by Staff Reporter, Montrose Daily Press

DELTA — Hikers and campers took to Dominguez Canyon this weekend to explore an area that stands to gain federal protection through a bill before Congress.

The Fourth Annual Wild Uncompahgre Weekend gave residents an opportunity to experience local wilderness; and visit an area included in legislation to establish more federal protection and resources for the Uncompahgre Plateau's canyonlands.

The event, which took place Saturday and Sunday at the Big Dominguez Campground, included a discussion with author Tom Wolf.

His new book, "Arthur Carhart: Wilderness Prophet," is the first biography on Carhart (1892 – 1978) — a Republican environmentalist, conservation writer and the first Forest Service landscape architect.

Wolf said Carhart would be pleased with the support that both Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) and Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) have shown for the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Bill.

"That's the kind of coalition building he (Carhart) practiced during his heyday, when he was the most popular conservation writer in America — and a very active ally of Congressman Wayne Aspinall (a Democrat), who controlled the committees that dealt with water and wilderness," Wolf said in an e-mail. "... I hope his example can help us end the polarization that has hurt the cause of conservation."