| Contacts: | Shannon Borders, 970-240-5399 |
Public Invited to Discuss Potential Non-profit Foundation to Support Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and Anasazi Heritage Center (10-11-12)
DOLORES, Colo. – On Wednesday, Oct. 17, the public is invited to provide input into the creation of a non-profit foundation to enhance grassroots activities at the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and the Anasazi Heritage Center. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores.
“We are exploring the idea of launching a non-profit foundation to assist the Monument staff with natural and cultural resource management, preservation, research, education and recreation,” said Marietta Eaton, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Manager. “Additionally, we hope the public will help us develop the concept into a foundation that not only supports the Monument and the Anasazi Heritage Center, but is also an asset to our communities.”
Support from the foundation could include conducting fundraising efforts, publicizing important issues and events as well providing support for the Monument staff.
“Non-profit groups elsewhere have proven successful in broadening public support and local involvement,” said Eaton.
The Anasazi Heritage Center, headquarters and visitor center for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, is three miles west of Dolores on State Highway 184. For more information, contact Victoria Atkins at 970-882-5610.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
29211 Highway 184 Dolores, CO 81323