7386

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7386
• Author: National Park Service.
• Title: Resource/Boundary Evaluation for Lands Adjacent to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument, Colorado.
• USFW Year: 1990.
• USFW - Doc Type: Washington, D.C.
• Copyright Material: NO

Access to the area is excellent. The area is served by two airlines and a major bus line.
The primary highways serving the area are U.S. 50 and State Highway 92. For more
information concerning the socioeconomics, refer to Appendix A, Socioeconomics and
Visitor Use Assessment.

RECREATION OVERVIEW

National Park Service areas within approximately 100 miles include: Colorado (National -
Monument) NM, Arches National Park (NP), Black Canyon of the Gunnison NM,
Canyonlands NP, Curecanti National Recreation Area (NRA}, and Dinosaur NM. In
addition, there are portions of six National Forests (Grand Mesa, Gunnison, Manti-la Sal,
San Juan, Uncompahgre, and White River), several million acres of Federal land
administered by the Bureau of land Management, several recreation areas managed by
the States of Colorado or Utah, and numerous private or non-profit museums and other
attractions.

Some of the more popular recreational activities in the region include: sightseeing,
camping, hiking, rafting, boating, fishing, hunting, bicycling, and 4-wheeling. Opportunities
to engage these activities are abundant in western Colorado and eastern Utah.

Recreation use within the GGRA is managed in accordance with those guidelines
contained in BlM's Interim Management Policy and Guidelines for Lands Under
Wilderness Review (IMP), Resource Management Plan (RMP) Recreation Area
Management Plan (RAMP), and Addition to the RAMP.

For more detailed information concerning recreation use and visitation trends, refer to
Appendix A, Socioeconomic and Visitor Use Assessment.

LAND OWNERSHIP AND USE

The Gunnison Gorge Recreation Area includes approximately 64,139 acres. Within the
boundaries approximately 62,192 acres (97 percent) are under Federal surface ownership
and managed by the BlM. Approximately 1,947 acres (3 percent) are privately owned.
Nearly all of the privately owned property is used as part of a ranch operation with grazing
of livestock being the dominant use. No permanent year around residences are located
within the study area boundary.

The BlM property is managed under a resource management plan as Units 4, and 6.
Unit 4 (40,792 acres) is identified as the Gunnison Gorge Special Recreation Area with
stipulations for oil and gas development, locatable minerals development, salinity control,
wildlife habitat development, livestock grazing, harvesting woodlands, off-read-vehicle
use, visual resource management for Class IV lands, development of utility facilities,
access development and fire management.

Unit 6 is 22,078 acres and is identified as the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness Study Area.

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