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TRANSCRIPT
Annual Manager’s Report—Fiscal Year 2016
McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area
Colorado
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Table of Contents
McInnis Canyons NCA Profile ........................................................................................................... 2
Planning and NEPA ............................................................................................................................ 5
Year’s Projects and Accomplishments ........................................................................................... 6
Science ............................................................................................................................................... 14
Resources, Objects, Values, and Stressors .................................................................................. 15
Summary of Performance Measure .............................................................................................. 23
Manager’s Letter .............................................................................................................................. 24
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McInnis Canyons NCA Profile
Designating Authority
Designating Authority: Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area and Black Ridge
Canyons Wilderness Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-535), October 24, 2000, renamed
through Public Law 108-400, October 30, 2004.
Date of Designation: October 24, 2000
Acreage
Total Acres in Unit 123,460 Acres
BLM Acres 123,460 Acres
Other Federal Acres 25 Acres (FAA)
State Acres* 0
Private Acres* 814 Acres *State and Private acres do not fall within the BLM’s management of the unit
Contact Information
Unit Manager Collin Ewing
Phone 970-244-3000
E-mail [email protected]
Mailing Address 2815 H Road. Grand Junction, CO 81506
Field Office Name Grand Junction
District Office Name Southwest
State Office Name Colorado
Budget
Total Fiscal Year 2016 Budget $938,000
Subactivity 1711 $580,000
Other Subactivities’ Contributions $245,000
Other Funding $33,000 State of Colorado OHV grant,
$80,000 Ruby Horsethief camping fees
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Map of McInnis Canyons NCA
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Managing Partners N/A
Staffing
The permanent staff of the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area (MCNCA) consists
of a National Conservation Area (NCA) manager (currently shared with Dominguez-
Escalante NCA), a science ecologist (shared with Dominguez-Escalante NCA), a law
enforcement officer (shared with Dominguez-Escalante NCA), a National Conservation
Lands Specialist (shared with shared with Dominguez-Escalante NCA) a Supervisory Park
Ranger and a River Ranger. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2016, seasonal staff included a Wilderness
Ranger, two Ecology interns shared with Dominguez-Escalante NCA (D-E NCA), two Off-
Highway Vehicle (OHV) Trail Crew members shared with D-E NCA, and two recreation
maintenance interns shared with shared with D-E NCA and Grand Junction Field Office
(GJFO).
The NCA receives special recreation permit administration, facilities maintenance and
other program support from the GJFO and Uncompahgre Field Office (UFO), primarily in the
areas of visitor services and contact; geology and paleontology; archaeology; realty; range
management; wildlife biology; ecology; weed management; geographic information
systems (GIS); and soil, water and air quality. BLM has partnered with Colorado Canyons
Association to hire two NCA Stewardship Coordinator positions that coordinate volunteer
stewardship and youth education programs for MCNCA and D-E NCA.
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Planning and NEPA
Status of the Resource Management Plan The BLM completed the Colorado MCNCA Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP)
and Record of Decision in October 2004.
Status of Activity Plans The 2004 RMP was very detailed. It included many of the components of an activity level
plan. The RMP included travel management route designations; identified new routes to be
constructed; identified gate placements; day use areas; parking areas; direction for posting
visitor use information; outcomes; setting prescriptions; management and marketing
actions; and administrative and monitoring actions for each management zone.
A majority of these actions are complete and additional needs identified in areas of high
recreation use such as Ruby Horsethief Canyons and the Fruita Front Country. As a result,
the BLM completed two activity level planning efforts in 2011-2012 and are now in the
process of implementation.
Key National Environmental Policy Act Actions and/or Project Authorizations MCNCA Programmatic SRP
Authorization: Environmental Assessment (EA) (DOI-BLM-CO-134-2013-0005-EA) analyzed
impacts to resources and resource uses from typical recreation activities authorized with
Special Recreation Permits (SRPs). The BLM designed this EA to streamline National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process for SRP proposals and renewals.
Mack Ridge Trails
Authorization: Environmental Assessment (DOI-BLM-CO-N034-2015-0001-EA) authorized
the construction of five new trails/reroutes, totaling 6.4 miles, in the Kokopelli/Mack Ridge
trail system. The BLM conceptually identified two of those trails in the 2004 MCNCA RMP.
