President Joe Biden uses Antiquities Act to designate Camp Hale a national monument
Wednesday morning, dozens of people gathered in the White River National Forest to watch as President Joe Biden put pen to paper, making Camp Hale a national monument.
"One of the great treasures we have are our national forests and our national parks," Biden said.
The move was made under the Antiquities Act, used by presidents from both parties over the years to protect land across the country.
"It is permanent. A permanent decision; an action that no future president can overturn," Biden told the crowd.
But we have seen the decision can be changed.
In 2017, under the same act, President Trump cut the size of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, prompting a legal battle in court.
While it was reversed when Biden took office, questions about whether or not it can be done again remain.
Chris Winter - executive director of Access Fund, a national climbing advocacy group - is among those questioning that move.
"The prior administration, on Bears Ears, pushed the boundaries on what we think is lawful, so it created a question. We are in the strong belief that the Antiquities Act is permanent," Winter said.
Access Fund is among the groups that have fought for years to see Camp Hale and the property surrounding it protected as well.
Camp Hale is where the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division trained for alpine warfare, including skiing and rock climbing. These soldiers would go on to help launch Colorado's recreational future.
"This is just such an important part of our identity, as people who live in Colorado, but also our outdoor recreation economy as a state," Winter said.
