NEPA--Environmental Assessment

wildlife grazing, recreation, fire suppression, fuels treatments, and fire. Natural disturbances
including insect and disease outbreaks, wind events, fire, landslides, and floods have also had an
influence. All these activities have contributed to changes in the composition, structure, and function
of the vegetation of the project area and have disturbed soils to some extent. These activities will
continue into the foreseeable future resulting in additional changes to the composition, structure, and
function of the vegetation and the soils of the project area.
Many other activities have contributed to noxious weed increases on the landscape. Activities such
as road building, off road vehicle use, dispersed and developed recreation, mining activities, and
drought contribute to weed establishment and spread. If current levels of weed suppression activities
continue, populations of weeds in general will remain stable or increase.
Recreation ______________________________________
AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT
The project area is divided into 14 grazing allotments. Within these allotments current recreation
activities include: driving for pleasure via 4x4s, OHVs, and regular passenger vehicles; hiking;
backpacking; horseback riding; fishing; camping (dispersed and in developed FS campgrounds);
viewing wildflowers and historical sites; white-water boating; skiing (downhill and backcountry);
snowmobiling and snowshoeing. The San Juan Scenic Byway (U.S. Hwy. 550) and the Alpine Loop
(Silverton, Ouray, and Lake City 4x4 roads) provide scenic motorized routes and access points to the
above activities. Approximately 68,500 acres of the Weminuche Wilderness, the largest in the State
of Colorado, are within the analysis area.
Four of the allotments are proposed to be closed (Little Molas/West Needles, Minnie Gulch, Needle
Mountains, and West Lime) and two are to be converted to forage reserve status (Flume and
Graysill). This analysis will only address those impacts to recreation and wilderness resources in the
proposed active allotments (Red Mountain, Gladstone, Eureka, Picayne/Mineral Pt., Maggie Gulch,
Deer Park, Elk Creek and Engine Creek/Deer Creek) and in the forage reserve allotments.
The following discussion of affected environment is grouped by general geographic area and type of
recreational use.
Red Mountain, Gladstone, Eureka, Picayne/Mineral Pt. and Maggie Gulch Allotments
These five allotments are very similar in that they consist of steep slopes, alpine and sub-alpine ecosystems,
4x4 roads and historical mining remnants. The recreation use within these allotments
includes driving for pleasure via 4x4 roads and highway, viewing scenery, wildlife and historical
mining sites; dispersed camping, hiking, and winter sports. The historic mining town of Animas
Forks with standing structures (in the Eureka Allotment), offers an easily accessible historic site.
There is “self guided” tour information available and toilet facilities at this location. It is the most
heavily visited historic site within this analysis area, accessible by vehicle. The travel management
designation for the FS lands is “B”, which prohibits off road travel by motorized vehicles except for
snowmobiles over snow. The BLM lands are in a “limited” travel management designation
requiring all motorized use to stay on designated roads.
The town of Silverton is a destination summer vacation spot and during summer and fall (June -
October) the use on the public lands surrounding Silverton is high. Winter use (December - April)
has increased with the development of the Silverton Mountain Ski Area. Due to the increased
numbers of backcountry skiers and snowmobilers, winter use has increased from moderate to high in
the Red Mountain and Gladstone areas, especially on weekends.
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