Planning for this project involved a unique partnership between the BLM, the City of Fruita,
Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association (COPMOBA), and several Fruita
businesses. These partners contributed approximately 10,000 dollars to hire a contractor
to perform archaeology and vegetation surveys required for NEPA analysis. COPMOBA
volunteers helped with layout of the trails.
Skinner Cabin Access, Interpretation, and Rehabilitation Project
Authorization: Environmental Assessment (DOI-BLM-CO-N034-2016-0003-EA) analyzes
opportunities for access, interpretation, and protection of Skinner Cabin, a cultural
resource site (stone house) built in the early 20th century. The purpose of the project was
to rehabilitate the Skinner Cabin structure and to provide access and interpretation to the
site. The project addresses the disrepair and deterioration of the cabin structure and
surrounding site caused naturally over time as well as by vandalism, surface collection,
structural modification and neglect
Special Recreation Permit (SRP) Authorization in MCNCA
In FY 2016, Thirty-eight SRP’s were authorized for DENCA. These SRP’s consist of many
uses which include, big game hunting, river use, and backpacking.
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Year’s Projects and Accomplishments
General Accomplishments Recreation.Gov Implementation
Beginning March 2, 2016, camping permits for the Ruby-Horsethief section of the Colorado
River became available on-line through recreation.gov. This transition now allows boaters
to obtain a permit online at any time of day instead of calling during certain hours. Boaters
no longer have to dial multiple times to get through to a busy permit desk to obtain a
permit. While not without growing pains, the transition to recreation.gov has helped to
manage a huge work load allowing more time to focus on other river projects.
MCNCA Sign Installations
The facilities and OHV crews installed around 150 new
MCNCA signs from Rabbit Valley to Fruita Front Country
and Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Area. Many of the
new trailhead and portal signs feature new locations and
increase visibility of the area. We have received positive
feedback from community members and trail users.
MCNCA Fire Ring Removal
The facilities crew removed several dozen inappropriate fire rings throughout MCNCA. Staff
found many of these in Rabbit Valley area and Black Ridge Wilderness. Along with
removing the fire rings, facilities crew members educated the public on sustainable
camping methods and regulations of specific areas.
The Skinner Stone House Monitoring, Restoration, and Interpretation Project
With special one-time funding, the BLM conducted a project to rehabilitate and stabilize
Skinner Cabin, a stone house built in the early
1900s in the Fruita Paleo Area. Through
partnership with HistoriCorps (a non-profit
organization that preserves historic properties),
Colorado Canyons Association, and the Museums
of Western Colorado, the BLM completed
successful restoration work on the cabin over a
three-week period in September 2016. The BLM
has also partnered with the Museum of the West
(MWC) to provide interpretive kiosks along the trail to the cabin, outlining its unusual
history. Special thanks to the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit for
their support cutting and hauling timbers for this project.
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Keeping It Wild: Wilderness Character Cultural
Resource Monitoring
This year, Archaeology Technicians inventoried and
monitored cultural resources in the Black Ridge
Canyons Wilderness Area. Highlights from the
monitoring included three historic cabins, two of
which are old sheepherding line shacks, a 600-year
old site with standing wood structures, and a site
with a woven fragment (likely from a basket or
sandal) – a rare find in this area! With this
monitoring data, we were able to establish baseline
conditions for future trend monitoring of human
developments in wilderness.
Keeping It Wild Wilderness Character Monitoring
This year, MCNCA staffed monitored 75,439 acres of Black Ridge Wilderness Area.
Through the assistantship agreement with Western Colorado Conservation Corps, MCNCA
staff was able to hire a Wilderness Ranger intern to inventory the wilderness area. During
this inventory over 350 miles of hiking was completed in order to record Wilderness
Character and historical cabins within the wilderness boundary.
Colorado Canyons Association Partnership Excellence Award
The BLM awarded Colorado Canyons Association (CCA)
the Partnership Excellence Award for their work
protecting National Conservation Lands in western
Colorado and for their educational activities in the tri-
county area near Grand Junction. NCA Manager Collin
Ewing and CCA executive Director Joe Neuhof travelled
to Spokane, Washington to attend the Association of
Partners for Public Lands national conference where
BLM Community Partnerships Division Chief Janet Ady
presented the award.
