Colorado
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Roadless Review and Wilderness Character
Inventory Findings for the Roan Plateau
Northeast Cliff Unit
March 2000
INVENTORY UNIT: The unit is located in Garfield County, approximately 5 miles northwest of Rifle. It is comprised of lands between the eastern cliff edge and the private lands along Colorado Highway 13. This unit embodies the steep and picturesque east facing slope of the Roan Plateau.
FINDINGS SUMMARY: This inventory unit contains 5,847 acres of federal land. The roadless review team found that 5,845 acres met the roadless criteria of 5,000 contiguous public lands. Most of the unit (5,799 acres) was found to have wilderness character except one small portion (46 acres) in Magpie Gulch between the access road for the ditch and the ditch itself.
The inventory boundary on the west follows the eastern cliff edge of the Roan Plateau. The rest of the unit is mostly bounded by private property and power transmission lines. There is one 40 acre in-holding in the northern 1/4 of the unit. The unit is long and narrow in nature. It is about 2 miles wide (east to west) at its widest point and approximately 7 miles long. Despite the narrowness, the unit’s rugged terrain offers visitors outstanding opportunities for solitude and primitive and unconfined recreation.
EVALUATION CRITERIA AND UNIT ANALYSIS
Size Criteria: Determine if the area"...has at least 5,000 acres of land or is of sufficient size as to make its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition."
Finding:
Total area within the Inventory boundaries: 5,847
Total area within the Roadless Area boundaries: 5,845
Total area with wilderness character: 5,799
Total area without wilderness character: 46
Naturalness Criteria: Determine if the area "...generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature with imprint of man’s work substantially unnoticeable."
Finding:
The rugged terrain has limited impacts by man. The majority of the area appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature and retains its natural character. Human imprints are undetectable. The narrowness of the unit, less than 2 miles wide at the widest point, generally does not distract from the qualities of naturalness except when on the western mountainside. The steep western bluff readily concedes views of outside disturbances along the populated Colorado River valley.
Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Type of Recreation Criteria: Determine if the area "...has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation..."
Finding:
Solitude: The Northeast Cliff inventory unit provides visitors a variety of outstanding opportunities for solitude throughout the mid to lower reaches of the unit. The topography, which is made up rugged ridges and draws sloping to the east, provides natural screening and the ability to find secluded spots, and it yields entry to only the hardiest of hikers and hunters.
Primitive and Unconfined Type of Recreation: The Northeast Cliff inventory unit offers visitors outstanding opportunities for primitive and unconfined types of recreation. Access is limited due to private land bounding the unit on the east and the steep bluff on the west. This along with the difficult terrain restricts visitors to undeveloped recreational activities. The county road on the southern border and one primitive trail from the rim grant access to the area. Once in the area, visitors have excellent opportunities to disperse and enjoy undeveloped types of recreation such as hiking, backpacking, bird watching, and hunting.
Supplemental Values Criteria: Determine if the area "...contains ecological, geological, or other feature of scientific, educational, scenic, or historic value."
Finding:
Supplemental values found include: 1)Excellent examples of an old-growth Douglas-fir community; 2) Habitat for Three-toed woodpecker; 3) Excellent scenic opportunities; 4) Big game refuge during hunting season
FINAL WILDERNESS CHARACTER INVENTORY EVALUATION
Northeast Cliff Unit
FINDINGS: This inventory unit contained 5,847 acres of federal land. The roadless review team inventory determined that 5,845 acres were roadless and therefore meets the roadless criteria of 5,000 acres of contiguous public lands. All portions of the unit were found to have wilderness character except one small parcel (46 acres) that lies between the eastern cherry-stemmed road and its adjacent ditch.
I. INVENTORY UNIT DESCRIPTION
The Northeast Cliff unit is located in Garfield County, approximately 5 miles northwest of Rifle and the Colorado River. There is one 40 acre private in-holding in the northern 1/4 of the unit. The remaining lands within the unit are public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
The inventory boundary on the west follows the eastern cliff edge of the Roan Plateau. The rest of the unit is bounded by private property and power transmission lines. Only a few intrusions exist in the area. They include, a road and adjacent ditch, a way in the central part of the unit, and a fenceline in the northeast corner.
This unit is on the sloping east-facing slope of the Roan Plateau. Steep, dramatic shale cliffs, deep gulches, and rugged ridges dominate the unit’s topography. The elevation drops from 9200 feet along the rim to about 6500 feet in the canyons below. The stark contrast of the vertical barren cliffs to the heavily vegetated slopes accentuates this units rugged character and exceptional scenic qualities.
The vegetation generally changes from mountain shrubs to pinyon juniper woodlands as you descend to the east. The upper portions of the shale bluff lacks vegetation due to shallow and unproductive soils. The southern and northern portions of the unit are rugged with rolling ridgelines forested with pinyon and juniper. This gives way to the central part of the unit that is heavily forested with Douglas-fir and intermittent stands of aspen and scrub oak. The unit supports an excellent example of an old-growth Douglas-fir community.
