Support for the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument and Protecting the Thompson Divide
For over a decade, communities across Colorado – including veterans, small business owners, hunters and anglers, elected officials, and other community members – have been working to protect Camp Hale and the Continental Divide, the Thompson Divide, the San Juan Mountains, and Curecanti National Recreation Area. After legislation to protect these places (the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act) stalled in Congress, Coloradans joined their elected officials in asking President Biden to preserve the places they love.
“Our public lands and waters located within the CORE Act, including Colorado’s Camp Hale and the surrounding areas once used as training grounds, define our country, and it is what I fought for and am still fighting to defend. Much of the nation’s—and specifically Colorado’s—ski industry stemmed from World War II veterans who were trained there. Taking skills learned on public lands and giving them back to the general public in a continued service that lives on through today. President Biden’s designation of the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument honors generations of veterans.”
– Brad Noone, 10th Mountain Division combat veteran (Afghanistan 2006-2007)
“This is a campaign we’ve been working on for years alongside our fellow Veterans on the ground in Colorado and here in Washington. Beyond the President and his administration, we also want to thank Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper, Governor Polis, and Congressman Neguse for their unwavering commitment to championing the creation of the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument — a place every American will now be able to enjoy for generations to come.”
– Janessa Goldbeck, CEO, Vet Voice Foundation
“The Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument will raise awareness of this lesser-known military story of American courage. And at the time, by designating the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, President Biden is honoring the legacy of the 10th Mountain Division that influenced the emergence of the outdoor recreation industry throughout the country. All of this was founded out of love of our outdoors and mountains and was ignited by duty, honor, and country.”
– Nancy Kramer, President, 10th Mountain Division Foundation
“The outdoors can provide critical therapeutic and healing benefits for veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress and other combat-related trauma. With the designation of the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, many more veterans will be able to receive those benefits in a place with historical significance to our community while honoring their service to this country. Veterans have played a large role in developing America’s outdoor recreation industry, and Camp Hale is a hallmark of that. Once used for military alpine training, this historic site can now be used for veterans and their families to recover, heal, and recreate for generations to come.”
– Aaron Leonard, Lt. Col., USA Ret., Campaign Manager, Sierra Club Military Outdoors
“Camp Hale deserves the highest level of protection and support that the executive branch can offer through use of the Antiquities Act. I cut my teeth on the trails and mountain range surrounding Camp Hale, before approaching some of the tallest mountains in North America and the world. As a site that symbolizes the beauty, industry, innovation, and military and physical prowess of the United States, Camp Hale should be persevered as a national treasure for future Americans to enjoy.”
-Dom Mullins, Army veteran and mountaineer, who was attached to the 10th Mountain Division in Iraq and was a member of Full Circle Everest, the first all-Black expedition to summit Mount Everest, and is a National Parks Conservation Association Veterans Council Member
“America needs to remember what happened at Camp Hale. That place forged not just some of the greatest, bravest soldiers in WWII, but also the modern outdoor industry and shows how out of incredible pain-the war, incredible beauty can be created. I’ve spent time exploring the trails and mountain range surrounding Camp Hale. Few places combine such natural beauty with such an important history of our still young nation. If it isn’t deserving of the highest level of protection through the use of the Antiquities Act, I am not sure what is. All Americans should not only be able to enjoy, but to reflect on the lessons learned of the military service at Camp Hale.”
– Stacy Bare, Army veteran and a 2014 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, who recorded the first ski descent of the tallest mountain fully in Iraq, Mt. Halgurd. Bare was attached to the 10th Mountain Division in Iraq and is a National Parks Conservation Association Veterans Council Member
“President Biden’s action to designate the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument honors the legacy of our 10th Mountain Division, who trained in Colorado’s high country for World War II before coming home to start the ski industry that we at Icelantic are so proud to be a part of today. Icelantic has been a partner with the 10th Mountain Division Foundation since 2016 supporting their mission to honor the legacy of the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division. We are grateful for our conservation leaders in Colorado at the state and federal levels who have tirelessly advocated alongside fellow Coloradans for these protections.”
– Sean Fox, Sustainability Manager, Icelantic Skis
“Aspen Ski Area was founded by 10th Mountain Division veterans who trained at Camp Hale and fought in World War II. President Biden’s designation of the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument is important to protecting this place that was the birthplace for Colorado’s ski industry that we are lucky to be a part of today. We owe these veterans everything.”
