Guest Commentary: President Obama should make Chimney Rock a national monument

Between Pagosa Springs and Durango is one of the country's most important cultural areas. Chimney Rock encompasses hundreds of Ancestral Puebloan archeological sites within the shadow of its soaring twin spires. Few more ancient and ethereal places exist in all of America.

Without question, Chimney Rock is a vital part of our shared cultural heritage. Yet it has never received the funding, recognition or protection it so richly deserves. The National Trust for Historic Preservation wants to change that, and we are asking all Coloradoans to stand with us.

On May 7, I sent a letter to President Obama requesting that he exercise his authority under the Antiquities Act to establish the Chimney Rock National Monument. He has used this authority twice in the last year, and we believe there are compelling reasons for him to do the same here.

For starters, Chimney Rock is a true architectural marvel. Crafted by the Chacoan people while Europe was still in the midst of the Middle Ages, it comprises 6 million stones and 25,000 tons of earth and clay, all transported two miles to the top of the mesa without the wheel.

Perhaps the most dramatic and well-known of the remaining buildings is the Great House Pueblo, which was likely used as an observatory for the annual summer solstice and, every 18 years, the northern lunar standstill. The pueblo is perfectly positioned to frame the rising moon between Chimney Rock's twin spires, and the mystical sight still draws visitors today.

Indeed, Chimney Rock remains a place of great spiritual and cultural significance to modern Pueblo Indians. It is their story, written on the land. And their story is an inextricable part of our collective American story. In a very tangible way, preserving Chimney Rock helps to weave our multi-cultural nation together.

That's why the National Trust asked President Obama for this national monument designation. As an organization, we work to save the places that tell America's stories. We identify National Treasures like Chimney Rock, and then engage a wide range of people and partners in strategic campaigns to protect these irreplaceable places.

In the case of Chimney Rock, we have worked closely with the Colorado congressional delegation, which strongly supports the national monument designation, over the past few years to introduce legislation in Congress. But so far, the bills have languished.

Meanwhile, this remarkable place has no designation equivalent to its significance. Its annual budget supports just two part-time federal employees. Dedicated volunteers at the non-profit Chimney Rock Interpretative Association operate the site, and they do a fantastic job, as evidenced by the fact that more than 9,000 people visit Chimney Rock during the five months it's open every year.

A national monument designation could expand that number dramatically. Such designations typically bring people, which would mean much-needed heritage tourist dollars in the Archuleta County and Four Corners areas. They also spur increased federal funding and resources, both of which would enhance the visitor experience, while permitting Indian tribes and pueblos to continue their traditional practices.

Local, regional and national leaders have lined up behind this designation, recognizing it as a "win-win" outcome. Bi-partisan supporters include: the Colorado congressional delegation; the Archuleta County commissioners; the Town of Pagosa Springs; the Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce; national, regional and local preservation and conservation organizations; community partners and archeologists.

This unique place clearly deserves protection. With that in mind, I ask all Coloradoans to join us in urging President Obama to utilize his authority under the Antiquities Act to establish the Chimney Rock National Monument. Together, we can ensure that a true national treasure endures for generations to come.

Stephanie K. Meeks is the president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited.

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