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<br />Pie~ia R
<br />- . '. / ff ~..c /,/21/7(.
<br />, , .. " j-rc- t-~'.c, .), r..
<br />U ! ,...... ':";"'-'--~' L. ,
<br />, Study set by forest Service
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<br />R,.. STAS l'MSOWf(~.l
<br />PubUc meetings arc> AChedult'd 11,,);1 week as
<br />tho" serand at lhrel' sludl...s to dt'termlne It an
<br />area river Is lIultabl(' for t1a~lfi('allon under the
<br />\\lldandSccnlc Hlver:!' Act gt'ls undt.r....ay.
<br />To be !Iludil'd under th.. la.... at'" the Pledoa
<br />Rlvt'r and lis lfibular!"",, one ot 56 rtvl'rs man-
<br />dat.." for study by C""Kr"s8 under thE' 19'75 law
<br />IlIldone oftwt'lvl." In Cvlorado.
<br />f're\"loulI!y studl~'d ha$ bet'1l thf" Dolort's Rh"t>r
<br />and !Irhedu\f:"d to be I!ludied Is the Los Pinos
<br />R!\"":\ Tht' Dolores study was compldl'd In Dt'-
<br />Ol'mber, 1975 and {orv,lard..d 10 thf' n..pt. ot Agri-
<br />culture and the Ford Admlnlstra.tion. No action
<br />CI11hat study, the subject of lnlenst' opposlllon in
<br />tilt' Monlt'lon's aM'a. has bt'el'l takt>n_
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<br />Legal requirements
<br />
<br />Cnd...r the law, a rIver may be d"slgnated wild.
<br />:'iCE'nlc or rE'(;tl'ational (or noUung al all) It thpy
<br />~ rr"E'.Oowlng stFt'amB which possess oul.
<br />standlngly remarkable scenic, Tecrl'allonal. geo.
<br />Iot:lcal, flsh and wlJdllt.., historic, cultural and
<br />((h{'rslmUarvalu\"s.
<br />A "wild" Mv..r would bI' \'irlually primHI\'e
<br />and roadless. a "scenic" rlv..r would b.. lar,l:"ely
<br />pl1mltlve but accessible, and a "sc..nlc" river
<br />\K)Uld Include some d..velopmpnt, accordmg to
<br />g\lldellnl'slhal suppl..ml'nlthe act.
<br />The public m....tln'.8 on th.. IIludy an' lIch..(j.
<br />uled July 7 at Ult" Pagu",a Springll fo:l..menlary
<br />School al 7;3D p,m., al th.. MHh'r JunIor IIll:h
<br />.Auditorium In Durango on July II at 7:30 pm.,
<br />anlfln Room liD, 1313 Sherman St, Denver on
<br />July 9. No time tor thE' Denver me..l1ng has b"'''n
<br />""'I.
<br />At the m....tlngs. the Forest Ser....lc.. will be
<br />"'-....kmg public input for the study. According toa
<br />Fbr"lIt Service spoke"lman fo"rirtay. "Thls Is Just
<br />\hf> ~ginning of the sluely. No plans or eonclu.
<br />llionshavebp..ndra....nup.'.
<br />The study wlU b.. s\JbmHted to the President
<br />II1ld \lo-III n'Porton Ih.. !luHabilily or non'lIultabi!l.
<br />tyo( the Pi..rlra and ib Iributaries for addilJon to
<br />!he national.....Ud and scl'nie riv~'r' syst..m,
<br />Thp I"l'porl .....lIt InClude Ihl' arE-a of study;
<br />characterlstlcs of the rlvl'r, current status and
<br />u....: fores.....able us..., ot the land and wa!pr
<br />...tlleh would be enhanc..d, fOn'closed. or cur.
<br />WIPd If the area .......rO!' Included; admtnllltratJon
<br />m"!hods and CO!l(S it Inrluded; and estimalt'd
<br />c.xJ/lts of acquirm,l:" land or inl<:,rest in land it th..
<br />ar@ashouldbelncludt'd.
<br />Som.. OppoSIUon ha_~ alr('ll.el)' lIrLst'n to tht'
<br />study by lumber inh'r..s!", .....ho oppos.. tn("lusioll
<br />ritht' trlbularies In th.. !ltudy or tho' ~)'J;lem due'
<br />\a the proxl1l'llly or comnwrclal limb..r. That
<br />timber, th..). tear. ma)' not b... l<\'a.ilabl... tnI'
<br />Inrvpst If the lribut.ariPll aN' Inc1udl'd and ....ould
<br />I'>:lve a d(-'t1nlte adv..rsl-' Impact on Pagosa
<br />Springs. a to.....n thaI r..I1es h...a\'Uy on (h., timber
<br />II1dus!ry_
<br />And r{'("l'nlly. I~ep. Fr;,U1k E"alls ha~ a~sun'd
<br />rono<lilu('nls!h('ro' :hal h('....IIIL~ck j',(ls!:,ll<mto
<br />rt'moH'lrl..trit'ou!.l.ri..slromth"lI.vstt"m
<br />But 10 be ellglbl('. the Inbularl..S must b.. In a
<br />fn-e flowing condition and ha~'1' "<juL~l:ul(1Jng
<br />I'I'ffial"kabl.. scemc. r.'creallonal. p'olO":IC, (k;!,
<br />and wUdlUo? hIstone. cultural orslmJ':'1" Yal.._~
<br />
<br />In tht" riv..r and Ib lmmNllat.. ('nvlrunm('nt," ae-
<br />cordi.1I1;: to the la....'. And then' Is debate whether
<br />l11e tribularl...s do In faN posSt'ss such quahtlps.
