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WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell today joined hundreds of community members from the Upper Arkansas River Valley to celebrate the President’s designation of Browns Canyon National Monument in Colorado. President Obama designated the area as a National Monument on February 19, 2015, in support of a decades-long, locally-driven effort to conserve and protect these spectacularly scenic lands.

The celebration took place at Buena Vista River Park in Buena Vista, Colorado. Secretary Jewell and Chief Tidwell were joined by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, Bureau of Land Management Director Neil Kornze, and many local, state and national conservation and community leaders to celebrate the designation.

“Today’s celebration honors the culmination of more than a decade of work by the local community to protect this amazing area,” said Secretary Jewell. “Thanks to committed local leadership, and support from tribal, state and national leaders, this stunning landscape with unique recreational, scenic and historic value is now preserved for future generations to explore and enjoy while also preserving all valid and existing rights."

The new monument, located in Chaffee County, CO between the towns of Buena Vista and Salida, spans approximately 21,500 acres of rugged cliffs, colorful rock outcroppings and stunning mountain vistas. Browns Canyon tells the story of the area's native peoples as well as the history of recent settlers and mining communities. The monument protects one of the nation's most popular destinations for whitewater rafting, with the Arkansas River and adjacent uplands supporting world-class recreation opportunities and a strong outdoor economy.

It will continue to be jointly managed by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service (USFS). The agencies will jointly prepare a management plan for the monument in formal cooperation with the State of Colorado, other local governments and tribes, and will develop the plan in an open process with maximum public involvement from interested stakeholders, area ranchers and other permit holders.

“Today, we celebrate Browns Canyon’s unique cultural and recreational legacy,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “These lands have provided a home for people for 10,000 years, and the cultural and historical resources protected by this monument honor the area’s Native Peoples. Browns Canyon is also an active landscape where ranchers have worked for generations. I am proud that we are conserving and managing public lands that support important resources and local economies, especially rural mountain communities.”

Legislation to recognize Browns Canyon was first introduced in 2005 by then-Representative Joel Hefley and former Senator Wayne Allard. In December 2014, senior administration officials visited Salida, Colo., at the request of Senator Michael Bennet and former Senator Mark Udall, to listen to the community’s conservation vision for Browns Canyon.

“Designating this area as a national monument has enjoyed a long history of bipartisan support and is the result of a dedicated, community driven effort,” Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet said. “Browns Canyon has a rugged and unique beauty that attracts outdoor enthusiasts from around the world and generates millions of dollars for local economies. We are thrilled to be here today with local residents to celebrate this new national monument, and we hope that future generations will continue to enjoy this magnificent landscape in the heart of the Rockies for years to come‎."

“We are celebrating a landmark victory for the state of Colorado today," said Gov. Hickenlooper. "This designation serves as an example and reminder to us all of what we can achieve by working together. We now have permanent protection of this valuable resource and landscape, having honored the community's vision and existing uses for the area. This benefits the community, the state's economy and ensures Browns Canyon will be fully enjoyed by future generations."

Presidential designation as a monument allows for continued historic uses of the area, including hunting, fishing and livestock grazing, which will continue to be managed under existing rules and regulations. The designation does not alter or affect the valid water rights of any party and does not affect agreements governing management of the Arkansas River flows. The designation supports the ongoing cooperative management of the Arkansas Headwater Recreation Area by the BLM and the State of Colorado and preserves existing agreements for recreation uses and access.

“This is a great day to celebrate an outstanding addition to America’s newest conservation system – the BLM’s National Conservation Lands,” said Neil Kornze. “Browns Canyon National Monument joins spectacular landscapes across the west as part of the National Conservation Lands. The designation of Browns Canyon National Monument signals a renewed commitment for an area respected and loved by tens of thousands of people.”

Last month, BLM celebrated the 15th anniversary of the National Conservation Lands, which encompass 874 units and more than 30 million acres of public land across the nation. As the newest addition to the system, Browns Canyon harbors a wealth of scientifically significant geological, ecological, cultural, and historical resources and is an important area for studies of paleoecology, mineralogy, archaeology and climate change. The area’s unusual geology and roughly 3,000-foot range in elevation have given rise to a diversity of plants and wildlife, including a significant herd of bighorn sheep, golden eagles, and Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine.

Designating Browns Canyon as a national monument will protect outstanding opportunities to recreate, including hiking, hunting, horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing and rock climbing, as well as to experience the solitude and undeveloped beauty of this rugged landscape. Browns Canyon is one of the most popular destinations in the nation for whitewater enthusiasts, totaling more than 90,000 user-days annually, according to the BLM. Commercial rafting on the Arkansas River contributes roughly $60 million to the local economy, according to the Colorado River Outfitters Association.

For more information, please visit the BLM webpage devoted to Browns Canyon National Monument.