| Contacts: | Shannon Borders, 970-240-5399 |
BLM Seasonal Road Closures in Effect Within the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (11-27-12)
MONTROSE, Colo. - On Saturday, Dec. 1, the Bureau of Land Management’s Uncompahgre Field Office and the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area will implement seasonal road closures on approximately 17,570 acres within the Gunnison sage grouse area of critical environmental concern.
Under the annual closures, C-77, Black Ridge and Red Canyon Road are closed to motorized and mechanical uses effective immediately through May 15, 2013. Signs will be posted to notify the public of closures in these key-access areas.
The closures are intended to protect sensitive Gunnison sage grouse habitat, reduce stress and disturbance to wintering deer and elk herds and protect soils from excessive erosion and damage. Areas affected by the road closures include portions of Black Ridge and Fruitland Mesas east of the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness, west of the Black Canyon Road, south of the Smith Fork drainage and north of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
All of the affected areas will remain open to non-motorized recreation such as hiking and horseback riding.
The BLM staff appreciates your cooperation with this effort to protect this special area. For additional information, contact the BLM at 970-240-5300.
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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