WSPC06644

• File Number: 7630.125
• Description: Wild and Scenic - Colorado Wilderness Act - 1991
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 3/16/1989
• Title: Colorado Wilderness Proposal - Revised Edition
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

OG2372

GREENHORN MOUNTAIN

Statistics

Jurisdiction: San Isabel National Forest, US
RARE II Roadless Area:
Wilderness Study Area:
RARE II Recommendation:
Reagan Administration Recommendation:
State of Colorado Recommendation:
Conservationists' Recommendation:

Forest Service
37,760 acres
22,230 acres
22,560 acres
22,330 acres
22,330 acres
23,530 acres

Location

The Greenhorn
southern end of
west of Pueblo.

Mountain
the Wet

Wilderness Study Area is located on the
Mountain Range, approximately 20 miles

Wilderness Qualities

This WSA is dominated by its namesake, which is the focal point of
the southern front range of the Rockies. The Greenhorn Mountain
Wilderness Area would serve as an easily accessible wilderness for
south-central Colorado. The closest wilderness area to pueblo,
for example, is currently more than a two hour drive away.

The Greenhorn Mountain area contains a wide variety of vegetation,
ranging from pinyon-juniper along the dry southern edge of the
area, through ponderosa pine and Douglas fir, to spruce-fir at
higher elevations. Eventually, it becomes alpine tundra on the
mountain's upper reaches. This vegetative diversity leads to an
abundant population of wildlife. pine marten, bighorn sheep, elk,
mule deer and the northern three-toed woodpecker are found here.
Winter and summer range for bighorn, elk and deer are available.
The Greenhorn Mountain WSA provides habitat for the greenback cut-
throat trout, which is a classified threatened species. Potential
nest sites for the endangered peregrine falcon exist along the
South Apache, Graneros, South Muddy and Little Graneros Creeks.20

The higher terrain is characterized by large, open spaces while
the lower slopes are cut by rugged, steep-walled canyons. There
are excellent opportunities for solitude in these narrow canyons,
many of which include scenic waterfalls. Forest Road 403 provides
ready access to the area.

Resource Information

Forest Road 403 was built to provide access for timber cutting.
The road and a few past cuts have been excluded from the proposed
wilderness. Most of the marketable timber has already been
harvested and very little exists within the WSA.

20Greenhorn Mountain WSA Study Report, October 1984.

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