NCA Law Enforcement Ranger Frank Stepleton named Ranger of the Year
For his efforts in building multi-agency working
relationships, as well as enhancing the
protection pf public lands and visitor safety
through proactive enforcement, The BLM
recognized BLM Ranger Frank Stepleton. His
work over the past year led to several key
indictments for criminal activity on public lands
including illegal hunting, illegal marijuana
cultivation on public lands, and illegal dumping.
Many of these law enforcement actions
included close coordination with state and local
law enforcement agencies.
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Current Areas of Focus Colorado River Corridor
The major areas of focus for the MCNCA in FY 2016 were improving and managing the
river camping permit system and operating the NCA’s highly successful volunteer and
partnership programs to remove invasive plants and trash from along the riverfront and
restore native cottonwood trees. The BLM and the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire
Management Unit mechanically removed, piled and burned 25 acres of tamarisk. These
are ongoing, long-term programs that will continue well beyond the next fiscal year. In
order to ensure retention of remaining and reestablished cottonwood galleries for
campsite quality and wildlife habitat, BLM instituted fire restrictions through a permit
stipulation along the Colorado River in the summer of 2016. While the BLM allows
campfires in the remainder of the NCA, fire restrictions are still in place along the river due
to dense fine fuel loading and heavy recreation use.
During 2016, the NCA staff issued 2,649 camping permits for the Ruby-Horsethief Canyon
stretch of the Colorado River. This year permits were available online at Recreation.gov.
We have seen a steady increase in visitors from 11,000 river runners when we instituted
the permit system seven days a week in 2013 to close to 23,014 in 2016. Seventy-five
percent of people floating Ruby-Horsethief are from outside of Mesa County. With this
higher visitation, River Rangers Troy Schnurr and Shaun Ray conducted close to 90 river
patrols in 2016.
McInnis Canyons OHV Crew Grant
The BLM GJFO utilized Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) OHV Grant funds to hire two NCA
OHV crew members who worked from May 2016, through November 2016. The crew spent
the season repairing OHV trails, installing signage and educating the public.
Some the key contributions made by our first OHV crew include:
Construction, repair and maintenance of 166 trail drainage features,
Preparation, installation and painting of 144 signs,
Installation and maintenance of approximately 12 miles of post and cable fencing,
Removal of 115 fire rings throughout OHV use areas,
Provision of public information, maps and education regarding OHV recreation
opportunities.
Wildland Fires
In FY 2016, MCNCA had six wildland fires for a total of 1.2 acres. None of these fires had a
major impact on recreation or use of areas.
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Education, Outreach, and Interpretation
Schools and Outdoor Learning Environments (SOLE) Family
Nature Night
Two groups from BLM and CCA attended family nature night
to teach students about the NCAs Archeological and
Paleontological resources. BLM staff used the archaeological
resource kit to teach students about prehistoric people
through interactive learning. Students were also able to
create fossil casts and learn about the NCA’s prehistoric
animals from CCA staff. BLM and CCA staff educated 65
students and 40 adults at Pomona Elementary School.
Dino Days at Dinosaur Journey Museum
BLM participated in Dinosaur Journey Museum’s Dino Days. This local
event invites members of the community to enjoy a free day at the
museum to participate in variety of activities related to Paleontology.
The BLM staff hosted a booth where children could come learn about
dinosaur tracks and paint their very own
Archeology and Paleontology Camp
BLM and the MWC partnered to offer two archaeology and paleontology kids camp for
third, fourth and fifth graders. Sixty District 51 students were able to participate in this
awesome program that included tours of the museum and field opportunities in MCNCA.
BLM and MWC also created a curriculum for use in the fall and spring of each year.
Mesa County High School River Trip
BLM and Colorado Canyons Association and Adventure Bound Expeditions hosted a river
trip for Central High School AP Environmental Studies class. During this trip we educated
25 high school students about cultural and natural resources along the river. Students
were spent the evening camping by the Colorado River and learned valuable skills such as
how to dress for weather and insects, how to set up a tent, and leave no trace ethics
including use of fire pans and portable toilet systems.
RIO Colorado River Trip
Through CCA and the GOCO Inspire Grant 20 local
youth enjoyed the Ruby Horsethief Corridor of the
Colorado River. These students were learned about
river safety, practice their communication and team
building skills.
