BLM announces decision for Salida East Recreation Site lease
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CAÑON CITY, Colo. – On September 11, the Bureau of Land Management’s Royal Gorge Field Office issued a decision to lease the Salida East Recreation Site to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. With the approved lease, CPW and the BLM will work together to construct and manage approximately 25 campsites in a developed campground as part of the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area.
The BLM collaboratively manages the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area in partnership with CPW and the U.S. Forest Service. Through this partnership, CPW already manages 16 recreation sites along the river through a Recreation & Public Purposes Act lease. This decision adds the 19-acre Salida East site to the existing lease.
“Balancing our visitor’s safety and desires while protecting the important resources along the Arkansas River is our number one priority,” said Royal Gorge Field Manager Keith Berger. “By fostering shared conservation, we have been able to find ways to more efficiently pursue our multiple-use mission in the area.”
With the approved lease, CPW can collect fees that will fund increased visitor safety services, monitoring, maintenance and cleaning activities. The BLM and CPW will also work together to install interpretive signage and campsites.
The Arkansas River is one of the most commercially rafted rivers in the United States, drawing nearly 240,000 commercial boaters and resulting in an economic impact of more than $60 million. The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area is also popular for camping, wildlife watching, gold panning and numerous other river-related recreation activities, including its Gold Medal Trout Fishery.
To review the decision and its associated environmental documents, go to https://go.usa.gov/xRMbG. For more information about the recreation opportunities in the area, contact Keith Berger at 719-269-8515 or kberger@blm.gov.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.