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Barbara McLachlan passes resolution opposing National Monument review

Second measure seeks damages from Gold King Mine spill
The Saddle Horn Pueblo as seen from the Sand Canyon hiking trail in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument west of Cortez. The monument is one of several under review by the Trump administration.

DENVER – State Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango, used a resolution to make a statement on where she stands on the Trump administration’s effort to review National Monuments.

House Resolution 11, which calls for members of Colorado’s congressional delegation to show their support for the 1906 Antiquities Act and the monuments within the state, was approved by the House Wednesday on the closing day of the session.

As a resolution, HR 11 carries no legislative power but is intended to express that lawmakers in Colorado stand by the process that went into the designation of monuments by previous administrations.

It was a direct response to the signing of an executive order by President Donald Trump that calls for a review of national monuments that were designated in the past 21 years and are more than 100,000 acres in size.

Included in the list is Canyons of the Ancients in Montezuma county, which was designated in 2000 by former President Bill Clinton.

“Our Colorado monument is in great danger of being not a Colorado monument anymore and we want to keep it there,” McLachlan said.

The executive order signed last month also allows for the reconsideration of monuments that are deemed to have lacked sufficient public input.

That was particularly troubling to Sen. Kerry Donovan, D-Vail and one of the resident advocates for public lands at the legislature.

Donovan called this a “loophole you could drive a semi-truck through” that could allow the administration to potentially review any monument.

Gold King Mine spill

McLachlan also presented Senate Joint Resolution 43, which asks Gov. John Hickenlooper, state Attorney General Cynthia Coffman and Colorado’s congressional delegation to seek recompense for unpaid damages caused by the Aug. 5, 2015, Gold King Mine spill.

The resolution is sponsored by McLachlan and Sen. Don Coram, R-Montrose, and was approved by the Senate Monday. Because of a difference in opinion between the sponsors on whether or not a lawsuit should be pursued against the Environmental Protection Agency, it was unclear who would carry it in the House.

McLachlan and Coram compromised on the wording, softening it to say that a lawsuit by the state of Colorado should be a last resort because of potential legal costs.

With the amendment in place, SJR 43 was approved by the Legislature.

While it also does not carry legal power, the sponsors hope it will light a fire under Coffman to pursue every recourse open to the state.

lperkins@durangoherald.com



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