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Dual Immersion Academy (DIA) STEM Programs
BLM and CCA partnered to host Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs for DIA. CCA’s
Stewardship Coordinator hosted two outdoor field trips in
MCNCA that focused on geology, paleontology and our
local resources. Students went to Dinosaur Journey’s
Museum to view BLM collections and make observations
about our prehistoric life.
Nature Knowledge Days
CCA and BLM co-hosted Nature Knowledge Days in MCNCA. During
this event over 700 third grade students from 12 District 51 schools
visited eight different stations to learn about the cultural and
natural resources of the NCA from 20 volunteers and professionals.
Teacher on the Public Lands
BLM participated in Teacher on the Public Lands through the Hands on the Land program.
During this 160 hour internship a high school teacher from R-5 High School in Grand
Junction introduced students to the BLM mission and resources. As a result of this
experience, the teacher developed a natural resources lesson plan that will educate high
school students in District 51.
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Partnerships Museums of Western Colorado (MWC) - Dinosaur Journey Museum
In 2016 paleontologists from the Dinosaur Journey
Museum in Fruita conducted excavations in the
Mygatt-Moore quarry in late May through late August.
Several days of excavations also occurred in May at
the Callison Quarry in the Fruita Paleo Area (FPA).
Additionally the Museum surface collected eggshell
and fossil bones from the Kirkland Dryosaur Site in the FPA. Along with conducting
excavations throughout the NCA, the museum hosts hikes and excavations through their
SRP.
Colorado Canyons Association (CCA)
Colorado Canyons Association is the friends group to the BLM’s
local NCAs. In FY 2016, they have helped BLM staff host river
cleanups, trail monitoring classes and educational trips for area
youth. CCA provided crucial assistance in providing visitor
services for the NCA at the BLM office, organizing volunteer
projects, and creating awareness in the community surrounding
the stewardship and management of the NCA.
City of Fruita
BLM and the City of Fruita worked together
to complete environmental planning for 6.5
miles of new bike trails in the
Kokopelli/Mack Ridge trail system. In
addition Fruita installed an interpretive sign
on their new riverfront trail inviting the
public to explore the NCA.
AmeriCorps-VISTA
In 2016, BLM and CCA were proud to host an AmeriCorps-VISTA
volunteer to assist with conserving our NCAs. During Killian
Rush’s VISTA appointment she assisted with setting up STEM
programming for Dual Immersion Academy, engaged multiple
communities about how they enjoy public lands and
coordinated a volunteer river cleanup on the Ruby Horsethief.
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Colorado Mesa University
MCNCA staff has partnered with Colorado
Mesa University (CMU) for many different
projects. MCNCA hosted several student
interns from CMU’s Environmental Science
Program. Interns completed Assessment,
Inventory and Monitoring studies, continued work on a plant inventory, completed rare
plant monitoring, and surveyed for the federally Threatened yellow-billed cuckoo.
Other Partnerships
The MCNCA staff also closely collaborated with the Interpretative Association of Western
Colorado, CPW, Geological Society of America, The Tamarisk Coalition, and Western
Colorado Conservation Corps, Grand Valley Trails Alliance, Grand Mesa Backcountry
Horsemen, Motorcycle Trailriders Association, Hilltop Trail Crew, and School District 51.
Volunteers Colorado River trash removal
In August of 2016, the BLM partnered with Western
Association to Enjoy Rivers for the tenth annual
Colorado River cleanup. Over 70 volunteers
participated to collect trash along the Colorado River
through the City of Grand Junction just upstream of the
NCA.
McInnis Canyons River Cleanup
BLM partnered with CCA to host the 5th annual McInnis Canyons River cleanup. Seventeen
volunteers spent two days on the Colorado River in Ruby-Horsethief Canyons and donated
272 hours of picking up trash on a 25 mile section of the river.
Trail Monitoring Program
In 2016, our trail monitoring program hosted by CCA continued to be successful. We
revitalized the program and train 12 new volunteers to collect while hiking in MCNCA.
National Public Lands Day-Skinner Cabin Fencing Project
This year, MCNCA hosted a National Public Lands Day event in
partnership with CCA. Volunteers helped to install a fence
around the historical Skinner Cabin location in Fruita
Paleontological Area. The day was finished by an Atalatl
throwing competition and lunch from Hot Tomato. REI helped to
support the event by donating prizes for the day.
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Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association, Inc (COPMOBA)
COPMOBA worked with the BLM in the Mack Ridge
trail system on Steve's Loop performing trail
maintenance as part of their Monday night
maintenance program throughout 2016.
