August 03, 2012 07:50 PM UTC

Obama to Declare National Monument in Colorado

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• by: Colorado Pols

Big news today from the Durango Herald’s Joe Hanel:

President Barack Obama will use his executive authority to declare a national monument at Chimney Rock Archaeological Area, sources confirmed to the Herald.

The decision bypasses Congress, which has not been able to pass a bill for Chimney Rock despite bipartisan support…

[Rep. Scott] Tipton’s spokesman, Josh Green, said the Cortez congressman is happy to hear the monument will move forward.

“Congressman Tipton above all else believes that Chimney Rock National Monument would be better for the local community than the current designation, and that’s what he’s been pushing for all along here. It’s going to be a benefit to tourism and to preservation efforts around the Chimney Rock area,” Green said.

The declaration of Chimney Rock as a national monument is a big win for Archuleta County and southwest Colorado’s economy as a whole–if maybe not for Rep. Scott Tipton, who tried unsuccessfully to get his bill designating Chimney Rock through Congress. And it gets better–Hanel picks up an amusing predicament Tipton now finds himself in in a sidebar story:

Tipton sponsored and passed a bill through the House to establish a national monument. But he also backs a bill that would take away President Barack Obama’s authority to declare national monuments – the very authority Obama will rely on to give the designation to Chimney Rock… [Pols emphasis]

Tipton is one of 12 co-sponsors of House Resolution 817, which makes the president’s power to declare national monuments under the Antiquities Act subject to approval by Congress.

However, Tipton also joined Colorado’s two Democratic senators in writing a letter to Obama, urging him to consider using his power to declare a monument at Chimney Rock.

It’s not the first time Tipton has found himself on precisely opposite ends of the same issue, but it’s going to make it significantly harder for Tipton to realize much political benefit from President Obama’s declaration. In fact, if Sal Pace’s campaign tells the story right, Tipton will come out of this victory for Colorado’s economy looking like part of the problem.