| Contacts: | Erin Curtis: 970-244-3097 |
BLM Uncompahgre Releases Final Travel Plan for Dry Creek Area
MONTROSE, Colo. — The Bureau of Land Management Uncompahgre Field Office has released a final Decision Record to change Off-Highway Vehicle travel management actions and route designations in the Dry Creek area. The new plan limits motorized and mountain bike use to designated roads and trails.
The 115,000-acre Dry Creek planning area is defined by the U.S. Forest Service and private land boundary on the west, private landon the east, 25 Mesa Road (Delta-Nucla Road) on the north, and Dave Wood Road on the south.
The changes are aimed at enhancing recreational experiences while protecting natural resources in the area popular with off-highway vehicle enthusiasts, hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers. Changes include adding more loops for various activities, better signing and maps, and less parallel routes and dead ends.
Starting in 2007, BLM worked extensively with the public and interested user groups to develop the new roads and trails plan.
“I want to thank all of the individuals and groups that spent considerable time helping us with this travel management plan,” said Uncompahgre Field Manager Barb Sharrow. “Public involvement is a critical element in making decisions about how we use and protect our public lands.”
The Dry Creek Area Travel Management Plan EA and decision record can be viewed and downloaded at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/ufo.html. Paper and CD copies of the EA and decision record are available upon request. For additional information, contact the Uncompahgre Field Office, 2505 S. Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO, phone (970) 240-5300 or by email at cotmpufo@blm.gov.
A 30-day appeal period on the decision will close Jan. 15, 2010. The appeal period is limited to parties that provided substantive comments to BLM on the environmental assessment.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
2465 South Townsend Avenue Montrose, CO 81401