COPOMOBA was a key member of a partnership
with the BLM, City of Fruita, and Fruita area
businesss providing volunteer time and funds for
the survey work necessary to build new trails in the area. They also volunteered their time
to put flag lines on the ground as part of the trail layout process.
Mesa Monument Striders
The Mesa Monument Striders and BLM staff identified Pollock Bench as
an area of concern. Grand Valley Trails Alliance (GVTA) along with Chris
Pipkin and Mike Jones provided a short demonstration followed by
breaking into three groups to improve and install drainages along an old
road. The Striders also helped to improve Troy Built Trail in the Mack
Ridge trail system.
Motorcycle Trail Riders Association
Motorcycle Trail Riders Association (MTRA) participated in a BLM
hosted basic trails class in the office. After the class MTRA
members and BLM staff did a tour of Rabbit Valley and discussed
maintenance of Trail 3. On National Public Lands Day, MTRA
members and BLM staff installed rock ramps and water drainage
systems. MTRA used both hand tools and their new singletrack
trail dozer.
Land (or Interests in Land) Acquisitions “N/A.”
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Science
McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area Plant Inventory
CMU continues to study of the plant species that comprise MCNCA.
Through this study, CMU will create a checklist of plant species
found within the NCA. In 2016, the BLM identified and mounted
numerous plant specimens for the CMU herbarium. Field work and
work to convert data to GIS files will continue in 2017. Once the
study is finished the BLM will share the checklist with the public
through CMU and BLM’s websites for visitors to use.
Survey and Monitoring of bats
A study of the bat species was started to increase information of bat species within the
Grand Valley. Through this study CPW hope to learn about occurrence of roosting habitat of
bats within the area. During this study the BLM monitored approximately 40,566 acres of
the NCA for bat species. This will be a two year assessment that will focus on a portion of
MCNCA and the Colorado National Monument.
Survey of species composition and distribution of Tardigrades in the
high desert
CMU researchers have been working to survey tardigrades found in
mosses in the area and have collected specimens from the MCNCA.
Research is ongoing.
Salt Desert Restoration with the use of Native Shrub Species
The three NCA’s: MCNCA, DENCA, and Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area
(GGNCA), were able to leverage a National Conservation Lands (NCL) Science grant and
provide funding to expand the partnership to include Colorado State University. Currently a
post-doctoral student under Professor Mark Paschke is reviewing literature and past BLM
treatments in salt desert habitats. This portion of the project is expected to be finalized by
fall 2016, and will provide the BLM with a comprehensive review of local successes and
failures on BLM lands, as well as successes and failures in other salt desert settings. With
this information the BLM can maximize the likelihood of success with native plant
materials provided by the Upper Colorado Native Plant Center.
Mygatt-Moore Quarry Excavations
Work at the quarry in Rabbit Valley was very successful
this year, with the major paleontological find being the
discovery and complete excavation of the skull and
associated neck vertebrae from a diplodocine sauropod
dinosaur, likely Apatosaurus. Paleontologists removed
several other large jackets from the north side of the
quarry, some jacketed over five years ago.
Lachlan Barrett an eight year old boy from Florida uncovered the 140-million-year-old skull
on the MWCs dinosaur dig at the Mygatt-Moore Quarry. Scientists believe it belonged to an
apatosaurus louisae, which would make it the fourth such specimen ever found and the
only one with vertebrae still attached. This rare find has gained both national and
international attention.
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Resources, Objects, Values, and Stressors
Cultural resources Cultural resources are among the listed purposes of MCNCA that enable legislation, and
the NCA enjoys an extraordinary abundance of these resources, including an array of
prehistoric and historic sites and artifacts.
The BLM is committed to conserving, protecting and restoring the unique values of the NCA
and furthering the goals of the BLM’s National Conservation Lands, of which the NCA is a
part. The NCA’s cultural resource management staff focuses on clearly communicating the
importance of conserving and protecting NCA values and expanding the BLM’s
understanding of NCA resources through assessment, inventory, and monitoring.
