The U.S. Forest Service has finalized the acquisition of a 30-acre parcel north of Durango, which is now a part of the San Juan National Forest’s Falls Creek Conservation Area.
The site, once known as the Falls Creek Archaeological Area, contains evidence of habitation, including sacred burial grounds, from pueblos and tribes that used it before colonization. The 1,584-acre conservation area will be managed to protect wildlife, archaeology and water, Columbine District Ranger Nick Glidden said.
For years, the Forest Service and Patti and Ed Zink family, which owned the 30-acre parcel off County Road 203, have navigated toward some resolution for the property. Chronic trespassing was a problem and the family sought to conserve the valued plot of land.
In recent years, chronic use of the property increased, Patti Zink said.
“My hopes are that people will enjoy it like they have been,” she said, now that the property is in public hands.
Questions around how to preserve the sacred sites in the area, which been subject to unsanctioned exploration in the past (human remains were famously removed in the 1930s), became pertinent as well.
“We live in a landscape that was lived in before us and so archaeology is all around us in this landscape, and there is a high concentration within this project area,” Glidden said.
The Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes did not respond to requests for comment.
In 2017, a community-led acquisition effort began spearheaded by the La Plata Open Space Conservancy. The federal government ultimately paid $330,000 for the property and the transaction was finalized in September 2023, public records show.
The Zink parcel was important because of the waterway that flows through it, Glidden said.
“In Colorado, public lands define our identity and drive our economy,” said U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in a news release. “I am thankful for the leadership of La Plata County, the Zink family, San Juan National Forest and the La Plata Open Space Conservancy for their work to ensure future generations of Coloradans will be able to enjoy wildlife and recreational opportunities on the Zink parcel. With this acquisition, we are expanding the San Juan National Forest, protecting more of Colorado’s natural habitat, and leaving our public lands in better shape for our kids and grandkids.”
Notably, the area is not managed for recreational purposes at the moment, despite what the forest describes as years of heavy recreational use.
Visitors to the area might see what Glidden calls “resource mitigation” – essentially trail maintenance to decrease the impact of recreation – however, he is careful to note that the forest does not have any trails within the conservation area.
“It’s just an area that is so rich in so many kinds of resources that it’s just all coming together at a great time,” La Plata County Commissioner Marsha Porter-Norton said.
Planning for sanctioned recreational uses in the area will begin sometime in the next year, Glidden said. The conservation area will be included in a planning process called the Durango Northwest Recreation Project, which will also include plans for Junction Creek, Logchutes, the Colorado Trail, Kennebec Pass and Dry Fork.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
