From the Cortez Journal (Kimberly Benedict):
While in the process of identifying the outstanding remarkable values along the five reaches of river from McPhee Reservoir to Bedrock, members of the group zeroed-in on another priority for the river: legislation to provide an alternative to a Wild and Scenic River designation.
“The two main tasks for the group were to come up with recommendations on the nuts and bolts for management of the river,” said Dolores Public Lands Office Manager Steve Beverlin. “That is the document they just gave us. The other task was to investigate the large scale and longer term management needs of the river.”
Through looking at the long-term needs of the area, the working group determined a Wild and Scenic designation was not in the best overall interests of the river and decided to work toward an alternative.