Cultural resources (includes archeological and historical) Status and Trend Table
Status of Resource, Object, or Value Trend
Good Stable
Cultural resources Inventory, Assessment, Monitoring Table
Acres in Unit Acres Inventoried Acres Possessing
Object
Acres Monitored in
FY 16
123,000 22,164 2,303 120
Stressors Affecting Cultural Resources Stresses on cultural resources and values include (human caused), wildland fire,
recreational use, livestock grazing, right-of-way proximity, air pollution, theft, surface
disturbance, vandalism, and increased access.
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Natural Resources, including biological and environmental values Natural resources are among the purposes of MCNCA that that enable legislation, and the
NCA enjoys an extraordinary abundance of these resources, including an array of rare and
common plant and animal species.
Natural Resources Status and Trend Table
Resource, Object, or Value Status Trend
Natural Good Stable
Biological Good Stable
Environmental Good Stable
Natural Resources Inventory, Assessment, Monitoring Table
Resource,
Object or Value Acres in Unit Acres Inventoried
Acres Possessing
Object
Acres Monitored
in FY 16
Natural 123,000 123,000 123,000 14,979
Biological 123,000 123,000 123,000 40
Environmental 123,000 123,000 123,000 20,729
Stressors Affecting Natural Resources Stresses on natural and cultural resources and values include (human-caused) wildland
fire, invasive plants, recreational use, livestock grazing, domestic livestock diseases, loss of
habitat, right-of-way proximity, air pollution, non-native animals, water pollution, theft,
surface disturbance, vandalism, and increased access.
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Water, soil, air resources, including natural and environmental values Nineteen miles of the Colorado River flow through the MCNCA, and all the side canyons
have seasonal flows resulting from snowmelt and summer rainstorms. These aquatic
resources are important to fish and wildlife, and the river is popular for visitors to boat and
camp. BLM staff members work to expand understanding of these resources through
assessment, inventory, and monitoring.
Water, soil, and air resources Status and Trend Table
Resources, Object or Value Status of Resource, Object, or
Value Trend
Water Resources Good overall Stable and Improving
Soil Resources Good overall Stable and Declining
Air Resources Good Stable
Water, soil, and air resources Inventory, Assessment, Monitoring Table
Resources,
Object, or Value Acres in Unit Acres
Inventoried
Acres Possessing
Object
Acres/Miles
Monitored in FY
16
Water
Resources 123,000 acres 123,000acres 1,000 acres 13 miles
Soil Resources 123,000 123,000 123,000 0
Air Resources 123,000 123,000 123,000 0
Stressors Affecting Water, soil, and air resources Invasive aquatic plants, recreational use, improper livestock grazing, and air and water
resources can threaten water resources.
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Recreational resources Recreation is listed as one of the purposes of the NCA in its enabling legislation, and
visitors to the NCA can participate in an exceptionally wide variety of recreational activities,
including world-class mountain biking, river rafting, hiking, camping, hunting, horseback
riding, OHV travel and wildlife viewing. Visitors can also enjoy a broad range of recreational
settings, including remote wilderness, riparian wetlands and culturally or historically
significant sites. The 142-mile Kokopelli Trail runs though the NCA to Moab, Utah, and the
Colorado River winds its way for 19 miles through the spectacular canyon country of the
NCA.
The BLM’s recreation staff assists in planning for and managing recreational resources and
facilities in a manner that conserves NCA values. Thus, roads and other facilities are built
only when necessary for public health and safety, for exercise of existing rights, to
minimize impacts to resources, or to otherwise further the purposes for which the NCA was
designated. Recreation staff members actively engage stakeholders through the land-use
planning process to help identify existing and potential uses that are compatible with the
legislated purposes of the NCA, and the BLM practices a community-based approach to
providing recreational services that is consistent with the purposes of the NCA and the
socioeconomic goals of adjacent or nearby communities.
Recreational resources Status and Trend Table
Status of Resource, Object, or Value Trend
Good Stable
Recreational resources Inventory, Assessment, Monitoring Table
Acres in Unit Acres Inventoried Acres Possessing
Object
Acres Monitored in
FY 16
123,000 123,000 123,000 50,000
Stressors Affecting Recreational Resources Recreational resources and values may be adversely affected by any of the stressors that
affect natural and cultural resources, because recreational visitors to the NCA often go
there expecting (for example) to see pristine habitat, healthy wildlife, or undamaged rock
art. Recreational use itself can damage recreational resources, especially with increased
use due to local and regional population growth. With increased use of public lands, user
interactions can also influence recreation experiences. Some interactions can be positive
which would enhance an experience, while some can be negative degrading an experience.
