Kremmling,
CO January 24, 2005 - Today, the Bureau of Land
Management's
Kremmling
Field Office announced the completion of the
Wolford Mountain Travel Management Plan, which involves 33,152 acres of
public land a few miles north of Kremmling, Colorado.
The plan designates routes for both Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) motorized
and non-motorized uses in the Wolford Mountain area - while protecting
the area's natural and cultural resources. The project received
extensive input from the Friends of Wolford Mountain, Rocky Mountain
Recreation Initiative group, motorized users, permittees, landowners,
and State and local agencies. The largest stakeholders include
the environmental community and the motorized users.
The Wolford Mountain area provides vital habitat for the greater sage
grouse and is a critical winter range for elk, antelope and deer.
It also serves the interests of a variety of recreation enthusiasts who
enjoy camping, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, wildlife
viewing, hunting, off-roading and other recreational activities.
A 1984 Resource Management Plan referred to the project area as a
"Resource Conservation Area" and listed it as a location where OHVs
were to be limited to designated roads and trails. An "OHV
Implementation Plan" was developed in 1988; however, existing roads and
trails were not inventoried at that time, and designations were
deferred until an inventory could be completed.
An inventory was begun in 2001, when the level of increased motorized
use and its associated impacts warranted an inventory, assessment and
route designations. A site-specific environmental assessment of
the area was completed in 2004. "The final plan designates
motorized and non-motorized uses in the Wolford Mountain area," said
Kremmling Field Manager John Ruhs. "Yet, it manages to conserve
the area’s natural resources and other uses."
The Wolford Mountain Travel Management Plan reduces the miles of OHV
motorized routes from 231 to 167. It eliminates cross-country
motorized travel and designates the use of the 167 miles of roads and
trails as follows (figures are approximations):
"The
Wolford Mountain Travel Management Plan involves a manageable mix
of motorized and non-motorized uses in the project area," noted
Ruhs. "Together with incorporated mitigations, implementation and
monitoring, the plan addresses the concerns and issues raised by
individuals and groups during extensive outreach, public workshops, and
scoping periods."
