Bridge dedication part of year-long celebration

GRAND JUNCTION, CO – The Bureau of Land Management Grand Junction Field Office is celebrating the long-awaited pedestrian bridge at Bridgeport during a dedication ceremony scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., on Friday, March 31, 2006. The bridge is located 30 minutes south of Grand Junction off Hwy 50 and the Bridgeport Rd, then a one-mile hike from the parking lot. The new bridge serves as a gateway to the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Study Area, providing an opportunity for the public to discover its heritage that is so important to us all.

“For years, the only safe and legal access to the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Study Area was from the banks of the Gunnison River or from atop the Uncompahgre Plateau,” Field Manager Catherine Robertson said. “The public now has a wonderful way to experience not only the rich cultural and historic qualities, but also the quiet solitude the area has to offer.”

The bridge dedication is part of a year-long celebration of the centennial of the American Antiquities Act of 1906. With a history that includes Indian trails, wagon roads, railroads, and bridges, today’s public can experience that history now that they have easy access to the WSA and surrounding area. The BLM is collaborating with the Museum of Western Colorado’s Heritage Adventures, a new program providing an opportunity for the public to be involved in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of cultural heritage, focusing on west-central Colorado. BLM is also partnering with the National Park Service to gather public input in developing a management plan for the historic Old Spanish Trail, of which traces can still be seen nearby.

Across Colorado, the BLM is hosting a number of activities in celebration of the centennial of the Antiquities Act. Check out the current listing of these projects and programs at www.blm.gov/heritage/adventures/menu/events.html. The Act, signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, revolutionized the preservation of our nation’s history by making the federal government responsible for safeguarding historic places and resources that define America. For the past hundred years, the Act has helped citizens nationwide protect, appreciate and celebrate the special places and irreplaceable resources found on public lands: archaeological sites, fossils, and natural wonders.

Across the West, the BLM continues to follow the mission of the Antiquities Act: safeguarding the nation’s legacy of ruins, archaeological sites, fossils, historic and prehistoric monuments and structures, objects of scientific interest, and historic landmarks on public lands.

An optional hike up Big Dominguez Canyon is planned after the dedication. Those planning to attend should dress for hiking and inclement weather, and bring a sack lunch, snacks, water and sunscreen. For additional information or should you require special assistance to the dedication site from the parking lot, contact Recreation Program Manager Britta Laub at (970) 244-3031.

-BLM-

Editor’s Note: Shuttle provided for media covering the event-departs trailhead at 10:30 a.m. sharp. Excellent photo opportunities. Call Mel Lloyd by Mar. 30 for details & directions.