Plan to Evaluate Off Road Vehicle Access

Date: June 13, 2008
Contact: Lyn Carranza, [phone] ext. 227

Superintendent Connie Rudd announced that the National Park Service will prepare a Motorized Vehicle Access Plan and Environmental Assessment (Plan/EA) for Curecanti National Recreation Area. This long-term plan is expected to guide the management of motorized vehicle use in the Recreation Area for approximately the next 10 to 15 years. The Plan/EA will focus on motorized access to Blue Mesa Reservoir (also referred to as Blue Mesa Lake) and other areas in the Recreation Area, including Cimarron. The Plan/EA will not address use on county and State roads. The plan will also more appropriately define snowmobile use on Blue Mesa Reservoir as it relates to travel below the high water line.

Scoping is an opportunity early in the environmental planning process for the public, organizations, and other agencies to suggest issues and alternatives that should be considered by the National Park Service (NPS) in preparing the Plan/EA. The Plan/EA will assess potential environmental impacts associated with a range of reasonable alternatives for managing motorized vehicle use and potential impacts on park resources such as sensitive species, soils and vegetation, wildlife, and cultural and paleontological resources. Visitor experience will also be analyzed.

DATES: To determine the scope of issues to be addressed in the Plan/EA and to identify significant issues related to the motorized vehicle use at the Recreation Area, the NPS will conduct public scoping meetings in Montrose on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at the Holiday Inn Express and in Gunnison on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at the Fred R. Field Western Heritage Center (Gunnison County Fairgrounds). Meetings will begin at 5:00 p.m. and conclude at 7:00 p.m. Representatives of the NPS will be available at each of the public meetings to discuss issues, resource concerns, and the planning process. Additional information about the meetings and the Plan/EA is available on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) web site at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/CURE.

ADDRESSES: The NPS prefers comments be submitted electronically on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) web site at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/CURE. To comment using PEPC, select the “Motorized Vehicle Access Plan” project followed by “Open for Public Comment.” View the brochure describing this project and select “comment” to provide your ideas about the project. If you prefer, written comments may be addressed to Connie Rudd, Superintendent, RE: Motorized Access Plan, 102 Elk Creek, Gunnison, CO 81230. All comments must be received by July 11, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Connie Rudd, Superintendent, at [phone] ext. 220.