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

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Cultural and Natural History The first white men to explore this region were members of an expedition led by Padres Francisco Silvestre-Escalante and Antanacio Dominguez in 1777. In 1837, Joseph Roubideau, a French trapper, explored the country in search of beaver. Mineral Point - the region's first permanent settlement and now a ghost town - had its beginning in 1873 when gold was discovered in paying quantities. Many settlers moved into the region during the 1880's. The mining of metallic ores (gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc) has been an important industry in and around the area within the Uncompahgre National Forest since 1875. The mining camps of Lake City, Telluride, and Ouray once had populations of several thousand people each. Many historic sites, within or adjacent to the Review Area, have been inventoried by the Colorado State Historical Society and the Forest Service. Eighteen are being considered for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places (Alta, Ames - Telluride Transmission Line, Ames Electrical Transmission Line, Bridal Veil Power Line, Beaumont Hotel, Camp Bird Mine, Million Dollar Highway -Red Mountain Pass, Lake Fork Trestle, Old Ophir, Ophir Loop, Ophir Pass, Mt. Sneffels, Fort Peabody, Imogene Pass, Sheridan Mine, Smuggler Mine, and Silverton Historic District). Engineer Pass, Black Bear Pass and Red Mountain townsite also are considered to be of historic interest to many people within the State and in the Nation. Ophir Needles, Blackface, and Lizard Head are being considered for nomination to the National Registry of Natural Landmarks. Telluride Historic District was designated a National Historic Land- mark in 1964 "because of its exceptional value in commemorating and illustrating the history of the United States." The agricultural development of the Uncompahgre Valley, Cimarron Valley, Lake Fork, and the San Miguel Basin, took place primarily in the period of the late 1800's and early 1900's. This development was closely tied to the construction of irrigation systems to utilize water from mountain watersheds within the area and related lands. The Four - Corners Economic Development Region was established under Title V of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965. A development plan for the 189 million acres within this Development Region has been published. The Review Area figures prominently in the economy of the Four - Corners Development Area because of its mineral and recreational values. -5-