Will honor veterans and indigenous people.
President Joe Biden signed a proclamation Wednesday establishing a new national monument in North Central Colorado. The Camp-Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, his first such action since becoming president, will honor military veterans and indigenous people, following a request for the monument’s creation from members of the Colorado state government and congressional delegation.
President Biden’s administration also announced an associated proposed mineral withdrawal of lands around the Thompson Divide, which aims to protect them from being subject to new leasing for oil and gas.
The president traveled to the historic site on Wednesday, which served as a winter training ground during World War II. The site currently serves as a habitat for elk, deer, birds, and lynx.
Camp Hale was used to train the Army’s first and only mountain infantry division, the 10th Mountain Division, which fought in the Italian Alps during World War II. Soldiers trained at Camp Hale learned skills such as snowshoeing, climbing, and skiing, necessary to negotiate the rugged and snowy terrain.
The White House stated, “Their skills, grit, and endurance were instrumental in protecting democracy and fighting the spread of fascism.”
The monument site also covers the ancestral homelands of the Ute Tribes. The White House said the Forest Service will manage the 53,804-acre monument site and develop a management plan to protect cultural resources.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the president to seek God’s wisdom as he and his administration designate historic sites and national monuments.
- For Chief Randy Moore as he oversees the U.S. Forest Service.
- For the secretaries of the Interior and Agricultural Departments as they steward national lands.
Sources: Washington Examiner, The White House
