Comments accepted on grazing analysis
The San Juan National Forest Columbine Ranger District is offering a second comment period on a Draft Environmental Assessment for the Weminuche Landscape Grazing Analysis.
The Forest Service is able to offer a second, full 30-day comment period. People or organizations that submitted comments previously are asked not to re-submit the same comments.
The analysis area encompasses about 166,700 acres on 13 grazing allotments on the northern end of Missionary Ridge stretching east across the Weminuche Wilderness to the Pine River.
The proposed action is: to continue to permit livestock grazing on the six allotments that are currently being grazed, five allotments would continue to be grazed by sheep and one would be converted to cattle use; to install fences and water developments for cattle on the Canyon Creek Allotment; to apply a “sunset clause” to the five active sheep allotments; to apply adaptive management strategies; to apply design criteria that are intended to improve resource conditions at certain locations; to minimize disease-transmission risk between domestic and bighorn sheep; to reduce conflicts between recreationists and sheep; to make minor allotment boundary adjustments; and to close the seven vacant allotments to livestock grazing.
The assessment, including maps, is available at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/sanjuan/projects. Written comments should be submitted no later than July 21 to the Columbine District Ranger, P.O. Box 439, 367 Pearl Street, Bayfield, CO 81122, or email comments-rocky-mountain-san-juan-columbine@fs.fed.us.
For more information, for a hard copy or for help with how to submit comments, call Jared Whitmer at 884-1416 or visit the above website.
Native-plant society to host hike Tuesday
The San Juan/Four Corners Native Plant Society will host a wildflower hike on the Ophir Pass Road on Tuesday.
This hike is a new, exploratory trip for wildflower enthusiasts who want to see a variety of montane-alpine habitats.
Participants should bring lunch, two liters of water, layers of clothing, and top and bottom rain gear.
For more information and reservations, email robertlpowell@durango.net or call 385-8949.
Herald Staff
