The rich natural beauty of Southwest Colorado arguably is the regions lifeblood, each year drawing tens of thousands of tourists and pumping millions of dollars into local economies.
During a January economic-development forum in Durango with then-Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper and members of his Cabinet, local geologist and retired Fort Lewis College professor Rob Blair suggested a way the region could boost its tourism. By designating parts of the San Juan Mountains as a geopark, he said, the region could become a hub of the relatively new industry of geotourism.
The uniqueness of the geology in this region is very unusual in some ways because of the diversity that exists in this area, Blair said of the San Juan Mountains in a recent interview. Fundamentally, the diversity of geologic history and processes recorded in the rocks in such a small area, particularly in the western San Juan Mountains, its almost unparalleled.
In particular, he said certain areas of the San Juans, such as the stunning Box Canyon Falls Park north of Ouray and the prehistoric, volcanic landscape of the Wheeler Geologic Area in Mineral County, would be prime candidates for geopark designation.
Simply put, a geopark is a designation given by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, to places in the world that possess unique geologic features.
Similar to World Heritage Sites, also designated by UNESCO, geoparks are granted certain protections to preserve an areas integrity, history and natural beauty. Once designated, land uses typically are limited to those historically associated with the area. Mining, for example, likely would be allowed in the park only if a history of mining existed before the geopark was created.
Geoparks seek to incorporate the local people, history, products, culture and customs of a place to provide an authentic experience for visitors. In return, it is hoped the geopark provides an economic boost, especially in economically depressed areas.
Though UNESCO is the agency that grants the geopark designation, it has no actual power over the governance or management of the park. Instead, parks are managed by those directly impacted, including local residents, municipalities and institutions.
As of 2011, there are 77 geoparks in 25 countries around the world, the bulk of which are concentrated in Europe and China. None is located in North America.
As far as Blair is concerned, his idea for a San Juan Mountains geopark is just that an idea, one that he himself views with a sort of skepticism.
Im not actually convinced we need to have a geopark in order to attract tourism, he said. The area already draws a great deal of attention, and Im not sure that you need anything over and above that.
Jack Llewellyn, executive director of the Durango Chamber of Commerce, takes a different stance. He said he is willing to consider any proposal, including a geopark, that might boost tourism in the region, especially given the current economic downturn.
I think anytime you can come up with another topic or theme that would draw more people to the area, its definitely worth looking into, Llewellyn said Sunday. I would rather have more money coming into the area than have more businesses shut down.
Though he said he would need to learn more about the parks before he could throw his full weight behind the idea, his initial impression is that a geopark in the San Juans would be an asset.
If there arent any other (geoparks) in the U.S., what an opportunity for the Four Corners and Durango, he said Sunday. It would just add to the uniqueness of our area.
Attracting tourists is precisely the goal of Colorado Tourism Office Director Al White. He said his office is working to revitalize the face of Colorado tourism.
For decades, Colorado has been a top destination for skiers, hikers, kayakers and climbers. White said his office is working to expand the states appeal to include alternative forms of tourism, such as geotourism, agrotourism, energy tourism and cultural and historic tourism. While his office has taken no official action to promote a Colorado geopark, he is nonetheless open to the idea.
The truth is, as the baby boomers begin to age, we really do have to diversify our offerings, White said Sunday. Catering to that diversity of interest among the traveling public, thats how Colorado benefits.
Blair said the area already is well-established as a geotourism destination. A number of colleges and universities send geology classes to the San Juans for field studies. He wondered, do we really need to promote the region more than it already is?
While a geopark might bring in tourists and help the economy, Blair said it also could have the unintended consequence of increasing environmental pressure on fragile San Juan Mountains ecosystems.
The geopark concept has provided a useful tool internationally for protecting and promoting areas of geologic importance, especially in places where no other mechanism exists. But in the United States, with a robust national park system already in place, are geoparks really necessary?
We were one of the first countries to really introduce a national parks system, and what do you know, we picked the most interesting geologic areas, Blair said. Yellowstone, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain National Park, Canyonlands, Arches. ... In essence, we already have our geoparks.