-Auden Schendler, Vice President of Sustainability, Aspen Ski Company
“We’re living in a time of both unprecedented challenges to our environment and natural landscapes, but also great opportunities. The designation of Camp Hale and the Continental Divide as a National Monument is an investment in preserving our way of life in Colorado. These protections will open opportunities for locals and tourists to explore, protect greenspace for wildlife habitats to thrive, and provide a glimpse into the historical importance of the 10th Mountain Division. By protecting the Divide, we are dreaming big for the future generations who will get to learn, live, and recreate in these special places, and we are thrilled that Colorado has great leaders like Senator Bennet and others in Congress, who are dedicated to making that dream a reality.”
– Kevin Webber, CEO Carboy Winery
“As I enter my thirtieth year in the Colorado outdoor and hospitality industries and my 65th year living in a land free of tyranny of fascism, I know I owe each of these blessings in my life to WWII Tenth Mountaineers. These are men like my father (85E, Silver Star and Purple Heart) who trained at Camp Hale for 18 months in extreme experimental high altitude mountain warfare, shipped off to Italy to push back the Nazis…and returned home with a love of the freedom enjoyed by Americans and the freedom of the outdoors. This is hallowed ground and I am grateful to President Biden for protecting this important place as a National Monument to our veterans and those of us lucky enough to enjoy this state and this nation today.”
-Lorna Reed, Owner at Reedesign LLC
“As ranchers whose livelihood depends on public lands in the Thompson Divide, we are very excited to see President Biden recognize the importance of this incredible landscape. For over a decade, local communities in and around the Thompson Divide have collaborated to fight against oil and gas development because we understand the tremendous value this landscape holds for our agricultural and rural economies and wildlife habitat. We are glad that the President understands this, and we’ll continue our efforts to protect this extraordinary place in every way we can.”
– Judy Fox-Perry and William Perry, Thompson Divide area ranchers.
“Today is a great day for Colorado. Thanks to this executive order and the voices of Coloradans across the Western Slope, cherished landscapes in Eagle and Summit Counties as well as the historic Camp Hale will be protected for generations to come. This action will protect world-class recreation opportunities for biking, hiking and hunting that power out local economies. I’m grateful for the work of Senator Bennet and Congressman Neguse to get this done, and I’m excited that President Biden has acted on our recommendations from Democrats, Republicans, and Independent officials and residents across our region to protect these beautiful public lands.”
– Representative Dylan Roberts, Avon
“We are thrilled with the new monument designation for Camp Hale-Continental Divide in Eagle County. This monument will honor the service of our veterans from the 10th Mountain Division who trained at Camp Hale and the Tenmile Range, served our nation with distinction in World War II and returned home to help found Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy. This national historic landscape will receive the protections it deserves through this monument designation, assuring it will be enjoyed and serve as a place of respect for generations to come.”
– Eagle County Commissioner Kathy Chandler-Henry
“I’m honored to serve a community of ranchers, outdoors recreationists, hunters and anglers, and conservationists who have made protecting the Thompson Divide a core Carbondale value for years. While we advocate for the passage of the CORE Act in Congress, I’m thrilled to see President Biden and his administration acknowledge the value of this special place and the hard work our community has put into advocating for its protection.”
– Ben Bohmfalk, Mayor of Carbondale
“For time immemorial, the Continental Divide has been a place for people to connect, explore, and live in one the most vibrant, natural landscapes on the continent. The action taken by President Biden today will ensure that the stories and cultures of this land will be preserved for the next generation to learn from and continue to build Colorado’s legacy as a leader in the stewardship of these special places. Future management of Camp Hale and the Tenmile Range has the potential to act as a model for what community-led, cooperative stewardship of a National Monument looks like under the Biden Administration, and we could not be more excited to engage in that shared work alongside great partners like Senator Bennet and other Colorado leaders.”
– Teresa Martinez, Executive Director of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition
“The Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument protects Colorado’s public lands, including some exceptional mountain peaks and traverses. Access Fund, and the entire climbing community, deeply appreciate protecting the legacy of Camp Hale, where many of the climbing, skiing, and mountaineering techniques used today were developed by the 10th Mountain Division. Colorado climbers support the designation of the Camp Hale National Monument and are grateful to the Biden administration for its work.”
