Four Corners • Entered by Jennifer Singer on August 27, 2024
Dolores River Canyon National Monument Town Hall with Senator Bennet
June 9, 2024
Participants and Hours
| Pre Planning hours | 2 |
| Post Admin hours | 2 |
| Activity Hours | 8 |
| Participants | 2 |
| Total Hours | 20 |
Key Issue: Wilderness & Monument Designation/Protection
Activity Type: Advocacy (rallies, lobbying, meeting decision makers, letters/calls/emails)
Key Partners: Suzanne Strazza Dolores River Boating Advocates, Sally Sharp
Short Description of Activity
Terri and I went with Dolores River Boating Advocates group to the event in Nucla, CO. About 600 people attended and Senator Bennet listened to speakers from Halt the Monument advocate against the monument and for uranium mining and grazing and speakers from various environmental perspectives advocating for protecting the Dolores by designating the Dolores River Canyon National Monument.
Reflection/Evaluation
The goal was to protect the Dolores River. Whether it was met or not is still in limbo. The Halt the Dolores group asked Senator Bennet to give them time to work on an NCA and he did. So now we have two proposed NCA’s that still allow uranium mining with “pre-existing rights” and fewer plans to clean up tailings piles that are currently polluting western slope air, water, and lands. The DRBA group is opposed to the new proposed NCA. I’ll be asking Senator Bennet where the NCA’s stand and how much tailings clean-up is anticipated at the Cortez Town Hall he’s doing tomorrow.
We prepped for this event at our June First Friday Meet-Up and made signs to take along with us.