María Elvira Salazar: “I introduced H.R. 783, along with my friend and colleague Mark Udall from Colorado, to expand the boundary of Mesa Verde…”

“I introduced H.R. 783, along with my friend and colleague Mark Udall from Colorado, to expand the boundary of Mesa Verde National Park. Mesa Verde National Park protects the most notable and best-preserved cliff dwellings in this country. The park is also vital to the economy of southwest Colorado. Established by Congress in June 1906, Mesa Verde National Park was the first cultural park to be set aside in the National Park System. Over 1,400 years ago, the Puebloans settled at Mesa Verde where they built elaborate stone communities in the protected alcoves of the canyon, calling it home for over 700 years. When President Teddy Roosevelt signed the law establishing Mesa Verde, he claimed that it was to 'preserve the works of man.' The establishment of Mesa Verde set off intense public interest in preserving other such sites in the American southwest and nationwide. Today, the towns of Cortez and Mancos, in Montezuma County, Colorado, rely heavily on tourism from Mesa Verde National Park.”