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<br />Deadline
<br />
<br />L'nder th"" act, the IItudlt'9 ot all 56 n~'''rs must
<br />bt' compll'ted by Oct. 2. 19111. ThP local t..am
<br />....an18 to det~'rmlne by NO\'l'mb"r ot this y..ar If
<br />the J>1{>(lra lInd its lribul.aril's are ..lIg1ble for
<br />classification as WIld, sco?nlc or M'Cr('aUonal in
<br />crd..r 10 n"comm"nd a proposal !o COngress by
<br />F'tobrull.rv,1978.
<br />Und..r-Ih.. law, l~ 00 pt'r cO'nl or more of U:e
<br />land wHhin 10 wild, !Ic..nlc or .....creaUonal ar..a!J!l
<br />.statl' or t..d..raUy-o....'ned land, Il'e tIIle to any
<br />pnvate land cannot b{' obl.ain...d b)' condemna.
<br />tion, eXC"l:'pt tor the possibility ot Scenic easp.
<br />mentll. In th... cas... ot thO' Piedra, the Fore!lt S..r.
<br />vice ..sUmates that belween 93.94 pt'1" Cf'nt of th..
<br />land Is gov..rnment.own..d. In fact, along the rlv.
<br />el", only t....o lIf'cUons are under prlvat... contN,I.
<br />according 10 a For..st SerVice map. TheM' ar.. In
<br />tht' 9Outh..rn part ot the sludy area. a porllol1 ot
<br />\he 1'1'1('1' that some ft'pl d~sn't quality tor classi.
<br />tical ion, co:r.par('d to Fln;t and SO'cond Box C.U'I-
<br />yons to the north.
<br />Besldt's studying tho? Mver, th... FOr1'st S..rvk{'
<br />also plans a conl'"urrt'nt study on thp Pil'dra Unit
<br />ID put logeth..r an up.dated manageml:'nt plan
<br />and to re.t'\'aluate roa.dJ..s8 ar.....s to d...termlne If
<br />lUrlherwiJd"'nlt'ssatudyl"np..(jed_
<br />The f'1t'dra unit and drainage covers 255,"~
<br />acres In Archuleta. Hinsdale and Mineral coun.
<br />tl"!I. T1mb..r and lumb..r, n"creation, !lh....p and
<br />cattle I"anching are !hl' primary sourc..s 01 In-
<br />comt' of thp3t' counties In the Pl..dra unit. ThO"
<br />oounllesare among th..lo....-..r populated ("ounU.."
<br />and the p""r capila income I" luwt'r than [he IIlatl'
<br />av.'rage.
<br />Whil.. th.. Contln..ntaJ Divi<l.. Is (h.. north"'rn
<br />tKJundary or th.. river study area. lh.. planning
<br />..n.lt boundary 10 tht' norlh IS the Wemlnuch..
<br />....'Id..m..ss. ThE' southern boundary or both Is
<br />High.....ayl60.
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<br />Objectives
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<br />Spt"ctrlcally, the Fort's! S..rvlcl' >laYs lis objec.
<br />tlv"!I are [0 "aJlO<:'a!e t1\.. land and r"sourc..s of
<br />tll(> unll for a mix of u~..s Il.lld oul...uls that m..P1
<br />the net'ds of pt'ople. animals (wild ..nd dOffiPsllCI0and otber ecological relatiom'hlps b)';
<br />..-n"....val\Jatlng all maelle"!I ar..lO.S .....1Ihln the
<br />plannIng unit to dptf'r'mlne II turther wild"m"lIl1
<br />~.udy Is n.....ded or if tbe arO'&1l should b.. man-
<br />ao::ed unrh'r otner mulllpll' 115" acUvi!l"",
<br />"-establishing manaJ:em..nt units and d.'v..l.
<br />l11inKmanagem..ntalternath.t'slhatareconsis.
<br />tl'nt .....ith the Wild and Scenic Hlvers Ac! unW
<br />Cbngre..s acls Ol'l It'gislahon ",gardlng the
<br />f>:..draKt\'f'r;
<br />"- to dett'nnin.. la~d and r..5011I'"C" <\11"""'llon!l
<br />for !host' portions ot the l',t'dra f'lannl"O: 1;"i.
<br />li'...l a", no! aff..,-I..d b)' "'lid and Sct'N.C I:l\'t'r
<br />('un~iG..tallol1s."
<br />Tl"... thn'e nwel.L'1;':.~ ar... lnformallOn3.1 In na.
<br />ture an.-{ ll~th"'lInll\lf'p 111 J.oUbhc lll\'olvf'ml'nt
<br />in the process. :\In.. m<Jre "".~rs \'.'Ul OJ!:",', af"1
<br />~"h"r::;l.allf(>rVli\:.oll~'Il1p-':I.
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