A new parking lot to serve the Sauls Creek area of the San Juan National Forest has been realized on the Columbine Ranger District, thanks to a U.S. Forest Service partnership with BP America and the nonprofit Four Corners Backcountry Horsemen (4CBCH).
In 2012, a new parking lot was proposed in the travel management plan for Sauls Creek, where only limited roadside parking was available at the electronic gate on Forest Road #755. The gate closes the area to motorized traffic on a seasonal basis to protect winter and spring wildlife habitat. During that time, the area behind the gate is popular for non-motorized recreation.
A lack of federal funding had stymied plans for a parking lot until this fall, when BP offered to donate gravel left over from a nearby natural gas development project and to grade the new parking lot.
"We are committed to being a good neighbor in the communities where our people live and work, so when this opportunity presented itself, we were glad to help," said Tim Huerter, construction specialist for BP's U.S. Lower 48 onshore oil and gas company.
The Forest Service designed and coordinated the project. The Backcountry Horsemen delivered boulders to line the edges and plans to install hitch rails this spring. The group has also committed to long-term maintenance of the lot and will erect a sign to recognize all the partners who made it happen. The new parking lot effectively doubles the parking space available at the gate.
"The materials that BP donated toward this project absolutely blew my socks off," said Julie Figg, 4CBCH president. "There are so many hikers, bicyclists, and horseback riders who will benefit."
For more information, please contact the Columbine District Office at 884-2512.