Right-of-way proximity and air pollution may also threaten the integrity of the recreational
experience.
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Wilderness and Scenic Values Congress designated the 75,479 acre Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness in 2000, and is
located within the MCNCA. The BLM is committed to protect wilderness areas in such a
manner as to preserve wilderness character as well as effectively manage recreational,
scenic, scientific, education, conservation and historic uses permitted under Section 4(c)
and 4(d) of the Wilderness Act of 1964.
Section 4(b) of the Wilderness act sets forth the BLM’s responsibility in administering the
Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness, and states that the preservation of wilderness character
is the primary management mandate. The monitoring of wilderness character is an
ongoing responsibility, and monitoring changes will help to determine how stewardship
decisions influence trends and prioritize actions. In 2016, BLM staff conducted 13
monitoring tours and logged over 350 hiking miles throughout the Black Ridge Canyons
Wilderness.
The practice of Visual Resource Management (VRM), in BLM land-use planning, inventories
landscape character according to the four basic visual elements: form, line, color and
texture. The BLM uses these elements to analyze impacts of development. BLM staff first
evaluate the planning area and then assign values for several visual elements, based on a
numerical point system. The total points assigned to a given area determine an existing
scenic quality class. In 1987 the BLM inventoried and classified the visual resources of the
MCNCA according to the BLM’s VRM system as part of the Grand Junction Resource
Management Plan. This inventory found 88,366 acres of visual resources in the MCNCA.
Wilderness and scenic values Status and Trend Table
Resource, Object, and
Value
Status of Resource, Object, or
Value Trend
Wilderness Good Stable
Scenic Good Stable
Wilderness Inventory, Assessment, Monitoring Table
Resource,
Object, and
Value
Acres in Unit Acres Inventoried Acres Possessing
Object
Acres Monitored
in FY 16
Wilderness 75,550 75,550 75,550 75,550
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Scenic Values Inventory, Assessment, Monitoring Table
Resource,
Object, and
Value
Acres in Unit Acres Inventoried Acres Possessing
Object
Acres Monitored
in FY 16
Scenic Values,
VRM Class I 75,550 75,550 75,550 75,550
Scenic Values,
VRM Class II 11,580 11,580 11,580 11,580
Scenic Values,
VRM Class III 1,236 1,236 1,236 1,236
Stressors Affecting Wilderness and Scenic Values Any of the stressors that affect resources within the NCA may also adversely affect
wilderness resources and scenic values, with visitor use causing the greatest negative
effects on wilderness characteristics. Visitor use itself can damage the resource, especially
with increased use due to local and regional population growth.
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Scientific, geological, and paleontological resources The scientific resources of the MCNCA are cited in its enabling legislation as one of the
purposes for its designation, as are the geological, cultural, paleontological, biological and
wildlife resources, all of which are suitable for scientific study and are abundant in the
NCA. Scientific study of these resources benefits the scientific community as a whole and
effectively informs the BLM’s management of the NCA. The NCA staff works to identify
research needs, encourage science partnerships and citizen science, and incorporate
scientific results into management, decision-making, and outreach.
BLM staff members promote the NCA to universities and research institutions as an
outdoor research and educational laboratory and potential demonstration center for
emerging technology and innovative management practices. In turn, academic institutions,
aware of the unique and valuable resources in the NCA, seek out partnerships with the
BLM to conduct scientific research and education in the NCA.
Scientific, geological, and paleontological Status and Trend Table
Resource, Object, or Value Status of Resource, Object, or
Value Trend
Scientific Good Stable
Geological (Precambrian to
Quaternary Rocks) Good Stable
Paleontological
(Scientifically important
vertebrate fossils)
Good Overall Some vandalism, but stable
overall.
Scientific, geological, and paleontological Inventory, Assessment, Monitoring Table
Resource,
Object, or Value Acres in Unit Acres Inventoried
Acres Possessing
Object
Acres Monitored
in FY 16
Scientific 123,000 123,000 123,000 50,000
Geological 123,000 123,000 123,000 5
Paleontological 123,000 75 123,000 25
Stressors Affecting Scientific, geological, and paleontological resources Anything that affects geological, cultural, paleontological, biological or wildlife resources
also affects scientific resources. The primary effects on geological and paleontological
resources are theft and vandalism.
