Trail Tidbits

PHOTO BY BRENT FLANDERS

Making of a Monument

The Biden administration’s first use of the Antiquities Act was to designate the Camp Hale–Continental Divide National Monument in October 2022. Here’s what that means for the CDT.

In the heart of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, the high traverse of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail through the Tenmile Range offers some of the most spectacular ridgeline views of the entire 3,100-mile trail. Throughout the year, nature and history enthusiasts flock to this area for all the opportunities that the green space has to offer, from hiking and horseback riding on the trails, to learning about the history of the 10th Mountain Division and the beginnings of the U.S. ski industry, to admiring the spring wildflowers and fall foliage. Representing more than just an open space, areas like this tie together the past, present and future of Colorado’s way of life through the stewardship they inspire and the protections that allow them to endure. And thanks to recent action by President Biden and his administration, the preservation of the stories and histories, the opportunities for exploration and education, and the flora and fauna that are inherently connected to this landscape, is more a reality now than ever before.

On October 12th, 2022, President Biden signed “A Proclamation on Establishment of the Camp Hale - Continental Divide National Monument,” officially designating the first National Monument of his tenure. The designation protects 53,804 acres of the Camp Hale—Continental Divide National Monument on Forest System lands, preserving the area’s natural, cultural and historic values. Included in the resources protected are the historic landscape at Camp Hale, portions of the ecologically important Tenmile Range and more than 20 miles of the world-renowned Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. President Biden’s use of this executive power is the latest in a long tradition of bold conservation action by past U.S. Presidents, with 18 other presidents having used the powers granted to them under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to protect more than 100 sites across the country in the past 115 years.

Colorado leaders including Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper, Governor Polis and Congressman Neguse were joined by veterans, recreationists, business owners, environmental organizations, local leaders and other partners like the Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) in urging President Biden to use his power to designate the National Monument, when attempts to secure protections legislatively for the area seemed to be at a gridlock in Congress. As one of four priority landscapes identified for protections in the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Economy (CORE) Act, Camp Hale and the Continental Divide have been at the center of locally-led conservation efforts for more than a decade. Other areas included in the CORE Act include the Thompson Divide, the Curecanti National Recreation Area,

PHOTO BY CHELA GARCIA-IRLANDO/NEXT 100. INSET PHOTO BY JON RESNICK.

and the San Juan mountain range. In addition to the National Monument designation, the Biden administration has also committed to a 20-year administrative mineral withdrawal along the Thompson Divide while more scientific research and public input are gathered about the impacts of future action in the area. And while these are significant victories for these locally-led efforts, we hope that this is only the first of many such executive actions taken by President Biden to meet the unprecedented environmental challenges of the moment.

For time immemorial this landscape has been the home of and stewarded by Indigenous peoples whose stories, cultures and ways of life are inherently tied to the preservation of the land, water and vitality of the Continental Divide landscape. Before the Ute were forced off the land taken from them by the U.S. government when precious minerals were discovered, the Tenmile Range was a place to gather in community, collect medicinal plants, hunt migratory wildlife and even travel through seasonal ranges. The cultural value of this landscape and the continued importance of these practices for the Ute serves as a stark reminder of why preservation of this place and the leadership offered by Indigenous stewardship must shape the future management of the landscape. The cooperative stewardship model of resources like the CDT, and the Indigenous co-management of places such as Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, demonstrate that the future of community-led conservation lies in the strength of community, representation and collaboration, and not in repeating the exclusionary and harmful management practices that degraded this environment for generations. With this new National Monument, we hope that the future management of this landscape will represent the people who have the most to gain from its protection.

Local leaders, communities and stewardship organizations like CDTC have been at the forefront of this effort, urging for the protections of this place not only for the history that it protects, but also for the future it represents. With benefits reaching far beyond the borders on a map, the opportunity this brings to the people of Colorado and to

The Historic Landscape at Camp Hale

The National Monument designation will help to preserve the peaks and valleys that were once home to the famed 10th Mountain Division, which was the Army’s first and only mountain infantry division. The 10th Mountain Division fought in Europe during World War II and were pivotal in conditions that were adverse and at high elevation due to their training and experience in mountain climbing, skiing and cold-weather survival. During the height of its operation, Camp Hale encompassed approximately 1,500 acres and 1,000 buildings, including barracks for 15,000 soldiers. In addition to the barracks and other operational buildings, remnants of the parade grounds, recreation areas, gunnery ranges, ski hills, motor pool and rail yards are still visible today. After the war, veterans of the 10th Mountain Division became the founders and operators of more than 60 ski resorts, some in the very hills surrounding Camp Hale, which served as the foundation for the popularity of winter skiing in the outdoor recreation industry today. Today, the area is well known for its winter recreation opportunities, including backcountry skiing in the Tenmile Range, which includes 10 peaks over 13,000 feet in elevation, as well as the 14,265-foot Quandry Peak, known as one of the most iconic “Fourteeners” travelers on the CDT can experience.

At the time of its operation in the 1940s, Camp Hale was segregated, as were all contemporary U.S. military operations. Recognizing that this landscape holds a history of exclusion, stakeholders and partners, like CDTC, are excited for a management plan that recognizes this historical context and plans for a more inclusive, collaborative landscape and experience in the future. We believe that as a strategy for future management of this area continues to be developed, the inclusion of Indigenous people, such as the Ute, and from other historically excluded groups, will be a critical component of inclusive stewardship. — L.F.