The Green River and Paleocene Wasatch formations, which are likely to contain fossils, can be found along the exposed cliff faces.
Past and current uses have primarily remained livestock grazing, hunting and some dispersed recreation. The steep rugged terrain combined with its limited access has left the area untrammeled by man and primarily influenced by nature.
II. WILDERNESS CHARACTER ANALYSIS
A. SIZE
Approximate Acres: Federal State
Inventory Unit: 5,847 0
The Northeast Cliff unit contained 5,847 acres of which 5,845 acres were found to be roadless. Within the roadless area 5,799 acres were found to contain wilderness characteristics.
Summary: Does the area have at least 5,000 acres of contiguous land or is it of sufficient size to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition?
YES X NO
B. NATURALNESS
Due to the extremely steep and rugged topography most of the area is inaccessible, appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, and retains its natural character.
The narrowness of the unit (less than 2 miles at the widest point) generally does not detract from the naturalness, except when on the western boundary, where outside disturbances are visible. The ruggedness of the unit helps mask its relatively narrow width.
Human imprints are very minimal and substantially unnoticeable. Small intrusions within the unit include: evidence of tree clearing along an old stock trail leaving private property from the eastern boundary, a short section of fence in the northeast corner, and five ways.
A small area (46 acres) along the eastern boundary in Magpie Gulch was found to be not natural. This area is between the cherry-stemmed road and the adjacent irrigation ditch. This ditch diverts water from Magpie Gulch and flows east to private property. The ditch, constructed in the early 1900's, is significantly noticeable. The ditch consists of several sections of pipe, a headgate, an adjacent access route (10-20 ft. wide), and a wooden flume that traverses along a barren slope. The ditch is maintained annually with heavy equipment. The 46 acres between the road and the ditch were found not to be natural because of the significantly noticeable disturbance of the ditch and related structures.
In conclusion, 5,799 acres of the North East Cliff Unit was found to be natural with the imprints of man substantially unnoticeable.
Summary: Does the area generally appear to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of people’s work substantially unnoticeable?
YES X NO
C. OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOLITUDE OR PRIMITIVE AND UNCONFINED RECREATION
1. SOLITUDE
The Northeast Cliff inventory unit provides visitors a variety of outstanding opportunities for solitude throughout most of the unit. The diverse vegetation and rugged topography provide natural screening and opportunities for seclusion in the mid to lower reaches of the unit. Outside sights and sounds are apparent when on the western boundary along the bluff. Overall, the unit’s remoteness and rugged character provide outstanding opportunities for visitors seeking solitude.
Summary: Does the area have outstanding opportunities for solitude?
YES X NO
2. PRIMITIVE AND UNCONFINED RECREATION
The Northeast Cliff inventory unit offers visitors outstanding opportunities for primitive and unconfined types of recreation. Access is limited due to private land bounding the unit on the east and the steep bluff on the west. This along with the difficult terrain restricts visitors to undeveloped recreational activities. The county road on the southern border and one primitive trail from the rim grant access to the area. Once in the area, visitors have excellent opportunities to disperse and enjoy undeveloped types of recreation such as hiking, backpacking, bird watching, and hunting.
Summary: Does the area have outstanding opportunities for a primitive and unconfined type of recreation?
YES X NO
D. SUPPLEMENTAL VALUES
Portions of this unit were identified as a "Significant" conservation site for biodiversity by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) in 1996. This unit supports 2 elements identified by the CNHP report which include: 1)Excellent example of an old-growth Douglas-fir community; 2) Habitat that supports a significant bird species (Three-toed woodpecker).
Other supplemental values found include scenic opportunities within the unit and when looking to the eastern horizon. The unit serves as an important big game refuge during hunting season.
Summary: Does the area contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value?
YES X NO
III. SUMMARY FOR THE NORTHEAST CLIFF UNIT
Results of wilderness character analysis:
- Does the area meet any of the size requirements? YES X NO
- Does the area appear to be natural? YES X NO
- Does the area offer outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined types of recreation? YES X NO
- Does the area have supplemental values? YES X NO
IV. CONCLUSION
Check one:
X The area or a portion of the area has wilderness character.
The area does not have wilderness character.
V. FINDINGS VERIFICATION
Team Members
Jim McBrayer, Outdoor Recreation Planner, Little Snake Field Office, Colorado
Eric Finstick, Wilderness Specialist Advisor, Colorado State Office
Team Leader
Kay C. Hopkins, Outdoor Recreation Planner, Glenwood Springs Field Office, Colorado
Field Manager
Steve Bennett, Acting Field Office Manager, Glenwood Springs Field Office, Colorado
 |