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

THE PLANNING PROCESS

The planning process builds upon the logic
established for national parks, starting with
the national park system and all other
applicable laws, regulations, and policies.
The proposed action and alternatives
displayed in this document are based on each
unit's purpose and significance. Alternatives
have three common components in the
plan-the vision, the specific objectives, and
management prescriptions. Each alternative
responds differently in addressing the specific
objectives.

The vision is a short narrative that describes
the park's desired future condition. It is
meant to stand the test of ti me and reflect the
park's purpose and significance. It expresses
the management philosophy for the park and
what the park is to be like in the future.

Specific objecti ves capture the essence of the
vision, providing clarity and priorities. These
objectives are issue-, resource-, or
geographic-specific. They may include
products to be produced or conditions to be
attained or maintained. As a whole,
objectives are interrelated and
interdependent on one another. The specific
objecti ves provide a basis for allocating
resources and define management regions in
the park.

Management prescriptions can be either
geographically or programmatically based, or
a combination of both. Geographic
prescriptions describe characteristics of the
management.region for which they were
developed and define the outputs, activities,
and projects for that region. Programmatic
prescriptions are not tied to a specific
management region. They address resource
goals in the context of a large area, such as
air quality. The rationale for defining

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regional boundary delineations is included in
the planning document.

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Management prescriptions for each region
are based on the character and condition of
the resource involved. They are not only tied
to local or park-wide needs but also take into
consideration factors beyond park
boundaries. A menu of available management
prescriptions is developed. Each alternative
revolves around a common theme, and the
same set of prescriptions is applied
differently over park lands depending on the
theme of the alternative. Themes set the
basis for developing distinctly different
alternatives that provide a variety of visitor
experience options.

The plan provides general or strategic
guidance and is not detailed, specific, or
highly technical in nature. Highly technical
environmental analysis is to be done when
funds become available to begin design of
facilities, if prescribed by the management
plan, when site-specific impacts can be
addressed. All undertakings will also be
subject to Section 106 review and
compliance prior to implementation.

THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM

The national park system represents a
collection of our national heritage and
includes many of the nation's most
outstanding and significant natural, cultural,
historic, and recreational resources. Each
unit contains resources and values that
makes it something special--even nationally
significant. Black Canyon of the Gunnison
and Curecanti are two such units, each filling
a particular niche in the system. The
"niche" filled by each park is defined by its
park purpose.

The National Park Service's purpose of
conserving resources-whether they be