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<br />-" <br /> <br />BLANCA \,'ILDLIFE HABITAT AREA <br /> <br />'lAllITAT 1.'ANAGEMENT PLAN <br /> <br />C-S i,'HA T-l <br /> <br />A. I~~RODUCTION <br /> <br />I. Description and Historv of Wildlife HBbitat Area <br /> <br />The Blanca Wildlife Habitat Area is located in the San Lui. Valley <br /> <br />of southcentral Colorado, about 10 miles northeast of Alamosa <br /> <br />(Figure 1.). The area encompasses 5,390 acres of Public Land <br /> <br />within the BLM's Blanca Planning Unit, San Luis ResourCe Area, <br /> <br />Canon City District. <br /> <br />Wildlife habitat planning began for this area during the early <br /> <br />1960's and a pilot project of three artesian wells and water con~ <br /> <br />trol dikes was constructed in 1966. Two more wells were drilled <br /> <br />:) <br /> <br />in 1968 and dikes were built to cnntrol this water in 1970 <br /> <br />The original Habitat Management Plan (lIMP) was written in 1968, <br /> <br />but the project did not receive final approval until Ig73. The <br /> <br />first project biologist was assigned in 1972 to revise and upgrade <br /> <br />the HMP to current standards. Funding was started for full imple- <br /> <br />mentation in F Y '74. All appropriations to date have been through <br /> <br />BLN's normal wildlife program budget. <br /> <br />This lIMP was originally conceived. and is now being i.mplemented. <br /> <br />because of the continuing loss of waterfowl habitat in the San Luis <br /> <br />Valley and throughout the North American Continent. The San Luis <br /> <br />Valley has been described as the southern-most major waterfowl <br /> <br />J <br /> <br />-1- <br /> <br />rh()")lO <br />\)t..I.I. <br /> <br />10096 <br />