– Erik Murdock, Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs, Access Fund
“Camp Hale and the Continental Divide are home to world-class outdoor recreation, with long ridgeline technical traverses, challenging backcountry ski terrain, and world class mountain biking. As the home of the 10th mountain division, Camp Hale was a part of the development of many modern climbing techniques. The new Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument honors American heroes as well as America’s human-powered recreation culture, and we are grateful for President Biden’s action to protect this area.”
– Louis Geltman, Policy Director, Outdoor Alliance
“The Colorado Mountain Club has been a long-time supporter of protection for the lands around Camp Hale and the Continental Divide. The area holds significant historical value to the state and nation, and continues to provide world-class outdoor recreation opportunities for the public. The Continental Divide Trail, climbing crags and backcountry ski slopes allow users to explore and connect with this scenic and symbolic landscape. We are so grateful for the work of the Biden administration to ensure this place is protected.”
– Keegan Young, Executive Director, Colorado Mountain Club
“As one of the birthplaces of modern backcountry skiing, Camp Hale and the surrounding Tenmile Range is hallowed ground. The historic importance of the camp and its veterans to backcountry skiing and winter mountaineering cannot be overstated. This National Monument designation will protect a living cultural history for present and future generations of Americans, who will now and forever be able to ski and climb in the skin tracks of their heroic forebears.”
– David Page, Executive Director, Winter Wildlands Alliance
“IMBA is grateful for the work and leadership of Senator Bennet and the administration in ensuring Camp Hale is protected, honoring its historic value to outdoor recreation. IMBA, alongside local mountain bikers and many other partners, have worked together for years to protect landscapes around Camp Hale and the Continental Divide with bike-friendly designations represented in the CORE Act’s Tenmile North Recreation Management Area. The mountain biking community looks forward to seeing these protections included in a Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, to enjoying continued access to great riding on the iconic Colorado Trail, and other cherished rides in Colorado’s high country.”
– David Wiens, Executive Director, IMBA
“The American Alpine Club applauds the work of Senator Bennet, Senator Hickenlooper, Representative Neguse, Governor Polis and President Biden to conserve the unique and historic landscape of Camp Hale in Colorado. The Camp Hale National Monument honors the military history of the 10th Mountain Division, as well as protects essential conservation values of the region and countless outdoor recreation opportunities. As climbers and mountain enthusiasts, we further celebrate the conservation of this landscape for its ties to the development of modern climbing techniques and as an important extension to public lands in Colorado.”
– Taylor Luneau, Policy Director, American Alpine Club
“This is big! We have been working for over a decade with bi-partisan community supporters for the permanent protection of the Camp Hale-Continental Divide area. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, and Congressman Joe Neguse have done Colorado proud with their leadership to protect these landscapes for generations to come. Thank you President Biden for making this your first, of hopefully many to come, monument designations that protect the places people love and boost local economies.”
– Kelly Nordini, CEO, Conservation Colorado
“Colorado is full of unique, beautiful landscapes. By enacting strong protections for our public lands, we ensure that future generations will have access to pristine, natural environments for years to come. The many Coloradans who have advocated for the Camp Hale-Continental Divide designation – including 10th Mountain Division veterans who remember training at Camp Hale – have reason to celebrate today. We look forward to President Biden’s next monument designation.”
– Sammy Herdman, campaign associate, Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center
“By designating the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, President Biden heeded the calls of Coloradans who joined together to protect this important historic World War II era military site and training grounds. These areas along the Continental Divide have been called the birthplace of the outdoor recreation industry and the surrounding mountains provide world class outdoor recreation opportunities and important wildlife habitat. Coloradans love our shared public lands, which is why nearly 9 out of 10 Coloradans support efforts to protect these places for future generations.”
– Jim Ramey, Colorado State Director, The Wilderness Society
Great Old Broads for Wilderness expresses our deep gratitude for the designation of the Camp Hale–Continental Divide National Monument. We want to thank the Biden Administration as well as Senator Bennet, Senator Hickenlooper, Congressman Neguse, and Governor Polis for their tireless work in making this a reality. “Great Old Broads have advocated for protections of Camp Hale and nearby alpine habitat for over five years alongside inspiring partner organizations and individuals who have been instrumental in the progress and successful outcome of this campaign. Protecting Camp Hale and the Tenmile Range honors Colorado’s legacy of the 10th Mountain Division ski troops and the surrounding mountains where they trained. This national monument designation also helps protect important wildlife habitat in the White River National Forest, which is the most visited national forest in the country.”
– Sara Husby, executive director, Great Old Broads for Wilderness