Colorado
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Where can I get a map of the Monument?
Visitors are asked to stop at the Anasazi Heritage Center before going into the Monument. You can pick up a brochure with a map there. You can also request a brochure by mail, email, or phone, or download a PDF version map.
Mail:
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
27501 Hwy 184
Dolores, CO 81323
E-mail: Colorado_CANM@co.blm.gov
Phone: (970) 882-5600
Can I visit anywhere I want in the Monument?
Yes, but please keep in mind that archaeological sites are very old and fragile. Walk carefully. Avoid stepping on walls and trash deposits or climbing through doorways.- Stay on existing roads and trails. Scars on the desert landscape heal slowly and increase soil erosion.
- Leave artifacts exactly where you find them for others to enjoy. Never dig in archaeological sites. Out of context, artifacts mean little to the archaeologist. It is illegal to remove them.
- Please do not add anything to a site. Bringing offerings to a site confuses its original meaning and story.
- Please respect private landowners whose land is within the Monument. Ask permission before entering or crossing private land.
Can I camp in the Monument?
Yes, dispersed camping is allowed in the Monument, but there are no developed camping facilities. The only area specifically closed to camping is Lowry Pueblo, where a developed picnic area is available. Campers must keep motorized vehicles on established roads and trails and out of specifically closed areas.
Desert Camping Ethics:
- Plan ahead and prepare. For guidance, call "Leave No Trace" at 800-332-4100 or visit Leave No Trace (not a BLM web site)
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces. Use trails and established campsites.
- Dispose of waste properly. Bury human waste; pack out all trash.
- Leave what you find. Artifacts are protected by Federal law.
- Minimize campfire impacts. Do not build fire rings; use camp stoves whenever possible.
- Respect wildlife - for both your safety as well as the animals.
- Be considerate of other visitors. Yield to others and keep noise at a moderate level.
Can I drive a motorized vehicle in the Monument?
Yes, but all motorized vehicles must stay on established roads and trails until the Monument planning process is completed and travel routes are designated. Additionally, you cannot take motorized vehicles into closed areas, including the Cross, Cahone, and Squaw/Papoose Wilderness Study Areas, the Sand Canyon/East Rock closed area, and the Mockingbird Mesa closed area.
Can I ride a bicycle in the Monument?
Yes, but you must stay on established roads and trails until the Monument planning process is completed, and travel routes are designated. In addition, you cannot ride bicycles or use other mechanized equipment anywhere inside the Cross, Cahone, and Squaw/Papoose Wilderness Study Areas.
Yes, hunting is allowed in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, subject to Colorado state law and regulation. Please remember that all motor vehicles are restricted to established roads.
Can I cut firewood and Christmas trees in the Monument?
Yes-- in designated areas, and only with a permit. The Monument is not a heavily wooded landscape, and most of the trees in the area are small pinion and juniper. Permits and directions to specific areas designated for gathering firewood or cutting Christmas trees are available at the Dolores Public Lands Center and the San Juan Public Lands Center in Durango. Wood products must be carried to vehicles parked alongside established roads.
Does the designation of the Monument affect private property or access to private property inside its boundaries?
No. The Antiquities Act of 1906 granted the President authority to proclaim National Monuments only on "...lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States." Private lands are not subject to the provisions of the proclamation that created Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. The Antiquities Act of 1906 does not provide any authority for condemnation-- so unless a landowner willingly chooses to exchange or sell their private land to the US Government, private land will remain in private ownership indefinitely.
Will oil and gas production and development continue to be allowed in the Monument?
Yes. About 85% of the Monument is under lease for oil and gas resources. Development on these leases will continue to take place, subject to valid and existing rights, provided that the activities do not create new impacts that interfere with proper care and management of the objects protected by the proclamation. New leasing may only be allowed for the purpose of promoting conservation of oil and gas resources in any common reservoir now being produced under existing leases, or to protect against drainage.
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What happens if an archaeological site is located where a well pad, pipeline or some other facility is proposed?
The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, requires all federal agencies to take into account the effect of surface disturbing activities on cultural resources. A qualified archaeologist records and assesses the site for its significance, recommends mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate adverse impacts to the site, and submits a report to the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO). If the SHPO concurs with the recommendations, the project is approved subject to implementation of the mitigation measures. These are the same procedures used prior to Monument designation. The most effective mitigation is avoidance. If the oil and gas operator can relocate the facility to avoid the site, then adverse impacts will be eliminated and the facility can be developed. If the site cannot be avoided, then other mitigation measures would be required. If all other mitigation measures were inadequate, complete data recovery (excavation and curation) would be required prior to development.
Will livestock grazing continue to be authorized in the Monument?
Yes, where it is consistent with the laws, regulations, land-use planning decisions and Standards for Public Land Health that govern livestock grazing on public lands, all of which would still be applicable even if the Monument had not been created.
How Does BLM make decisions regarding rangeland administration?
There are no special rules or policies that apply to livestock grazing in the Monument. The Presidential Proclamation that created the Monument did not mention grazing. All BLM grazing permittees must meet certain minimum qualifications (control the base property (private land) to which the public land grazing privileges are attached, own livestock, etc.), abide by the grazing regulations (found at Title 43 CFR Part 4100) and follow the terms and conditions of their specific grazing permit. Beyond this BLM maintains long-term vegetation monitoring studies on most allotments, requires permittees to submit accurate records of their actual grazing use each year, and conducts public land health evaluations. Information from these and other studies is used to determine if the livestock numbers and grazing seasons authorized are appropriate. If monitoring indicates that public land health standards or other resource objectives are not being met as a result of livestock grazing, then BLM is responsible to take steps to correct the situation. Corrective actions may include adjusting the permitted grazing season, livestock numbers, allotment boundaries or canceling/not renewing a grazing permit.
What is the status of preparing a management plan for the Monument?
On October 26, 2007, the CANM Resource Management Plan Draft was published, and the 90-day public comment period began. Press Release
Visit the Monument Planning Web Site
What is role of the Monument’s Advisory Committee?
Appointments to the Committee will be made by the Secretary of the Interior. Each member will be selected based on knowledge or special expertise qualifying him or her to provide advice from among the categories of interest listed below. The Committee members will serve a single four-year term. The committee will assist in preparation of the Monument Management Plan by gathering and analyzing information; conducting studies and field examinations; and hearing public testimony. Members will advise BLM in establishing Monument resource management priorities and landscape goals and objectives; in developing recommendations for implementation of ecosystem approaches to management within the Monument; and regarding local efforts to develop and achieve collaborative approaches to Monument management. The Advisory Committee will consist of:
- 1 member of, or nominated by, the Dolores County Commission.
- 1 member of, or nominated by, the Montezuma County Commission.
- 2 members of Native American Tribes with cultural affiliation with the Monument area.
- 1 recognized cultural resource expert representing local interests.
- 1 recognized cultural resource expert representing regional interests.
- 1 member with a BLM livestock grazing permit within the Monument.
- 1 member representing fluid minerals development within the Monument.
- 3 members representing either private landowners in or adjacent to the Monument, recognized national or regional environmental or resource conservation organizations, off-road vehicle use, commercial recreation, or statewide perspectives with no financial interest in the Monument.
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