President Obama to Make Chimney Rock a National Monument

WASHINGTON (September 20th, 2012) – President Obama is expected to designate Chimney Rock as a national monument on Friday.  The action, which has received bipartisan support, will preserve 4,726 acres of high desert in southwestern Colorado that was the ancestral home of modern Pueblo Indians 1,000 years ago. 

Following is a statement from Natural Resources Defense Council President Frances Beinecke:

“President Obama’s action spotlights the importance of preserving irreplaceable American landscapes.  

“This is an excellent model for protecting endangered ecosystems that we hope will be replicated elsewhere in the United States.”