Uncompahgre National Forest proposes cap on number of hikers on Blue Lakes Trail

The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests’ recently announced that they are proposing new regulations that will cap the number of hikers on the popular Blue Lakes Trail each day. Based on public comments and findings from an Environmental Assessment, the draft decision for the proposed Blue Lakes Visitor Use Management Plan would limit hiker access on the Blue Lakes Trail to only 40 people per day. Additionally, a maximum of 24 campers in four designated sites per day would also be permitted.

“This decision is based on years of monitoring data, public input and the environmental analysis findings that demonstrated the need for action to protect these areas from the impacts of increased visitor use,” said Dana Gardunio, Ouray District Ranger. “The permit system and additional management actions are critical to enabling us to effectively manage, restore and protect this cherished area.”

The Montrose Daily Press reports that nearly 35,000 people are hiking the trail each year. Visitor logs indicate that more than 100 people are hiking the trail each day during peak hiking season, with a record of around 500 in one day!

Gardunio was also quoted in the Montrose Daily Press, stating, “You see a lot of human waste by the trail or by the lakes, we see trash or dog feces, dog poop bags by the trail. We have a lot of people creating their own little side trails, creating their own campsites, so you start to see this creep of trampled vegetation, things brought down to bare soil, which then causes some erosion concerns both on the trails and also into the lakes and creeks themselves.”

The final plan incorporates changes in response to public comments. Some of the changes include pushing back the start date for the permit season in the Wilderness Zone to June 1, prohibiting dogs in the Mount Sneffels Zone, prohibiting overnight stock use in the Wilderness Zone and adjustments to indicators and thresholds that would trigger adaptive management.

The plan will be implemented in phases as capacity allows. One of the first actions to be implemented will be reconstructing the Blue Lakes Trailhead parking area, including installing two new toilets, which is expected to occur in the spring of 2025. Additionally, the Forest Service will begin creating a monitoring plan and working with Recreation.gov to implement a reservation system for a limited entry day-use and overnight permit for the Wilderness Zone in the plan. Depending on technical feasibility and resources, the reservation system may be online as early as the summer of 2025. Permit administration will likely include a processing fee for the reservation transaction.

The GMUG will investigate options for providing additional resources that could include a permit fee under the Federal Land Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) since implementation of the plan will require additional resources for restoration and enhanced services on the ground that are currently not being provided. A separate public process is required for new or increased FLREA fees. Future phases and implementation timelines for other management activities, such as designated camping, improved signage and closures of user-created trails, will be included in the implementation plan that will be developed over the next year.

Objection Process:

The release of the draft Decision initiates a 45-day objection period. Individuals who submitted timely and specific written comments during the scoping period (April 8–May 20, 2022) and/or the comment period on the draft Environmental Analysis (Oct. 18–Dec. 4, 2023) have eligibility to file an objection to the draft decision notice under 36 CFR 218 Subparts A and B.

Objections, including attachments, must be filed via mail, fax, email or hand-delivery to Reviewing Officer James Pitts, Attn: Blue Lakes Visitor Use Management Plan, 2250 South Main St., Delta, Colorado 81416; FAX: 970-874-6698, or electronically.

Objections must be submitted within 45 calendar days following the publication of a legal notice in the Montrose Daily Press. The legal notice is anticipated to be published on approximately April 17, 2024. The publication date in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection. Those wishing to object should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. The regulations prohibit extending the time to file an objection.

For more information on the proposed Blue Lakes Visitor Use Management Plan and other documents associated with this release, visit the project webpage.



Jeff
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