Conservation areas lauded to protect land

From the Grand Junction Sentinel:

When it comes to protecting Colorado’s public lands and still allowing the public to recreate there, arguably no one has accomplished that goal better than the Western Slope. For that reason alone, Colorado leaders and conservationists said, other communities likely will look to Mesa County and its regional peers when they try to negotiate ways to protect other parts of the state. Former Congressman Scott McInnis said the Western Slope has succeeded in balancing the use of public lands, particularly mountain biking and horseback riding, with land protections through the establishment of national conservation areas. “It’s a model that’s worked very well,” he said. The Western Slope, according to the Bureau of Land Management, is home to the 122,300-acre McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area and the 62,844-acre Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area. To set up these areas, McInnis said local leaders and stakeholders negotiated for months how best to protect the areas while letting the public use the land...