DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
Gunnison and Uncompahgre Field Offices
Resource Management Plan Amendments
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA), THE FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT ACTION (FONSI), AND THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE UNCOMPAHGRE BASIN AND GUNNISON RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANS, REGARDING TRAVEL MANAGEMENT DESIGNATIONS FOR OFF-HIGHWAY, OFF-ROUTE TRAVEL BY WHEELED, MOTORIZED, OR NON-MOTORIZED MECHANICAL VEHICLES.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the documents above for the Uncompahgre and Gunnison Field Offices (UFO, GFO), Montrose and Gunnison, respectively. The proposed amendments will limit travel by wheeled, motorized or non-motorized mechanical vehicles (such as mountain bikes) on the specified public lands administered by these offices to existing, established routes and trails. Any travel cross country or off of existing routes would be prohibited unless specifically authorized by the BLM. The only exception to this rule is that motorized or non-motorized mechanical vehicles would be permitted to travel up to 300 feet either side of existing established routes or trails for camping, picnicking, and gathering forest products as long as that use does not result in resource damage.
An EA was prepared jointly by the GFO and the UFO, and the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests (GMUGNF) that addressed limiting all OHV (ATV, motorcycle, and four-wheel-drive vehicles) and mountain bike use to existing, established routes. The EA was distributed for a 60-day comment period that ended January 26, 2001. The EA can be seen and downloaded at www.fs.fed.us/r2/gmug/. The EA considered approximately 437,000 acres managed by the GFO, 66,646 acres of BLM-managed lands within the UFO, and 1,524,500 acres managed by the Gunnison National Forest. Snowmobile use would not be addressed in this particular proposal by either agency. Paper copies of the EA are available at the address below.
A 30-day period in which to protest the BLM proposed plan amendments will end on May 14, 2001. There is no provision for an extension of time for the filing of protests.
Protest Procedures
For complete protest procedures, please contact Bill Bottomly, BLM, Western Slope Center, 2465 South Townsend Avenue, Montrose, CO 81401, phone (970)240-5337, email at bill_bottomly@co.blm.gov. Protest Procedures are also available from Arden Anderson, BLM, 216 N. Colorado Avenue, P.O. Box 68, Gunnison, CO 81230 (970)642-4454, and Carl Bauer, BLM, 2505 South Townsend Avenue, Montrose, CO 81401 (970)240-5310.
Paper copies of the EA are available by contacting Pamela Wilson, US Forest Service, 2250 US Highway 50, Delta, Colorado 81416 phone (970)874-6627, or email plwilson@fs.fed.us.
