The Mesa County Commission unanimously adopted a resolution Monday supporting congressional legislation that would create the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area.

The area is west of Delta and Montrose and south of Grand Junction on 200,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land that reaches up onto the Uncompahgre Plateau. Supporters have spent two years preparing the proposal for congressional consideration.

The commissioners became the latest in a long line of supporters who have backed the proposal, which is expected to be introduced later this year by Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo. and could be acted on by Congress then.

“I think in the next couple weeks we will be introducing something,” said Stephanie Valencia, spokeswoman for Salazar. “We want to try and move it before the end of this year.”

Mesa County Commissioner Steve Acquafresca said Monday’s commission action resulted from a grassroots effort.

“This is a result of countless hours contributed by citizens and various public officials,” he said.

The resolution passed by the commission represents a compromise among the various users of the area — off-road enthusiasts, hikers, bicyclists and horse riders, among others — through a series of public discussions in conjunction with the non-partisan Natural Resources and Land Policy Institute.

“Nobody got everything they want, and at the same time nobody felt their particular feature would be in jeopardy,” Acquafresca said.

Delta County has approved a similar resolution and Montrose is expected to pass a similar resolution in support of the national designation.

A handful of residents expressed support of the decision to support the legislation.

“This will be one of the most important steps you take as a board,” Bill Grant, president of the Western Colorado Congress, told the commission, adding that this decision would have effects long after they are gone.

“It is a gift to us, our children and all our future grandchildren,” said Barbara Meeysenburg. She said she and her friends hike there on a regular basis and have determined the area a grand place worthy of national protection.

Salazar would agree. He put out calls in 2006 and late last year to rally support for the idea of a conservation area. The legislation he intends to introduce later this year would safeguard the area for decades to come.

“Much time has been spent hearing public opinion on the creation of a National Conservation Area for the Dominguez-Escalante area, and it is important the county commissioners now have the time to review the public’s input,” Salazar said in a press release from last year.

The commissioners’ resolution includes five local policy recommendations and several provisions about how the conservation area should be managed.

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E-mail Le Roy Standish at lstandish@gjds.com.