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. . ~t' designated segment of the Dolores will probably be unable to sell them for condominium or intensive resort development as has happened around Aspen and Vail. ,~ Easements have an additional advantage over fee purchase, at least to local governments, in that they leave all land in private owner- ship, and thus do not seriously erode the tax base. If parts of the Dolores are included in the national system, the subsequent establishment of easements will probably lead to some minor conflict between recreationists and private landowners. In all likelihood, these will be minor; an occasional cow may be spooked or litter may be left, for example. Land managing agencies will attempt to keep such instances to a minimum in two ways: 1) by developing firm controls as a basic part of the }~nagement Plan, and 2) by on-goin~ river and river corridor surveillance and law enforcement - actions that will not occur without designation. 5. THE LOCAL ECONOMY. Many persons fear that wild and scenic river designation of parts of the Dolores will cripple or even kill the Monte10res area economy. Most of this concern comes from people who believe either: 1) the Dolores Project will be stopped, or 2) ranching and other land uses, such as second homes and summer children's camps, will be eliminated along the river. Since wild and scenic river designation will bring about neither, it seems fair to expect only one possibly significant impact. Environmental restrictions on prospecting and mining in the river corridor will add costs to these activities. Timber does not appear to be an issue in the river corridor because of difficult access and the very small amount which is merchantable. ~ Wild and scenic river designation will increase the number of recreationists coming to the Montelores area (just as the creation of Mesa Verde National Park has). Recreation days on the McPhee-to- Bedrock reach of the Dolores are estimated to reach 168,000 by 1990 even if the river is not included in the national system. Designation would increase that figure to over 222,000 - or by almost one-third. This will mean a proportionate increase in the tourist dollars spent in the Monte10res area. For example, before rafting trips, many parties will use motels and purchase food and supplies in Cortez or Dolores. r 6. TOO MANY OUTSIDERS, TOO MUCH MESS. Some people fear that wild and scenic river designation will bring in large numbers of outsiders to crowd, litter and otherwise degrade the area. 5 0757