by Derek Draplin
President Joe Biden signed a proclamation on Wednesday that establishes Colorado’s Camp Hale as a national monument.
The Camp Hale – Continental Divide National Monument marks Biden’s first use of the U.S. Antiquities Act to establish a new national monument. Camp Hale was a training facility for the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division during World War II, and the division’s veterans played an influential role in establishing the state’s ski industry.
“This is the first new national monument of my president and under this authority,” Biden said Wednesday in a visit to the new monument. “When you think about the natural beauty of Colorado and the history of our nation, you find it here.”
“This action will honor our nation’s veterans, Indigenous people, and their legacy by protecting this Colorado landscape, while supporting jobs and America’s outdoor recreation economy,” a statement from the White House said.
At the event, Biden was flanked by Colorado officials including Gov. Jared Polis and U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who are running for reelection.
“Protecting Camp Hale, the hallowed training ground, the birthplace of the 10th Mountain Division, celebrates Colorado’s contributions to the World War II effort and of course the service of our proud ski troopers,” Polis said at the press conference. “Veterans of the 10th Mountain Division helped shape the modern ski industry leading to Colorado’s rise as a world-class outdoor recreation community.”
Protections for the area have long been proposed as part of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act, which has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives but hasn’t moved in the U.S. Senate since it was introduced in February 2021.
The Biden administration also said on Wednesday that it’s proposing a 20-year mineral withdrawal for Colorado’s Thompson Divide area, which would prohibit any new federal mining claims or leases.
“This designation and the administration’s efforts to protect the Thompson Divide enjoy broad, bipartisan support from Coloradans, and testify to the hard work of local leaders and groups, who have worked for years to preserve this vital part of our history and our landscapes,” Bennet said in a written statement.
The new monument for Camp Hale, located in Eagle County about 15 miles north of Leadville, will encompass almost 54,000 acres of existing federal land in the White River National Forest and will be managed by the U.S. Forest Service, the White House said.
The Biden administration’s announcement has drawn praise from environmental organizations and scorn from energy industry groups.
“Today’s proclamation is a downpayment on President Biden’s America the Beautiful initiative. Protecting 30% of America’s lands and waters by the end of the decade will require using every tool available, and the Antiquities Act is one of the most important,” said Jennifer Rokala, Executive Director of the Center for Western Priorities, a Denver-based conservation group.
The Western Energy Alliance, an oil and gas trade group, also based in Denver, said, “designating more national monuments like Camp Hale adds to the list of protected lands that the federal government struggles to fund and maintain.”
“There is already a $22 billion backlog of conservation and infrastructure projects for protected lands, while costs continue to balloon because of government mismanagement,” Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Alliance, said in a statement. “The bright spot is that [Great American Outdoors Act] provided secure funding for conservation derived almost exclusively from federal oil and natural gas production.”
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Derek Draplin is a regional editor at The Center Square. He previously worked as an opinion producer at Forbes, as an editor at The Daily Caller, and as a reporter at Michigan Capitol Confidential and The Detroit News.
