Welcome With your help Wild Connections is protecting and restoring wildlands, native species habitat and biological diversity in the upper reaches of the Arkansas and South Platte Rivers.
Your contributions help protect wildlands and wildlife linkages in our region.
Browns Canyon moving toward protection!
View of Browns Canyon rocks with Mt. Princeton across the valley in the distance.
Bennet Joins Effort to Preserve Browns Canyon as National Monument
Chaffee County, CO –Today, Senator Michael Bennet became of a cosponsor of S.1794,The Browns Canyon National Monument and Wilderness Act of 2013, to protect Browns Canyon region as an invaluable economic and natural resource for Chaffee County and the state. The bill, originally introduced by Colorado U.S. Senator Mark Udall in December, will designate 22,000 acres along the Arkansas River as a national monument, preserving the pristine wilderness area and ensuring recreational access for years to come.
Browns Canyon needs your help Write to Rep. Lamborn today We wish you could have heard Garrett Reppenhaggen describe how the after effects of his deployment in Iraq were healed by the wild places he visited near his childhood home in Manitou Springs.
A full house greeted him, Bill Dvorjak of Friends of Browns Canyon, Scott Braden of Conservation Colorado and representatives of Wild Connections, Colorado Mountain Club Pikes Peak Group and Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club at the Browns Canyon Happy Hour.
We also viewed the Spirit of Browns Canyon film - watch it here. Get ready for a real treat as you journey through the proposed National Monument.
Everyone was happy about Senator Mark Udall's "Browns Canyon National Monument and Wilderness" legislation. The designation would protect 22,000 acres, including 10,500 as Wilderness. However, less happy was hearing that Congressman Lamborn has taken a "neutral" position on protecting Browns Canyon. Both Houses of Congress must approve Wilderness legislation, and we need to ask him to introduce a companion bill to Sen. Udall's legislation.
Please let Rep. Lamborn know that Coloradans support Wilderness - it's good for wildlife, for back country recreation, for the economy and for future generations. Do it now!
Garrett recounting how wildlands helped him heal. Photo Conservation Colorado
Protecting Wilderness Sen. Mark Udall introduced Browns Canyon legislation
The Pike-San Isabel National Forest has many Congresionally designated Wildernesses, and Browns Canyon National Monument will include 10,500 acres of Wilderness in addition to other protected lands to bring the total to 22,000 acres. Go to his blog for all the details. There is a video in the right column of the Senator unveling the bill in Nathrop.
View from Browns Canyon across the valley to Mt. Princeton. Photo Steve Valimaki
Browns Canyon legislation is a common-sense bill "Over the last 18 months I developed this bill working side-by-side with Chaffee County leaders, residents, businesses and other stakeholders. We developed this community-driven bill to ensure future generations of Coloradans can enjoy Browns Canyon's unique mix of whitewater and wilderness," Udall said. "This grassroots bill will help create jobs, strengthen Chaffee County's economy and preserve this special place for decades to come. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to protect Browns Canyon and pass this common-sense bill."
Wild Connections 2168 Pheasant Pl., Colorado Springs, CO 80909 info@wildconnections.org719-686-5905
