News - State
Report: Chimney Rock to become national monument
Posted: Aug 3, 2012 4:14 PM by Kirsten Bennett
DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Chimney Rock Archaeological Area could soon become a national monument.
The Durango Herald, citing unnamed sources, is reporting President Barack Obama will use his executive authority to declare it a national monument.
The timing is unclear. Obama is scheduled to be in Colorado on Wednesday and Thursday for campaign stops in Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Grand Junction.
Chimney Rock, surrounded by the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, contains the ruins of about 200 ancestral Puebloan structures.
Sen. Michael Bennet and Rep. Scott Tipton of Colorado have sponsored bills for Congress to designate Chimney Rock a national monument, but the legislation has stalled. They say the designation will help preserve the site and drive tourism there.
As Seen On News 5
