The effort to get Browns Canyon northwest of Salida declared a national monument through presidential fiat rather than Congressional action is logical, the Southwest Colorado organizer for Conservation Colorado said Wednesday.

“Bills have been introduced in both chambers of Congress without success,” Micha Rosenoer said. “There’s been no action so it makes sense to get President Obama to declare the area a national monument.”

Seventy-nine people commented on the issue at a forum convened in Salida on Saturday by Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colorado, Rosenoer said. Seventy comments favored federal protection for the area, with only nine negative comments. About 400 people turned out for the public meeting.

The proposed Browns Canyon National Monument consists of 22,000 acres of varied terrain seven miles northwest of Salida. Rock spires, forested tracts, wooded drainages and subalpine grassland share the area in the upper Arkansas Valley.

Udall crafted legislation with participation from a broad constituency that would protect the area from development but allow many uses, including grazing, fishing, hunting and rafting. Mechanized uses could be curtailed.

About half of Browns Canyon, 10,500 acres, would be declared wilderness.

The monument would continue to be managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service in cooperation with the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife.

Mike Saccone, a spokesman in Udall’s Denver office, said this week that Udall will pursue national monument designation administratively through the Forest Service and BLM.

“The lack of national monument designation is the result of Congressional gridlock,” Saccone said.

President Obama can declare the area a national monument under the powers of the 1906 Antiquities Act. A decision is expected by the end of the year.

Obama used presidential power to make 4,700-acre Chimney Rock between Pagosa Springs and Bayfield a national monument in 2012.

daler@durangoherald. The Associated Press contributed to this report.