"State of the Land" Series: The Future of Hermosa Creek
Chris Thomas, News Director
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
I'm Chris Thomas for State of the Land. What will it take to gain greater protections for the Hermosa Creek area near Durango - an act of Congress? Yup.
Folks who know this beautiful part of the San Juans are watching a bill in Congress that will designate the Hermosa Creek watershed a Special Management Area, with one-third of it being protected as Wilderness, for backcountry recreation. A mix of other activities will mean a mix of protections for the rest of the area, from hiking and fishing to motorized recreation, to traditional uses like grazing.
That balanced approach is what Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) said will be the key to ensuring success for everyone.
"You know, rather than try to draw bright lines, what we've tried to do is bring everybody together to support this bill. There are some parts of our landscape where we have to have the maximum protection - but there are many parts of the West where that doesn't need to be the case."
The senator said a bipartisan companion bill is gaining support in the House, sponsored by Congressman Scott Tipton (R-Colorado).
Chuck Wanner, president of Trout Unlimited's Five Rivers Chapter in Durango, called the plan "common sense." He said it is the result of years of give-and-take from people who are not always on the same side of the fence.
"I don't think there was a user group that was not represented," he said. "This is a true community effort. It's a grassroots community effort that was carefully planned and faithfully executed."
Wanner said the group didn't look at the land in terms of parcels and boundaries, but as an entire watershed - an approach to protect the Hermosa area for all residents to access and enjoy.
I'm Chris Thomas for State of the Land...from Public News Service, member- and listener-supported, and online at www.publicnewsservice.org.
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