16 U.S.C. § 410hhh — Findings
submitted 26 years ago by Pub. L. 106-530 to r/title-16-CONSERVATION · 454 words · no verdicts yet
Congress found that the Great Sand Dunes area has rare, irreplaceable natural and cultural features. It found that a bigger national park would protect the dunes, wetlands, and wildlife better than the existing monument. It found that nearby private land also holds resources worth protecting.
This section lists the reasons Congress gave for creating a bigger national park* at the Great Sand Dunes.
(1) In 1932, the President used a proclamation to create Great Sand Dunes National Monument*. It protects federal land with unusual, scenic sand dunes for people to enjoy now and in the future.
(2) The dunes, the sand sheet around them, and the nearby wetlands and uplands have rare ecological, geological, fossil, archaeological, scenic, historical, and wildlife features. These features (A) include the special pulsing floods of Sand Creek and Medano Creek, which keep the dune system alive; (B) work together to support the dune system even outside the monument's boundaries; (C) are made better by the quiet, rural western setting; and (D) form a setting of national importance that cannot be replaced.
(3) The dunes and nearby land inside the monument (A) offer many chances for education, science, and recreation, and (B) are used by the public for hiking, camping, fishing, and enjoying wilderness and solitude.
(4) Other public and private land next to the monument (A) has its own unique geological, water, fossil, scenic, scientific, educational, wildlife, and recreational value, and (B) helps protect (i) the sand sheet tied to the dunes, (ii) the surface and underground water systems the dunes and wetlands need, and (iii) the wildlife, views, and scenery of the monument.
(5) Some of that nearby private land holds important parts of the dune mass, sand sheet, and rare alpine environments. Future development could threaten these areas.
(6) Turning the monument into a Great Sand Dunes National Park — combining the existing monument with more land — would (A) give stronger long-term protection to the area's resources*, including the sand sheet and the ground water the dunes and wetlands depend on, and (B) allow more visitor opportunities.
(7) Land in and near the monument is (A) known for the many different cultures that settled the area, (B) known for its natural, ecological, wildlife, cultural, scenic, fossil, wilderness, and recreational resources, and (C) recognized as a fragile, irreplaceable ecological system that could be destroyed without careful protection.
(8) Protecting this variety of resources will let future generations enjoy the whole ecosystem.
Congress finds that—
the Great Sand Dunes National Monument* in the State of Colorado was established by Presidential proclamation in 1932 to preserve* Federal land containing spectacular and unique sand dunes and additional features of scenic, scientific, and educational interest for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations;
the Great Sand Dunes, together with the associated sand sheet and adjacent wetland and upland, contain a variety of rare ecological, geological, paleontological, archaeological, scenic, historical, and wildlife components, which—
include the unique pulse flow characteristics of Sand Creek and Medano Creek that are integral to the existence of the dunes system;
interact to sustain the unique Great Sand Dunes system beyond the boundaries of the existing National Monument;
are enhanced by the serenity and rural western setting of the area; and
comprise a setting of irreplaceable national significance;
the Great Sand Dunes and adjacent land within the Great Sand Dunes National Monument—
provide extensive opportunities for educational activities, ecological research, and recreational activities; and
are publicly used for hiking, camping, and fishing, and for wilderness value (including solitude);
other public and private land adjacent to the Great Sand Dunes National Monument—
offers additional unique geological, hydrological, paleontological, scenic, scientific, educational, wildlife, and recreational resources*; and
contributes to the protection of—
the sand sheet associated with the dune mass;
the surface and ground water systems that are necessary to the preservation of the dunes and the adjacent wetland; and
the wildlife, viewshed, and scenic qualities of the Great Sand Dunes National Monument;
some of the private land described in paragraph (4) contains important portions of the sand dune mass, the associated sand sheet, and unique alpine environments, which would be threatened by future development pressures;
the designation of a Great Sand Dunes National Park*, which would encompass the existing Great Sand Dunes National Monument and additional land, would provide—
greater long-term protection of the geological, hydrological, paleontological, scenic, scientific, educational, wildlife, and recreational resources of the area (including the sand sheet associated with the dune mass and the ground water system on which the sand dune and wetland systems depend); and
expanded visitor use opportunities;
land in and adjacent to the Great Sand Dunes National Monument is—
recognized for the culturally diverse nature of the historical settlement of the area;
recognized for offering natural, ecological, wildlife, cultural, scenic, paleontological, wilderness, and recreational resources; and
recognized as being a fragile and irreplaceable ecological system that could be destroyed if not carefully protected; and
preservation of this diversity of resources would ensure the perpetuation of the entire ecosystem for the enjoyment of future generations.
Source credit: (Pub. L. 106–530, § 2, Nov. 22, 2000, 114 Stat. 2527.)
- 2000Enacted · Pub. L. 106-530 · 114 Stat. 2527
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 106-530 on 2000-11-22.
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