Forty-five years ago this week: If the lines were drawn just right, Republican Sen. Bill Armstrong stood the chance of losing his office manager, Ruth Fountain.

Fountain admitted she was seriously thinking about running for Colorado’s new congressional seat in the next year. Fountain had worked on Armstrong’s Colorado House campaign, served as deputy campaign manager for his U.S. Senate campaign and then as his Denver office manager. 

Fountain said that Sen. Armstrong was aware of her plans and that, like other friends, the senator felt she should give serious thought to it. Fountain wouldn’t list just who was encouraging her to run, but said the list of serious backers was up to twenty. 

“I have a lot to offer if I decide to run,” Fountain said. “I’m hard-working, honest and fair. My experience working with Sen. Armstrong has given me a knowledge of issues on a national level, as well as a knowledge of ‘the system.’”

The primary determinant in whether or not she was to run, Fountain said, is where the lines are drawn. Fountain clarified that she could not run against GOP incumbents Hank Brown or Ken Kramer.

Twenty-Five Years Ago: Western Slope residents were not thrilled when U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, CD-1, first introduced her first wilderness proposal, the Colorado Wilderness Act, on Feb. 24, 1999. Rep. Scott McInnis, CD-3, whose district included all but a small portion of the proposed wilderness, called the bill “dead on arrival.”

In response, Colorado Counties Inc. asked counties with land proposed for wilderness to hold their own hearings and reach their own recommendations. At a press conference in July, CCI announced that wilderness designation would be recommended for 239,000 acres, with more expected as individual counties completed their recommendations.

“The results will provide the state’s congressional delegation with the opinions and desire of residents close to the affected areas,” said Rio Blanco County Commissioner Don Davis. “Local residents should not be left out of the mix. This is the opinion of the locals who are affected the most.”

Pete Kolbenschlag, of Colorado Environmental Coalition’s Grand Junction office, said, “It’s unfortunate that after all these years this was all they could come up with. We don’t like the low number of acres. We think it’s extremely low. But we’re heartened that the counties were continuing to work.”

In Pitkin County, there was good news for DeGette as commissioners approved wilderness designation for both areas proposed by DeGette: 22,568 acres in the Thompson Creek drainage and 330 acres added to the existing Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness.

Montezuma County, whose residents were unhappy with wilderness designations made without local consultation, noted that the Clinton administration imposed the Canyons of the Ancients, 164,000 acres, on them. 

Montezuma’s resolution asked that new areas “be forever left out of any wilderness designation on behalf of the federal government.”

McInnis and Republican Sen. Wayne Allard said they were both pleased with the counties’ work.

DeGette said she would review all commissioners’ recommendations.

“I look forward to continuing to work with Colorado county commissioners, Colorado Counties Inc., and the people of Colorado as the discussion about wilderness areas moves forward,” DeGette said in a statement.

Rachael Wright is the author of several novels, including The Twins of Strathnaver, with degrees in political science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing columnist to Colorado Politics, the Colorado Springs Gazette, and The Denver Gazette.