| Herald Outdoors Editor August 8, 2008
A good measure of progress on the new proposal could be found in July at a gathering of wilderness proponents near Purgatory that was hosted by the Durango office of Trout Unlimited. Present at the weekend retreat were representatives of the San Juan National Forest, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Trails 2000 and several journalists from around the state.
Also present were staff members from the local office of U.S. Rep. John Salazar and La Plata County Commissioner Wally White.
Everyone had something positive to say about the compromise proposal, and about the necessity of acting in a timely fashion to ensure the protection of the Hermosa drainage.
"This one's a winner," Chris Hunt of TU's Public Lands Initiative office said of the compromise proposal. "Let's come together on this one to protect the area for generations of hunters and anglers."
