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Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Likely Off Chopping Block

Bureau of Land Management

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument does not appear to be at risk of shrinkage or repeal. That’s according to public conversations between Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and members of Colorado’s U.S. Congressional delegation.

In a Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing Tuesday, Zinke toldColorado Senator Cory Gardner Canyons of the Ancients is currently not on the Interior Department’s “Priority Review List” for monuments. On Thursday, Zinke reiteratedhis support of the monument to Colorado Congressman Scott Tipton of Cortez during a House Natural Resources Committee meeting.

“Some of the monuments are settled, and my intent was not to rip off band-aids and create wounds where there is [sic] none,” Zinke said.  

Tipton, Gardner, and Colorado Senator Michael Bennet have all come out in support of Canyons of the Ancients. A public comment period on the monument and others is open until July 10th.

Austin Cope is a former Morning Edition host for KSJD and now produces work on a freelance basis for the station. He grew up in Cortez and hosted a show on KSJD when he was 10 years old. After graduating from Montezuma-Cortez High School in 2010, he lived in Belgium, Ohio, Spain, northern Wyoming, and Himachal Pradesh, India before returning to the Cortez area. He has a degree in Politics from Oberlin College in Ohio.
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