WSP00348

• File Number: 7630.225
• Description: Wild and Scenic-Elk River
• State: CO
• Date: 5/1/1977
• Title: Elk WSR Study-Background Information-Elk-Yampa Planning Unit-Current Situation Statement
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Bark beetles inclwle Engelmmn suruce beetle and mountain I'ine beetle.
Both beetles arc currently at 101, population levels. The susceptable
host trees for the spruce bee,le were removed in the epidemics of lr.~O
and 1940. Small infestations of mountain pine beetle in lodgepole Ulne
are common but not epidemic.

Transportation

There are approximately 15 miles of Forest highway and 160 miles of
Forest development roads existing.

The !'orest highway is U. S. Highway 40 which provides access across
Rabbit Ears Pass between Steamboat Springs and Kremmling, Colorado
(Denver to Salt Lake City).

The Forest development roads are classed as 16 miles paved, 20 miles
graveled, 67 miles graded and drained, and 57 miles primitive. ~lany of
these roads do not receive adequate maintenance and some are inadequate
for the traffic that they carry, with most problems being lack of surfacin
poor drainage, or poor alignment.

There are 214 miles of Forest develo!Jment trail. Thirty-seven miles are
designed for winter use (either snowmobile use or cross country skiing),
43 miles are open to trail bike use, and the remaining 134 miles are
1 imi ted to foot and horseback use, (including trails inside '.It. Zirkel
Wilderness) .

Many of the trails arc inadequate to handle the present traffic and need
some reconstruction work.

Landownership

Within the boundary are approximately 16,100 acres of private lands,
many of which were originally homesteads. Much of the land is still
used for agriculture ~nd ranching and does not conflict with existing
National Forest uses. The 1069, Lanri Adjustments Plan has 5,500 acres
of non-Federal lands being desirable for acquisition to make Federal
lands more economically efficient in 1!'anagement or development. Like-
wise, there are 1,663 acres of federal land identified as suitable for
land exchange purposes. !lost lands desired for acquisition are for
wildlife and recreation purposes.

Adjacent to the National Forest are significant areas that were sub-
divided. Much of this activity took place prior to County or State
zoning and subdivision requirements. The loss of land to subdivision is
steadily decreasing and some of the early subdivisicns are in serious
financial problems. The Woodnoor Corporation, with extensive holdinf,s
in Morrison Creek, has declared bankruptcy. The trend has been for

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