WSPC01202

• File Number: 8210.761.09
• Description: Colorado River-Federal Agencies-US NPS-Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/3000
• Title: General Management Plan 1-Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument and Curecanti National Recreation Area
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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THE PROPOSAL AND ALTERNATIVES

VISlTUR EXPERIENCE AND
THE PARK ENVIRONMENT

Beyond the resource management plan that
identifies specific needs relative to individual
program areas, such as natural and cultural
resources, an overall resource management
strategy to protect park resources needs to
be developed. This would enable the park to
begin monitoring conditions and Ensure that
goals related to resource management and
visitor use can be achieved. The
development of the Resource Opportunity
Area concept is the first step in incrementally
moving the park unit toward the goal of
addressing "carrying capacity."

Parks are composites of a variety of
important natural and cultural resources.
People value parks for many sorts of
reasons-inspirational, educational,
aesthetic, recreational, scientific, spiritual,
and economic, among others. Significant
differences relating to resource values and
visitor use usually exist within different areas
of a park. The uniqueness of these various
areas and their relationship to one another as
well as to lands beyond the park boundary,
influence visitor use and management of the
park. Therefore, describing a set of
alternatives and the park's affected
environment (and ultimately assessing
impacts) requires one to identify and
categorize the resource values of a park.
These pieces of the park are called resource
opportunity areas (ROAs) and can extend
beyond the boundaries of the park. The
evaluation of these areas requires the
involvement of public and private interests in
the area. The ROAs are referenced in the
environmental consequences section to

describe how park resources and visitor
experience may be affected.

There are six areas in Curecanti named for
their contribution to the way human beings
use park resources and for the resources
contained within them-riparian riverine,
Gunnison River canyon, Blue Mesa, lake
arms, canyon rim, and the inner canyon.

There are six areas in Black Canyon named
for their contribution to the way human
beings use park resources and for the
resources contained within them-panoramic
views, canyon backdrop, cliff top, cliffs and
the inner canyon, the river, and the way in.

ROAs are important to incrementally plan
for the protection of park resources from
visitor overuse. They illustrate how visitors
might relate to and use park resources. They
also provide the basis for understanding
visitor experiences available within a park.
At the same time, the physical resource
attributes and visitor experiences are related
to each park's purpose and significance.

ROAs identify sensitive resources, where
damage may occur from overuse. By
identifying important resources and visitor
experiences, the first steps needed to define
carrying capacity and protect park resources
from overuse are completed. Future VERP
planning (Visitor Experience and Resource
Protection) will eventually define carrying
capacities needed to protect resources.

Along with the specific objectives for each
area, ROAs provide the rationale and basis
for land allocation decisions.

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