The Crestone Eagle, July 2007:

G.S. Dunes Nat’l Park releases Final Management Plan/Wilderness Study
Biggest change to affect Crestone/Baca: ‘public vehicle access from wildlife refuge to designated ‘Back Country Access’ is not an option’
by Lisa Cyriacks

The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve began in 1932 as a National Monument created by presidential proclamation “for the preservation of the Great Sand Dunes and additional features of scenic, scientific, and educational interest.” The Great Sand Dunes Wilderness Area, established in 1976, includes most of the original monument. In November 2000, the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act authorized the expansion of the national monument into a national park and preserve almost four times the size of the original monument.

The expansion of the Park necessitated a new general management plan and wilderness study. The heart of the final plan is wilderness designation for a large portion (53,013 acres)—meaning that most of the park and preserve will remain wild and undeveloped, allowing natural processes to continue with minimal human influence. This is the highest level of protective designation status that can be given to public lands.

The significant attribute of the Great Sand Dunes National Park include the tallest dunes in North America and one of the most fragile and complex dune systems in the world. The setting—alpine peaks and desert valley—offer magnificent views and opportunities for solitude. Besides providing protection for wind and water that create the Dunes and the diversity of plants and animals, the Park contains some of the oldest (9,000+years before present) known archeological sites.

The emphasis for recreational activities will remain at the existing visitors area close to the Dunes. The existing developed area east of the dunes—visitor center, parking lot, and campground—would remain essentially the same. A temporary shuttle system may be utilized to handle traffic and vehicle congestion on peak summer weekends. No off-highway vehicle use would be added. The current vehicle use on the Medano Pass Road would be maintained. New bike lanes and a bike path connecting the Pinyon Flats campground to the Visitor Center parking lot would be added. The park station entrance would be moved closer to the park boundary.

Medano Ranch currently managed by The Nature Conservancy would eventually come under National Park Service management which would adapt the ranch headquarters for administrative use (offices, housing, storage, research support), and scheduled, guided public activities (interpretive programs, environmental education, a base for guided hiking or horseback tours, special events). Most historic Medano Ranch structures would be maintained.

Major costs under this management plan would be new trails and trailheads, access road for backcountry access, relocating the nonhistoric entrance station, bicycle lanes, removal of a bison fence, utility and structural improvements at Medano ranch. Most of these projects are contingent on funding from Congress. Estimated costs range from $16.5 to $21.2 million.

Impact on the Baca Grande Subdivision
The two designations directly adjacent to the Baca Grande subdivision are ‘backcountry access” and “backcountry adventure.” Visitor opportunities in the backcountry adventure zone will be limited to travel on foot or by horseback on designated trails. This will provide visitors with the sense of being in the natural landscape and with opportunities to view, access, and experience some of the park’s prime resources.

A significant change to the final management plan from the draft is the decision that public vehicle access from the Baca National Wildlife Refuge is not an option for the life of this plan. This determination was made in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The backcountry access zone was changed to no longer connect with the park/refuge boundary.

Potential routes for public vehicle access were also modified. The end of the Cow Camp Road route was moved further north to further protect the Deadman Creek riparian corridor. In consultation with the U.S. Forest Service regarding the need for public vehicle access to U.S. Forest Service lands the National Park Service will study the need for and impacts of using the Liberty Road as a route through the Park. A separate public environmental analysis study would be required to consider this option. The final management plan provides for options to address this access issue, but only one route would eventually be implemented.

For more information or to obtain a complete copy of the Final Management Plan, visit the park planning website: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/documentsList.cfm?parkId=67&projectId=11015. Printed versions will also be made available at area libraries, other governmental offices or by writing to the Park Superintendent, Great Sand Dunes National Park, 11999 Highway 150, Mosca, CO 81146-9798.

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