Management Proposals for the Uncompahgre and San Juan National Forests, Public Hearing Notice

Home Browse Search

Yankee Boy Basin, combined with the towering ruins of the Revenue, Virginus, Atlas, Terrible, Mountain Top and Humbolt Mines, provide a blending of native beauty and man's historic quest for gold and silver. The San Juan Primitive Area, La Garita Wilderness, Upper Rio Grande Primitive Area, West Elk Wilderness, and Maroon Bells - Snowmass Wilderness are all within 150 miles. Total acreage of these nearby National Forest Primitive Areas and Wildernesses is about a half million acres. Mesa Verde National Park and Canyonlands National Park are within 150 miles. These National Parks containing 309,713 acres, are being reviewed by the National Park Service for their suitability for Wilder- ness, pursuant to the Wilderness Act. There are also six National Monuments administered by the National Park Service within 150 miles of the Review Area. These monuments (Colorado, Black Canyon, Hovenweep, Arches, Natural Bridges, and Rainbow Bridge), with a total of 73,325 acres, are also being reviewed under the Wilderness Act. An additional 40,000 acres of National Resource Land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, located four miles east of the Review Area, has been administratively established as the Powderhorn Primitive Area. Two National Recreation Areas, Curecanti and Glen Canyon, with a combined acreage of 1,237,608 acres, are located within a 150 mile radius. Thus, there are about 2,160,000 acres of Federal lands in National Forest Primitive Areas and Wildernesses, National Resource Lands Primitive Area, National Parks and Monuments, and National Recreation Areas within 150 miles of the Review Area. Public hearings were held in 1964 and 1971 to obtain comments and suggestions for the future management of the Uncompahgre Primitive Area. In general, the 1964 hearings supported the Forest Service proposal for declassification of the Uncompahgre Primitive Area, because of the historic intrusion by man in his quest for mineral wealth and other values. Many persons and groups qualified their support for declassification by recommending scenic area designation for portions of the Primitive Area. The importance of the unique scenic, wildlife and recreation values of the Uncompahgre were voiced often, and the significance of the existing roads to recreation users and miners was clearly identified. The 1971 hearings produced more extensive public comments than in 1964. The Forest Service recommendation at the 1971 hearings was de- classification of the Primitive Area with future study to determine the suitability or nonsuitability of an area northeast of the Primitive Area for Wilderness. -2-