In Montezuma County, the archaeological preserve called Canyons of the Ancients still draws a significant amount of attention, and protest. Two years ago 164,000 acres in southwestern Colorado were designated to be a national monument. With the Bureau of Land Management supervising, the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument will include ancient tribal ruins, oil and gas development, hikers, riders and other tourists, all coexisting side by side -- which some say is impossible. In the months before monument designation in June 2000, the canyons were the center of controversy--protest from the local residents, pessimistic ranchers, and anti-government advocates worried about the land being in federal control. Ranchers who lease land within the boundaries of the monument are especially worried about increasing restrictions advocated by environmentalists. Despite locals' concerns of being pushed off the land in favor of archaeologists and tourists, then-Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt advocated the national monument designation, citing the collection of Anasazi artifacts as reason to afford the area extra protection and funding. Manager Louann Jacobson and her team of archaeologists remain concerned about the eroding of the cultural significance of the area due to destruction and theft; they believe the extra funding will significantly improve their ability to protect the area. The area was mysteriously abandoned by the Anasazi in the 1300s following a thousand years of residency. While the reason for their departure remains unknown, they left much in the way of fortresses, pottery and other items behind.