22
Wildlife Education Wildlife education is one of the purposes of the NCA listed in its enabling legislation, and
the BLM strives to provide young people with opportunities to engage in recreation and
practice stewardship on NCA lands and to learn about NCA resources and land
management. BLM staff members seek out partnerships with local schools and educators
to help them interpret National Conservation Lands and NCA values, and the BLM provides
interpretive and educational materials to NCA users through the GJFO and the NCA.
Wildlife Education Status and Trend Table
Status of Resource, Object, or Value Trend
Good Stable
Wildlife Education Inventory, Assessment, Monitoring Table
Acres in Unit Acres Inventoried Acres Possessing
Object
Acres Monitored in
FY 16
123,000 123,000 123,000 100
Stressors Affecting Wildlife Education Risk factors for wildlife (and thus wildlife education) include loss of habitat, right-of-way
proximity, non-native animals and increased access.
23
Summary of Performance Measure
Resources, Objects, and Values Status Summary Table
Resource, Object, or Value Status Trend
Cultural (includes
archaeological and historical) Good Stable
Natural Good Stable
Biological Good Stable
Environmental Good Stable
Water Resources Good overall Stable and improving
Soil Resources Good overall Stable and declining
Air Resources Good Stable
Recreational Good Stable
Wilderness Good Stable
Scenic Good Stable
Scientific Good Stable
Geological (Precambrian to
Quaternary rocks) Good overall Stable
Wildlife Education Good Stable
6 6
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Manager’s Letter
In 2014, BLM released the new National Recreation Strategy.
Titled "Connecting with Communities" this strategy represents a
paradigm shift in how we engage the public in managing
recreation opportunities. As described in the new strategy
document, public lands are connected to and integrated with
communities—not federally designated islands separated from
them. This recreation strategy is different because it focuses on
proactive engagement with communities, locally based
government agencies, and service provider businesses, and
emphasizes benefits from the perspective of community networks
of service providers. It is not business as usual; it is a serious effort
to reposition resources in support of community values while
optimizing benefits for the public. While we will continue to use
the traditional procedural mechanisms to gather public input that we have always relied on
(scoping letters, comment periods), we are now also directed to reach out to community
leaders, local agencies, and community networks of service providers, to understand how
the community values it's neighboring public lands.
We at the BLM office in Grand Junction are very excited about this new approach, and we
are fortunate to have a great community to pilot this strategy with. The City of Fruita has
made it known that they want to be the shining example of a BLM connected community.
The Grand Junction BLM office and the city of Fruita have entered into a Memorandum of
Agreement to align our recreation and visitor services goals. The City of Fruita and its
network of service providers have stepped up to the plate to contribute resources to help
BLM work toward shared goals. Hot Tomato Cafe and Pizzeria, Colorado Backcountry Biker,
and Over the Edge Sports along with Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association are
contributing funding and volunteer labor to complete the layout and necessary
archaeology, rare plant and wildlife surveys for new mountain bike trails in the Kokopelli
Loops trail system and to get the trails built. Together we have engaged area youth from
Western Colorado Conservation Corps to begin construction of these new trails. The City is
working with BLM on maintenance of the Devil's Canyon and Fruita Paleo Area trailheads,
and applying for grants for future projects with BLM support.
Connecting with Communities directs the BLM recreation program to prioritize its work
with projects that result in greatest socioeconomic benefit to nearby communities. The
willingness of the Fruita partnership to invest resources in this trail project helped the BLM
to prioritize this project over many other competing projects. The ability of the partnership
to not only bring resources to the table, but to also articulate the community benefits that
would result from the investment helped the BLM focus limited resources to a project that
will result in positive benefits to the local community.
7
25
We hope to use this model to connect with other communities and other recreation users
(ATV, motorcycle, hiking, equestrian, rivers). The National Conservation Area is a perfect
place to showcase this new strategy and we believe the Fruita partnership will serve as a
model for how BLM engages communities in the management of their public lands.
Colin Ewing
Manager, Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area
McInnis Canyons National Conservation Areas
Southwest District Office
Bureau of Land Management
Grand Junction Field Office
2815 H Rd.
Grand Junction, CO 81506
Phone: 970-244-3000
12/9/2016
The mention of company names, trade names, or commercial products does not constitute
endorsement or recommendation for use by the federal government.