Some esteemed local public lands are about to hit their silver anniversary as a national conservation area, something that is being recognized through a couple of local events.

A bill signed into law by President Clinton Oct. 24, 2000 created what initially was known as Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area west of Grand Junction. Congress later renamed it McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, in recognition of local resident Scott McInnis, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and carried the legislation creating Colorado Canyons NCA.

The area covers nearly 124,000 acres and includes more than 75,000 acres designated as the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness, which includes the second-largest concentration of natural arches in North America, according to the Bureau of

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