Comments needed on Upper Colorado River Recreation Area Management Plan

KREMMLING, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management has released for public review preliminary alternatives for managing about 40 miles of the Upper Colorado River between Parshall and State Bridge. This includes, Gore Canyon, Pumphouse, and Radium.

The BLM is updating the Recreation Area Management Plan for that area, also known as the Upper Colorado River Special Recreation Management Area. It is within the Kremmling Field Office, an extremely popular area for commercial and private float-boating and fishing. More than 90,000 people visit the area each year. 

Alternatives range from no changes to current management to requiring a day-use permit; adding a camping permit with designated campsites in the popular stretch between Pumphouse and State Bridge; and expanding the developed Pumphouse Campground.

Before analyzing the preliminary alternatives in detail through an environmental assessment, the BLM wants to the public to have a chance to review and provide comments. 

“We have developed a range of alternatives to consider in the environmental assessment,” said BLM Kremmling Field Manager Stephanie Odell. “Comments that are particularly important at this stage would include thoughts about whether we have developed an adequate range of alternatives, or if there is any key information we should consider. We welcome and value diverse views from the communities we serve.”

The draft environmental assessment will be released for public review early next year. 

The BLM Kremmling Field Office collected more than $220,000 in commercial and recreation fees from the special recreation management area last year. These funds are used to manage the area. Recreation on BLM-managed public lands in the Kremmling Field Office supports an estimated 280 jobs, generating $8.4 million in labor income annually.

The preliminary alternatives and more information about the management plan update are available at: http://bit.ly/2w1hxxy.  

Comments must be received by Sept. 25, 2017 and may be e-mailed to blm_co_kr_webmail@blm.govor mailed to Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Shane Dittlinger, P.O. Box 68, Kremmling, CO 80459.

Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time.  While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.