| Contacts: | David Boyd, Public Affairs Specialist, (970) 319-4130 |
BLM temporarily closes damaged Dominguez Canyon trail
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management has temporarily closed the trail between the Bridgeport footbridge and the mouth of Dominguez Canyon to equestrian, motorized and mechanized travel because a 40-foot section of the trail collapsed into the Gunnison River earlier this month.
“While we are not closing the trail to hikers, we are discouraging all use of the trail,” said Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Manager Katie Stevens. “We will reopen the trail to other uses as soon as it is safe to do so.”
The trail is within the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and provides access to the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness. The trail is particularly popular with hikers and horseback riders, seeing about 7,200 visitors each year.
A map denoting the location of the collapsed trail and trail closure can be found at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/nca/denca.html.
The trail collapsed on June 11 because of saturated soil. With the potential for additional collapses, the trail is not safe for equestrian, motorized and mechanized use. Equestrians may alternatively access Dominguez Canyon via the Dominguez Campground and Cactus Park.
For more information, contact the Grand Junction Field Office, (970) 244-3000.
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.
2815 H Road Grand Junction, CO 81506