By Michael Brune
Last month, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet celebrated the Fourth of July in classic American style: by taking his family on an outdoor adventure. This one, though, happened to be on protected public lands. Along with a diverse group of conservation stakeholders, the Bennets rafted down the Green River through the spectacular Dinosaur National Monument.
As he drifted past the red rock walls of Lodore Canyon, the senator was following a trail blazed by the giants of the early conservation movement. But had history turned out differently, his trip would have been impossible.
It’s hard to imagine now, but back in the 1950s, the Bureau of Reclamation was pushing hard to build a pair of dams on the Green River, within the national monument. David Brower, the first executive director of the Sierra Club, led opposition to the plan. A key strategy was to take both legislators and reporters to the monument so they could see firsthand what was at risk. Brower did what Sierra Club has always been proud to do: help people connect with special wild places.
Once the American public and lawmakers saw the rare and exciting opportunity for recreation and solitude that the area could provide, they were energized. The monument was saved from being flooded.