Dominguez-Escalante designated as National Conservation Area
By Denise Adamic
In March, President Obama added to BLM Colorado’s list of special places when he signed the Omnibus Lands Bill. This legislation created the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area (NCA) and the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area.
The NCA encompasses 209,610 acres of BLM-managed land in Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties. Within the NCA, 66,280 acres make up the newest of five BLM wilderness areas in the state.
The new NCA and Wilderness recognize the astounding resources and landscapes of the Western Slope. The newly designated areas join 63 other National Landscape Conservation System units in Colorado, which were Congressionally, Presidentially, or administratively selected for their exceptional resource values. More than 1 million acres of public land in Colorado are managed as part of the NLCS, roughly one-eighth of all the BLM lands in the state.
So what makes the Dominguez-Escalante area special?
Long known for their scenic value, the Dominguez-Escalante area is popular among those wanting to explore the spectacular canyon country of the Uncompahgre Plateau. Red-rock canyons and sandstone bluffs hold geological and paleontological resources spanning 600 million years, as well as many cultural and historic sites. Ute tribes today consider these pinyon-juniper covered lands an important connection to their ancestral past.
The Escalante, Cottonwood, Little- and Big- Dominguez Creeks cascade through sandstone canyon walls of the eastern Uncompahgre Plateau. Nearly 30 miles of the Gunnison River flow through Dominguez-Escalante. The Old Spanish National Historic Trail, a 19th Century land trade route, crosses a portion of the NCA. Varieties of wildlife call the area home, including: desert bighorn sheep, mule deer, golden eagle, turkey, elk, mountain lion, black bear, and the collared lizard.
What does designating these places mean to the public? Here are some important things to know . . .
First, the new designation withdraws these lands from future mining and mineral leasing. Traditional uses such as grazing continue. The areas’ new status means that the BLM must develop a resource management plan (RMP) for the NCA and wilderness. The RMP will describe the appropriate uses and management of the lands. A Resource Advisory Council representing a broad spectrum of public interests will be created to help guide and craft the management plan. The RMP will be developed through extensive public input, which allows you to be part of shaping how these special places are managed. But most importantly, the recent designation gives you a good reason to get out and explore these beautiful public lands!
As you’re thinking about what to do this summer or fall, consider visiting these nationally-recognized areas. After all, they are part of your Colorado public lands and offer access to outstanding natural resources.
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