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," ",? 8' U..;.J... ':t: The Unit Study The San Juan, Carson, and Rio Grande National Forests are currently developing a land use plan for the 700,000 acre Southern San Juan Mountains Unit in southwestern Colorado and north central New Mexico. The unit will be evaluated as one area even though lands from three National Forests are involved. The decisions for the activities, uses. and resources will be based on thE needs of the people and the capacity of the land to accommodate the needs. This effort will include the development of a Land Use Plan for the unit, including a recommendation on future management of New Study Areas selected within the unit in 1973. An Environmental Statement describing the proposed decisions will be prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act procedures. The study is being conducted under the Organic Act of 1897; Multiple Use-Sustained Yield Act of 1969; and National Forest policy described in the 8210, 8220, 8260, 2320 and other appropriate sections of the Forest Service Manual. The land use planning process in the Southern San Juan Mountains is also applied throughout the Nation's 155 National Forests. Using this process, resource specialists from the Forest Service work with the public and other agencies to create a plan outlining broad land and resource use decisions within a unit. Specific projects are not normally covered in the final report, but the plans indicate in broad terms those uses and activities which are compatible with the selected pattern of land use. A diagram further explaining the land use planning process is included with this fact sheet. The objectives of the study. scheduled for completion by December 30. 1975, are: 1. Develop a Land Use Plan providing management direction for the protection, maintenance, and use of the land. 2. Determine the pattern of uses and activities on a logical basis to meet public need. 3. Define and evaluate the environmental and socio-economic impacts for various levels of development and use so the most desirable combination can be selected. 4. Evaluate the cost (trade-offs) of resource values lost and socio.economic opportunities foregone where conflicts occur. The Environmental Statement {ESI w;~1 be sent to the President's Council on Environmental Quality and public comment will be solicited. Environmental Statements discuss the proposed action; the adverse and favorable environmental impacts; the relationship between short-term uses of man's environment and the maintenance of long. term producitvity; the irreversible and irretrievable commitment of resources; and the alternatives to the proposed action. Coordinator for the unit planning effort is Henry E. Bond, P. O. Box 341, Durango, Colorado, 81301, phone number (303).247.4874.