Bennet, Neguse: Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument is a victory for Colorado

This week brought historic news for Colorado: Camp Hale and the Tenmile Range is officially a national monument. This designation — which we’ve spent years fighting to secure — will immortalize Camp Hale’s singular legacy and protect this treasured landscape for generations to come.

As Coloradans, we know the importance of our public lands to our environment, economy, and way of life. The president’s designation will preserve the 53,804 acres surrounding Camp Hale as the country’s newest national monument, ensuring everyone can enjoy the stunning landscape and its abundant hiking, fishing and recreation opportunities.

The designation will also forever commemorate Camp Hale’s story as a vital part of our history. During the Second World War, 15,000 recruits came to Camp Hale by train from across the country to form the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division. Some had never seen snow before. Others had never been in the mountains. But over two years of intense training, they became the world’s most capable mountain soldiers. The skills they learned at Camp Hale — skiing, rappelling, mountaineering — changed the course of history.

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In 1945, Axis forces held the high ground in the Apennine mountains of northern Italy, blocking the Allied advance. Every effort to break the German line had failed — until the 10th Mountain Division arrived. At Riva Ridge, 10th Mountain soldiers drew on the skills honed at Camp Hale to dislodge Axis forces and clear the way for Allied victory in Europe.

After the war, many 10th Mountain veterans returned to Colorado to build our ski and outdoor industries — at Vail, Aspen, Breckenridge, and Steamboat — drawing not only on their expert skills, but the surplus equipment after the war. It’s why some consider Camp Hale the birthplace of Colorado’s $10 billion outdoor recreation economy. In the years since, 10th Mountain veterans have been some of the most influential advocates for our public lands.

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One of those veterans was Sanford “Sandy” Morris Treat, Jr. After serving in combat, Sandy took up the fight to preserve Camp Hale. Before his death, Sandy’s activism helped inspire the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act, our bill to protect over 400,000 acres of Colorado public lands — including the iconic landscapes surrounding Camp Hale.

Despite broad support for the CORE Act — from local officials, environmental groups, ranchers, veterans, and small business owners — partisan gridlock has kept it from passing the Senate (even though it has passed the House five times). As Congress dithered, fewer 10th Mountain veterans remained each year to advocate for protecting Camp Hale and its history. Colorado couldn’t wait any longer, so we called on the president to use his executive authority to protect the site, honor the 10th Mountain veterans, and ensure their stories are never forgotten. 

The creation of the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument is a victory for Colorado. It will provide much-needed resources and protections for this special place, protect Colorado’s environment and public lands, and ensure the stories and sacrifices of the 10th Mountain Division live on. More than anything, it testifies to the vision, advocacy and careful compromises of local leaders over many years of hard work. Thanks to them, future generations will have the opportunity to visit Camp Hale and appreciate its enduring legacy — not only for Colorado but humanity.

Michael Bennet is the senior United States Senator from Colorado who is running for reelection. Joe Neguse is the representative for Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes portions of Eagle County.