Newly appointed District 3 Montrose County Commissioner Sean Pond wasted no time in putting forth a resolution opposing a ‘non-existent proposal’ that would potentially designate portions of the Dolores Canyon as a national conservation area. Pond, who was recently chosen to replace Commissioner Rick Dunlap who passed away in early this month, introduced the sweeping resolution during his first official board meeting on Wednesday, February 19th.
During the nearly hour-long discussion, Commissioner Sue Hansen repeatedly asked her fellow commissioners to table the resolution. She requested time for the new board to discuss ongoing work with stakeholders and to find out more about Commissioner Pond’s continued efforts regarding the Dolores Canyon area.
Hansen, who has seniority on the board, further clarified that there was no “official proposal” on the table.
When asked if he would be willing to hold off, Commissioner Pond doubled down on opposing any county support of a national conservation area for the Dolores Canyon. Pond reminded those in attendance that he worked to defeat the proposed Dolores Canyon National Monument as a private citizen.
The resolution also called for the county to fight against “all restrictive federal land designations that threaten access, economic activity, and individual freedoms.” Pond also argued that a number of federally designated national monuments started out as national conservation areas.
Chairman Scott Majares seconded the motion on the resolution to Oppose the Designation of the Dolores National Conservation Area. Commissioner Hansen, was the lone ‘no’ vote.
Earlier in the meeting, the board was required by statute to re-appoint a Chair, Vice Chair and to fill all other committees, boards and positions that Commissioner Rick Dunlap had been appointed to.
In what appeared to be a coordinated effort, newly appointed District 3 Commissioner Sean Pond nominated recently elected District 1 Commissioner Scott Majares for chair, Majares seconded the motion. Commissioner Hansen acting Chair, representing District 2, voted against Majares’s nomination.
After taking over the chair Majares nominated Pond as the vice chair of the board, Pond seconded the motion and was elected vice chair thus removing Commissioner Sue Hansen from board leadership.
