The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is preparing to develop a plan to manage the camping and associated vehicle routes in Chaffee County and is seeking early public contributions to inform this plan. The need to develop a camping management plan for Chaffee County is a direct response to the increased demand for quality camping experiences combined with documented increases in the impact on natural resources. Increase in human waste due to a lack of facilities, rubbish and conflicts between visitors and other users of public properties.
In short, campers left the region’s public land in a sorry state and now something needs to be done to preserve the experience.
The plan aims to address issues and concerns related to camping in public spaces and to meet demand for a range of camping options. There is also a need to set up a designated network of routes for areas with high camping demand. There is currently no travel management plan in high-traffic areas like Shavano. The plan also provides for the introduction of monitoring and adaptation strategies to respond to changes in demand and visitor behavior.
Unsplash photo by Tegan Mierle /
Keith Berger, Royal Gorge Field Manager, stated, “Distributed camping on public lots in Chaffee County has grown in popularity in recent years, and this open house will help us begin a formal planning effort. We look forward to hearing from the public and getting their perspectives on minimizing the impact on resources and existing uses to ensure everyone can continue to enjoy their public lands. “
Chaffee County estimates that recreational use increased 12 percent per year from 2016 to 2019, based on data on visitor spending. BLM-managed areas in the county have seen some of the largest increases in usage and impact in recent years.
The planning efforts are intended to support the district’s “Recreation in Balance” initiative, a collaboration between private organizations, non-profit groups and local, state and federal authorities.
The BLM will solicit a public statement on the plan by May 20th. It searches for specific types of posts that include the following questions:
- Are there certain areas where BLM should restrict camping to only certain locations? Which areas? And there are campsites in these areas that should or should not be designated and why?
- Are there areas where BLM should consider building a developed campsite to best meet demand and manage the resource impact?
- Are there areas where BLM should consider not allowing camping?
- How should the BLM in the Shavano region think about managing the campsite to respond to the recent high demand in the region? Are there any roads in this area that should be closed or designated in order to best manage camping and reduce the impact on other public land users and neighbors?
Click here to read the full document and submit contributions, Click here.
