related to the role of the State of Colorado, water 
rights, and livestock grazing.
  First, I want to recognize the model partnership between the Bureau 
of Land Management and the State of Colorado that has been in place 
since 1989 to manage the 148 miles of the Arkansas River corridor. This 
partnership is known as the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, AHRA, 
and includes Browns Canyon. The intent is that the Browns Canyon 
National Monument will have no impact on this partnership. However, it 
is also the intent that the Federal agencies will closely consult with 
the State of Colorado on the development of a comprehensive management 
plan for the national monument, and that the State could be a 
cosignatory to the plan. The State of Colorado has interests beyond 
just the AHRA because it will manage the wildlife in the National 
Monument and has a stake in maintaining the economic viability of 
associated industries, such as outdoor recreation and agriculture.
  Second, the intent is that the Browns Canyon National Monument shall 
not have any impact on the existing water rights of any party. It is 
also the intent that the national monument will not have any effect on 
how river flows are managed and administered, such as the current 
Voluntary Flow Management Program in place for the Arkansas River.
  Finally, as I have stated previously before the National Parks 
Subcommittee, it is critical that local ranchers maintain flexibility 
to run livestock in the national monument and transfer their grazing 
allotments to future generations. To address this, I included 
legislative language that all existing laws continue to apply just as 
they did before the monument was designated. Colorado's farms and 
ranches are an important part of my State's economy and identity--and 
produce food and fiber for the world. In particular, cattlemen and 
women play a critical role in the economy, culture, and heritage of the 
Arkansas River Valley. Therefore, Browns Canyon National Monument must 
support that industry and educate visitors about its role.
  Browns Canyon National Monument is an idea whose time has come, and I 
am proud to have led this most recent effort in a 20-year campaign to 
protect this spectacular and nationally significant resource.

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