Arkansas River, Colorado - There is only one more day left to share what you value most in the Browns Canyon National Monument planning area!

The Bureau of Land Management, U.S Forest Service, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife are working together to develop a Coordinated Management Plan for Browns Canyon National Monument. In order to design a plan that most benefits citizens and visitors of Colorado, the agencies designed an Online Survey and Mapping Tool to understand how the public interacts with the Browns Canyon planning area and what aspects of the area are most important to the public.

President Obama’s 2015 decision to designate the Browns Canyon National Monument was a great success for American Whitewater and the paddling community, and it honored Mark Udall’s original Monument proposal “to preserve Browns Canyon, create jobs, support our economy, and protect our incredible quality of life.” American Whitewater staff and community input played a key role in the Monument’s designation, and as the Monument’s management plan is now being developed, your input is more important than ever.

Please take just 20 minutes to fill out the Survey Tool, where you can share the type of activities you like to do in the Canyon, places in the planning area that are most important to you, and concerns you have for changes in the area. You can also view input from previous respondents using the Online Tool. Survey input will be compiled and shared with the public online and in-person in early March, 2017, before being incorporated into the Management Plan. Currently, the most effective way to ensure that boating interests are prioritized in the Plan is to participate in this survey, and attend the public forum in March.You have until the end of tomorrow (January 18) to submit your input. 

Let them know what your favorite riverside campsites are, which river access points you use most, your favorite river flows and rapids, where you stop to view wildlife, and what the Canyon means to you... Whether you guide on the river, run your own Outfitting Company, enjoy family float trips, or rally after-work laps through the Canyon – let your voice be heard!

Stay tuned for more information on the public forum in March, and for other opportunities to get involved. 

Photo courtesy of Bob Wick, and The White House Instagram Page.