The Bureau of Land Management is proposing changes to trails across an estimated 100,000 acres of public land in Southwest Colorado, including nearly 35 miles of trails in La Plata County.
Earlier this week, the BLM opened a public comment period to weigh in on the proposed plan that lasts until May 22.
The process is what the BLM calls a “Transportation and Access Planning,” which seeks to manage the types of use and travel that is allowed in certain areas of public lands the agency oversees.
The BLM inventoried lands in 2017.
Comments must be made at the BLM’s site at https://go.usa.gov/xE6ZU.
The link also includes an interactive map to see areas of proposed action.
Proposed actions in La Plata County include:
Animas City Mountain (13.4 miles)Construct a new non-motorized trail along the western rim.Construct a new stacked loop trail system.Construct new bike-only trails, which the BLM says aims to reduce safety concerns by separating recreational uses.Combine duplicative routes on the eastern rim into a single multiple-use, non-motorized trail.All other designated routes would be open for mechanized, equestrian and pedestrian use.Grandview (13.6 miles)Designate an existing non-motorized route network.Do not designate “Old Car Loop” because of no public access across private land.Mahan (3.6 miles)Routes that access existing oil and gas wells, which are not gated, are open to motorized/mechanized travel from May 1 to Nov. 30.Allow camping within 100 feet off either side of BLM designated motorized public routes.Designate two primitive routes and three camping spur routes as open to all types of motorized and mechanized use with seasonal wildlife closure from Dec. 1 to April 30.Skyline and East Animas (3.5 miles)Designate an existing non-motorized route network.Perins Peak Wildlife Management Area (0.75 miles)Designate Hogsback Trail as a pedestrian-only route.Reroute existing “Slime Gulch” mechanized-use trail off BLM land.The plan also proposes two new parking lots: one at Turtle Lake on County Road 205 for 10 to 15 cars, and another at Rabbit Mountain, on the south side of County Road 205 with room for two cars and one horse trailer and vehicle.
The proposed plan also includes 8.3 miles in Archuleta County and a little more than 35 miles in Montezuma County.
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