BLM Press Release
For Immediate Release  Mel Lloyd BLM 970-244-3097
March 3, 2008 

Gateway Trail Volunteers Needed

GATEWAY, Colo.—Volunteers are needed on Saturday and Sunday, April 19-20, 2008, to help with the ongoing construction of a single-track trail near Gateway, a small community of less than 100 people and 55 miles southwest of Grand Junction on Highway 141. The Bureau of Land Management Grand Junction Field Office began work on a loop trail for mountain bikers and hikers in lower Lumsden Canyon last June during National Trails Day. This year, BLM is partnering with the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association (COPMOBA) and Gateway Canyons Resort to continue construction of the trail in an attempt to meet the increasing demand for non-motorized activities in the area.

“The Grand Valley is surrounded by some of the best public lands in the West, but this trail is set in what has to be some of the most spectacular geology and scenic public lands our nation has to offer,” Luke Reece of the Adventure Center said. “You’ve got the confluence of the Dolores River and West Creek, as well as the massive red walls of The Palisade before you.”

“The Gateway area, with its beautiful red rock canyons and numerous old mining roads, is reminiscent of Moab, Utah, in the 1980s,” COPMOBA President Chris Muhr said. “The opportunity for mountain bikers and hikers to help develop and build a new trail in the high deserts and mountains of the Gateway area is something the participants can look back on in the future with great pride.”

Volunteers are needed for all aspects of trail building, including help with volunteer registration check-in and out, taking water and snacks to volunteers on the trail, and more. Volunteer crews, following the guidance and expertise of both BLM staff and COPMOBA leaders, are expected to complete about one mile of additional trail along a low sandstone rim of the canyon. Registered volunteers will receive t-shirts, breakfast and lunch snacks, and a barbecue dinner both days. Drinks and additional snacks will be available throughout both work days. Free camping on near-by public lands will be available, or accommodations may be reserved at the Gateway Canyons Resort. Check room rates and availability at www.gatewaycanyons.com or call (970) 931-2458.

“BLM is excited about this project because we’re able to design and build a sustainable trail system ahead of the demand curve,” Field Manager Catherine Robertson said. “The synergy created by this trail and its setting will provide the public with a quality recreational experience for a long time to come.”

The BLM is developing a Recreation Management Plan for the 198,000-acre Gateway Special Recreation Management Area that would amend the 1987 Grand Junction Resource Area Resource Management Plan. The new plan would change the current management guidance by designating travel opportunities; addressing commercial, competitive, special area, and organized group activities and events; identifying recreation needs; and defining recreation management objectives. The public scoping period ended February 29. A draft management plan is expected in early October, with the final decision issued in December 2008. There will be more opportunities for public input in the coming months.

Visit www.voutdoors.org and enter the keyword “Gateway” to get more information about the project and to register. There’s a job for everyone, so sign up now! For those planning to volunteer, wear durable work clothes, gloves and a hat, and bring plenty of water, snacks and sunscreen. A limited shuttle service for both days will depart from and return to outdoor gear retailer REI, located at 644 North Ave. in Grand Junction. Contact Luke Reece, Gateway Canyons Resort, at (970) 931-2458, or BLM Park Ranger Chris Pipkin at (970) 244-3024 for additional information. 

-BLM-