For Immediate Release: January 31, 2003
Contact: Bill Bottomly (970) 240-5337

Draft Management Plan Being Prepared for BLM Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area – Available March 2003

The Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (NCA), Uncompahgre Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, Montrose, Colorado, is preparing a Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/EIS) to assess the possible environmental and social effects of four different management alternatives for the BLM-managed lands in the Gunnison Gorge NCA planning area.  BLM will publish and make publicly available the Draft RMP/EIS in early March 2003. 

The Gunnison Gorge NCA, which includes the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness Area, is located in southwestern Colorado, about 10 miles northeast of the city of Montrose and seven miles east of the city of Delta (in Delta and Montrose counties).  When completed, the RMP will specify where and under what circumstances particular activities would be allowed on public lands in the NCA, Wilderness, and immediately adjacent public lands.  The BLM has hired Tetra Tech, Inc., a private consulting firm, to assist BLM in preparing the RMP/EIS.

The range of alternatives being addressed in the Draft RMP/EIS is listed below, in order from maximum resource and recreation use to maximum protection of sensitive resources.

Alternative A: Current Management:  Lands would continue to be managed under the direction and actions in the existing RMP, NCA legislation, existing Gunnison Gorge Recreation Management Plans, BLM Land Health Standards, and other applicable plans and policies.

Alternative B: Lands would be managed in a manner that emphasizes wilderness values, resource protection and enhancement, and promotion of research and education opportunities.

Alternative C:  Lands would be managed in a manner that protects sensitive resources while encouraging resource use and development and local and regional off-highway vehicle recreation and tourism, with the goal of providing maximum economic benefits to the local community.

Alternative D: Lands would be managed in a manner that protects and restores wilderness, sensitive species, scenic, and other natural resource values; fosters an environment of community-based stewardship; increases visitor safety; and provides a diversity of opportunities for responsible use and enjoyment of the area and benefits to the surrounding communities.

The public review period of the Draft RMP/EIS will be 90 calendar days, during which BLM will hold public meetings.  BLM will post the Draft RMP/EIS on the project Web site, www.gunnison-gorge-eis.com.  Those wishing to receive notification of the availability of the Draft RMP/EIS should request their name be added to the BLM’s project mailing list.  This can be accomplished by submitting one’s name and address using only one of the following means: (1) By mail to Gunnison Gorge NCA RMP/EIS, c/o Tetra Tech, Inc., 3775 Iris Avenue, Suite 4, Boulder, CO 80301; (2) By fax to (720) 406-9114; or (3) By e-mail to angie.nelson@tetratech.com.

-BLM-