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| near Hecla Jct., credit Summitpost.org |
After twenty years of intense lobbying, Browns Canyon in Colorado is finally a National Monument. The Current Occupant signed an executive order Thursday designating three new national monuments including Brown's Canyon. (the other two designations are important historical sites) Its 21,586 acres protects a scenic stretch of the Arkansas River near Salida, CO, popular with recreationists for its fly fishing, rafting, hiking, and climbing. Rock hounds are also familiar with the Arkansas valley because glaciers moved sediment and rock into the valley from surrounding mountains creating impressive cliffs and buttes. Forest is primarily pinyon-juniper and mountain mahogany with stands of aspen, willow, birch and cottonwoods along the river banks and creeks. Wildlflowers live there in profusion.
This rugged and scenic landscape provides living space for numerous large mammals. Mountain lions, bobcats, bighorn sheep, mule dear, black bears, coyote, foxes and elk all live in the Brown's canyon region. Bird species living there include hawks, eagles, cliff swallows, three species of owls, wild turkeys and jays. It is one of the only riparian ecosystems of the Arkansas River that is relatively undisturbed. Brown's Canyon provides suitable habitat for reintroduction of the lynx and peregrine falcon. For all of these reaons and more Browns Canyon National Monument is an appropriate designation that was long overdue.