Aron Ralston Pushes For Monument Where He Lost Arm

OGDEN, Utah (AP) — The climber who cut off part of his right arm to free himself from a loose boulder is pushing for a national monument in southern Utah where he almost died.

The Standard-Examiner of Ogden reports that Aron Ralston is trying to rally support for a Greater Canyonlands national monument.

Ralston says he's appealing to President Barack Obama to protect lands around Canyonlands National Park from oil and gas drilling.

The Colorado climber spoke earlier this week at an Ogden fundraiser for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.

Ralston was pinned by a boulder in Bluejohn Canyon for five days in April 2003. To escape, he had to break his wrist bone and cut through the flesh with a dull blade.

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