WSP06239

• File Number: 8200.300.20.I
• Description: Great Sand Dunes National Monument
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/1/2000
• Author: Various
• Title: News Articles and correspondnece
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: News Article/Press Release

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Dunes

Mcinnis says Admi!1istration

. Continued from page]

"We're supponive of the (park)
.concept," Ahem said. "We. wont to
see the details berore: we: can formally
suppa" the idcll....
The Idmlnistrutlon's suppan Is vi.
tal because it will have 10 seck mil-
lions oJ doll:n 10 buy the .dditional
40,000 cercs McInnis w:ants 10 'add.
Mcinnis Slid his proposal hu stronl
'support in the: Son Luis Valle)' and
lh.t most of Ihose ,freeled likely
would be wi1lin'lo .tllthcir land to
Ihe NlI.lionDI Pnrk Scrvict, .
Supporters believe desilnatin, the
.. Oreat Sand Dunes as I national park
-. would annct morc visitorS and make
it easicrto IlC'quire more federal fund-
i~g.
The she: draws aboul 300.000 visi-
tors I yClr. ,"ordinato the AlamoA
: Chamber of Commerce.

backs. Dunes as. national' par~~:~;

DENVER (AP) - "he Clinlon adminimllion supportS the pu~h ,!O maKe Colorado's GrC~
S::l.nd Dunts a n8tlol1al pilrk.. said ConJl'essmafl S'etPl1 McInnis.. _n . ...- ':, .
M~lnnis ~id Munduy Ihallmcrior Secrettit)' Brul.'C Babbiu Indicaled the adminisutltlon will -.-
endurn Ihe pro~llo up;r.Il:le the SlOItus of the n::l.tional monument in ~them Cotor.lC~O. Zo. p..
Ml:lnnis.ll Republican. plu)'ed II kt'Y role in hDvin&; the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River
Nalional Monumenl in western Colorado declared a Rlllional pIlJ'k. earlier this yctar. He said he
has U1nlled wilh Bo.bbln on other issues. but said the .sc:crel::l.l")'. "has al~ays been ...ery
pr.ufessionul QIl issues like thi...... . . ,
1"'he so.nd dunes were plllted under federal proleclion in 1932. The 39.squore..mi1e monument .
fe:llure-s 100.rool-tall dunes. Nonh America's tallcst. al the fOOl of the Sangre de Cristo
Maunu,ins ringinllhe San Luil Valley. .
Tim Ahem. a spokesmDn for BabbilL said 1he sec:retilf)' pl:\ns 10 visit the area of the weekend
Qf 0.,. II onU 12. " . . bo), 1~'7 ' .

. . Ple,",e see Dunes p.ge 3

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A/(ard on Great.Sand
DLlnespari~J/l/agon la/3-

. Totneet'there with Interior Secretary Babbitt .

: . ...." : .:" ;" BrCARVTAVLOR -.
. MOSCA _ A senatorfrom Colorado Wcdnesd.y jumped on the bAndwalon forOreDl
Sand Dunes nation:ll po.r~ !l.'1~S. and... admitt~ ~e Irowin,le,isladve effon is dl'D~ins .
ItranJe bedfellows. . .~:'. ~."~ ,~', .....
.., U.s. Sen. Wllyne AIIIlJ'd. who previously had ~.Ol publicly cammined louppudin,'1hc-
famous natio,!~1 monument to a Jailer park. announced t~llt he would hike over the SlIn ,
Luis Valley IOUrist mecca side by ~ide wllh political IUt:h-enemy aNce Babbitt on .
Sllturday. Dec. lB. . .. '. .
:"In order to make ~his happen. wc ~re.,oin'lo.need the Adminlstnnion's full suppon. .
SecretarY Babbitt's ...isll willlcnd a~ imporunt mc$Sll'c '0 Con;n:u 1hnllhc Adminis.
~tion is behind this mo\'e and they'~ willin. 10 maKe h II priorhy," AlIDJ'd said on
.WednelC1.ay..' ". . .
: BabbiU is the eli.nlon Administnuh::in's Secnmlt)' of the lnlerior who has fouShl .
politically with Republicans over propeny ri,hlS I1nd olher issues ove the YCDrs. Repub- .
Iicans Allard. U.s. Rep. ScOIl McInnis and Stoic Sen. GiSi Dennis 1111 have publicly:
encourased [he monumenl become a ~k. .
Said Allard: "Althoulh Secreu&/")' Babblll and I hDve had our differences. making the
Sand Dunes a J:lalional park. is somelhins on which we arc in 0. agreemenl."
In annQuncins tht'joint visillO Ihe 9rcllt SlInd Dunes N:llianul Monument al a crook in
the Sllngrt i:IeCri~lo foolhills northeusl of Alamosra. Allard. for Ihe first lime. said he would
sponsor legislalion in Ihe Sentlle e:lrly nul ycar.

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