Winter closures for regional public lands have been enacted.
The House Creek road has been closed to motorized traffic beginning Dec. 1 to protect winter wildlife range for elk and deer. Also the Chicken Creek area is closed to regular vehicles, but will be open to snowmobiles, snowshoers and skiers.
The Boggy Draw road has been gated at the trailhead to allow for skiers, snowbikes, and snowmobiles.
"Just like last year, we are directing snowbikes to the Boggy Draw area and are asking snow bikers to not ride at Chicken Creek Nordic park to avoid conflicts with the groomed ski track there," said forest recreation planner Tom Rice.
A 14-mile snowbike loop trail is being planned for the Boggy Draw area.
Other wildlife closures in place Dec. 1 are the Railroad Grade area near Mancos and Forest Road 241 along Ryman Creek in the Glade Park area near Disappointment Valley.
The McPhee Overlook Trail above Dolores is not completed yet but the mesa above McPhee Reservoir where it will be is undergoing a wildlife closure plan with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The public is asked to avoid the area during winter months because it is also considered critical winter range for deer and elk.
"Deer and elk are at their most vulnerable during winter, and that range above Dolores is critical for their survival into Spring," said Dolores district ranger Derek Padilla. "Giving them a break from human disturbance helps them save energy to get through the winter."
Durango closures
More winter closures are in place in the Durango area as well.
Annual seasonal wildlife closures went into effect December 1, within the Grandview Ridge and Animas City Mountain areas managed by the BLM, the Twin Buttes open space managed by the City of Durango Parks and Recreation Department, and the Bodo and Perrins Peak state wildlife areas managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife to protect critical winter range for wildlife on public lands surrounding Durango. These closures remain in effect through April 15, 2016.
"When folks hike, bike and bring their pets into this critically important winter habitat, it has tremendous impacts on wildlife survival, so we ask people to respect the closures," said Connie Clementson. BLM Tres Rios Field manager.
During the winter months, deer and elk rely on many of these areas for forage and refuge, said BLM wildlife biologist Mike Schmidt. Disturbances can lead to decreased deer and elk health conditions, calves with lower survival rates and failed reproduction. Additionally, a decrease in mule deer populations across the state over the last two decades have made public lands increasingly important to maintaining deer and elk populations.
The closure of Grandview Ridge, Animas City Mountain and Twin Buttes areas prohibits all public access until after April 15, when deer and elk typically start to move towards summer range.
"The big message is that beginning this year there will be set closure dates from Dec. 1 to April 15 where before we were implementing the closure based on conditions," said Mike Schmidt, a BLM wildlife biologist.
Closures in the Grandview Ridge area on BLM lands include:
Sale Barn and Big Canyon trailheads off U.S. Highway 160 will be closed to all public use.
Carbon Junction Trail will remain open from the Highway 3 trailhead to Crites Connect.
Crites Connect will remain open to the Telegraph Trail.
South Rim Trail, portions of Sidewinder, Cowboy and other trails on BLM lands will be closed and cannot be accessed from the Carbon Junction Trail or other routes.
Grandview BLM trails accessed from Three Springs will also be closed to all public use.
Closures in the Animas City Mountain area on BLM lands include:
BLM lands will be closed to public entry, except for a 1.5-mile trail loop on the lower portion of the mountain, which will remain open to public use. This loop can be accessed from the Birkett and 32nd Street trailheads or Dalla Mountain Park. Signs are posted at the top of the loop indicating the extent of the closure area boundary.
Closures in the Twin Buttes area Durango City lands include:
All of the trail system within the Twin Buttes development and on City open space in this area with access off of U.S. Highway 160 are closed. Signs are posted at the trail system access points indicating the extent of the closure area boundary.
"There are still great places to hike, bike and take pets," said Cathy Metz, City of Durango Parks and Recreation Director. "This includes the Horse Gulch and Raiders Ridge areas, Fort Lewis College Rim, Overend Mountain Park and Dalla Mountain Park and the popular Colorado Trail northwest of Durango."
A map of the closure areas is posted at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/sjplc.html. For additional information or to report violations in these areas, call the Tres Rios Field Office (970) 882-7296 or the City of Durango Parks and Recreation Department at (970) 375-7321.
