Wayne Allard: “the Mesa Monument Striders have held a road race inside the beautiful landscape of Colorado National Monument since…”

“the Mesa Monument Striders have held a road race inside the beautiful landscape of Colorado National Monument since 1993. Over the past 4 years, participation in the race has soared. This year, 250 Rim Rock Run participants will be shut out of the park in an effort by the National Park Service to snuff out a Colorado legacy. Yesterday, Deputy Regional Director, Robert Reynolds, upheld the ruling of the park's superintendent to prohibit the race--all in the name of traffic congestion. But this is a 2 hour race held on an early Sunday morning in November. This is a slap in the face to the State of Colorado and the spirit of recreation which national parks were established for. I have watched the culmination of this dispute evolve from an irrational rejection of a race permit to a national dispute over the unjustified actions of a bureaucracy that refuses to listen to the voice of the people. The people of western Colorado have bent over backwards to reach a compromise with the park's superintendent. Countless meetings have been held offering rescheduled times and dates or proposals to scale down the size of the race. The sheriff's department has committed their entire force to the security and coordination of the run. The local paper has arranged for a shuttle service to alleviate traffic inconveniences. It is clear to me that no amount of effort to compromise will sway the park service's decision to forbid the race. Well, I will not stand for this decision.”