| Contacts: | Erin Curtis, Public Information Officer, (970) 244-3097 |
BLM Finalizes Rules for Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area
Montrose, CO -- The BLM Uncompahgre Field Office has finalized rules for recreation and use of the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area and surrounding land.
The rules implement decisions that were developed with extensive public input during the four-year process of developing the Gunnison Gorge NCA resource management plan. They provide guidance for recreational activities on 95,781 acres throughout the area.
“These rules help us prevent damage to nationally significant and sensitive resources, protect public health and safety, and reduce user conflicts,” said Karen Tucker, manager of the Gunnison Gorge NCA. “They also allow us to continue to provide outstanding recreational opportunities for visitors to the area now and in the future.”
The Gunnison Gorge NCA resource management plan divides the NCA and adjacent public lands into management units based on differing user and resource demands. Each unit has certain objectives for managing that area’s resources. The rules address each area separately, focusing on the key resource concerns of that specific unit.
Examples of the new rules include identifying day use areas and specifying that fire pans and human waste disposal are required in camping areas.
The rules address issues of travel management, off-road vehicle use and safety, hunting, shooting, pets and pack stock use, developed and dispersed recreation site use, camping, firewood collection and camp fires, waste disposal, group size limits, permit requirements, and length of stay limits.
The final rules have been published and can be viewed on the web at http://frwebgate3.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/PDFgate.cgi?WAISdocID=28288420350+0+2+0&WAISaction=retrieve.
For more information on the rules, please contact Karen Tucker at 970-240-5309.
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.
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