| Contacts: | Erin Curtis, Public Information Officer, (970) 244-3097 |
BLM to Close Cochetopa Canyon May 5 and 6 to Remove Hazardous Trees
Gunnison, Colo. -- The BLM Gunnison Field Office will close the Cochetopa Canyon Recreation Area May 5 and 6 to remove hazardous trees.
Recreation sites in the canyon along Highway 114 will be closed as BLM crews remove about 21 dead or dying spruce trees. The trees have been affected by spruce budworm, spruce beetle and impacts from recreation activities and are now a safety hazard. Several are leaning into both the recreation sites and along Highway 114 about 16 miles southeast of Gunnison.
“Our goal is to keep the public safe, and unfortunately these trees have become a hazard to people recreating in the canyon,” said Kristi Murphy, outdoor recreation planner for the BLM Gunnison Field Office.
The BLM is working with the Colorado Department of Transportation to stop traffic along Highway 114 while the trees are being removed.
Some of the cut trees may be used in Cochetopa Creek to enhance fish habitat.
For more information contact Kristi Murphy at the BLM Gunnison Field Office at 970-642-4454.
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.
216 North Colorado Gunnison, CO 81230