WSP10718

• File Number: 8220.102.01.I
• Description: Colorado River Water Projects - Aspinall Storage Unit - General - Environmental Studies
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 4/17/2001
• Author: DOI-NPS
• Title: Curecanti National Recreation Area - Resource Protection Study - Newsletter Number 1 - Spring 2001
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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..'ithi" <./lid 'IU'rowlliill.~ Curecumi

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Th... Curecanli National Recreation Area
(NRAJ Resource ProJection Srudy (RPS)
is being 'conducled in responSi" 10 Section
II of the Black ClmYOll of the CUfll/i.wfl
National Pt1r* llnd CU1Ulison Gorg~ .\ia-
liofJal C(/~'.sen:lllio/l Area Act of /999
lPublic L:1w 106-76; October 21. 19q<h
Section 11 states thai the Na!ional Pack
Service shall conduct a study concerning
land protection and o~n space within and
adjacent 10 the area adminislcrc-d as the
Curecanti National RC\.'realion Area. The
study SohalJ:
(1) assess lhe natural, culrural, recrea-
tional and scenic resource value and
characler of the land within and sur.
rounding the" Curecanti National Rec-
n~alion Area (induding open vjstas.
wildlife habitat. and other public
benefils);
C21 identify practk'ahle allem~llivcs Ihal
protect lhe resourCe value and charac.
ter of lhe land within and surrounding
the Curecanti National Rccre~Hion
Area;
eJ I recommend. a vanelY of economicall)"
feasible and. viable lools to adlieve
the purposes described in paragraphs
(I) and 12); and
(4) l..~limate the costs of implementing
the approaches rl,.'Commended. by lhe
study,

CUJrl.wi11 A'!2a COH./eJWa1kK PIM

A second study is also undern'ay rc~ard-
ing the future of Curecanti. Gunnison
CounlY is developing::l Cllrecanti Are(J
COn5enar;Orl Plan lCACP) to"make rec-
ommendations which would help protect
the naturaL cullural. re(.'re,:l1ional and see-
.
nic resources which are importanllO
counly residents and area ~isilOrs"

An environmenlal impact stalemenl (EIS,
will accompany the sludy, During. the
study process, 1\\:0 major documents ~'iU
~ released to the public: a Draft RPS/
EIS; and a Filial RPS/EIS. In addition. lhe
National Park Service ha..<; been direcled to
submit a repon to Congress bv Octoher
21. 2002." The repon ",'ill con'lain findings
of the sludy. and m<J.ke recommendations
to Congress, However. since Congress
prm:ided .no instruction 10 recommend a
specific coursc= of action. neilher the Omft
RPs/EIS nor the n"'ll RPS/EIS will iden-
tify a preferred altel11ative. '

The Nalional Park Service manages the
,NRA; and is Ihe lead agency on the pro-
ject. The Bureau of Reclamation "(BOR)
is a cooperating agency on Ihe project
since most of !he lands within !he NRA
were withdrawn for Redamalion
purposes, for the Colorado River Storage
Projccl and the iJncomp.-U\~...fe Projecl.
The Bureau is charged with operating and
ma~maining Reclamation project fealures,
including Blue Mesa. to.torrow Point, and
Crystal (Jallls and re~ervoirs, and their 3S-
sociatC'd sU'Uclures, and the Gunnison
Tunnl..'! and its a..,sociated structures"
. .

County Mall members are \.\iodin!! wilh
thC' Rivers, Trails <md. Conservation Assis.
tancerro!!ram of the National Park Ser.
\"ice's regional office. Therefore. the Na.
lional. Park Ser:vice and Gunnison County
an." working closely togelher a..<; the RPS
and the CACP have many of the same
goals and objectiws. :