Projects

Forest Products - Sand Bench Vegetation Management Project

Project focuses on the salvage harvest of dead and dying merchantable trees and the selection harvest of green trees. Opportunities for fisheries improvement projects are also being considered.

Abandoned Mine Lands - Freda Mine Reclamation

Move mine tailings from FS to a repository on private land where they originated. No new access roads or vegetative disturbance would occur on FS land. All work would be conducted by the State of Colorado, Division of Mine Reclamation and Safety

Abandoned Mine Lands - Silver Needle Mine Group Closures

Remediation actions at several mine adits and/or shafts for public safety reasons. Activities could include back-filling with native materials, metal grates, and/or trail re-routes to avoid hazards.

AML - Abandoned Mine Lands projects on the San Juan National Forest.

Various Abandoned Mine Lands remediation projects, including Bonita Peaks Mining District Superfund activities, and other CERCLA actions.

Forest Health - Prescribed Fire Pine Ecosystem Restoration for the Dolores District

Proposal to use prescribed fire to treat roughly 240,000 acres of ponderosa pine. Purpose is to maintain healthy ecosystems and reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire.

Lands - El Dorado Mining Claim Acquisition

The proposal is for the USDA Forest Service to purchase the El Dorado Lode Mining Claim from the Wilderness Land Trust. This claim consists of approximately 10.33 acres and would be acquired under the authority of the Organic Act of August 3, 1956. The El Dorado mining claim is located within the Weminuche Wilderness Area, south of the popular Highland Mary Lakes, and just west of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. Acquisition of the claim would enhance recreational opportunities, increase opportunities for solitude within the Weminuche Wilderness, and ensure protection of scenic view sheds and habitats for special status species. This purchase falls within a Categorical Exclusion (CE) that may be excluded from documentation in an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) or Environmental Analysis (EA), and does not require a Decision Memo. Project Contact: Mark Lambert 970-385-1240

Lands - Trimble Administrative Site Sale

Sale of the San Juan National Forest Trimble Administrative Site under competitive bidding procedures. Approximately 20 acres including mineral and water rights. The property consists of land plus three garage-type structures and miscellaneous sheds.

Minerals - Beaver Meadows Gravel Pit Re-entry

Proposal to re-enter existing gravel pit and crush gravel for use on Forest roads.

Range - Glade Landscape Rangeland Management Analysis

Proposal to revise allotment management plans for 8 cattle allotments to improve or maintain conditions for healthy rangeland conditions of grasses, forbs and shrubs for cattle use, wildlife habitat, and watershed health.

Range - Mancos Rangeland Management Project

Proposal to reauthorize term grazing permits and modify grazing management on all or portions of four allotments: Spring Creek, Turkey Creek, Jersey Jim and Gold Run

Recreation - Purgatory Mountain Bike Trails

Purgatory has requested to build four new trails and reroute two current trails within the ski area permit boundary for a total of about 10 miles, or 4 acres of new disturbance.

Special Uses - American Tower Coal Bank Pass Communications Site Road Use Permit Reissuance

Reissue a 20 year FLPMA road use permit for continued access to communications facilities. There is no proposed change in use of the existing road.

Special Uses - Columbine Subdivision Road Permit Reissuance

Reissue an expiring FLPMA private road easement as a 20-year FLPMA private road permit to the Columbine Subdivision Property Owner's Association for the use of approx. 1,600 feet of existing road. The easement was originally issued in 1988.

Special Uses - Farrow Peterson Ditch Use and Maintenance

Authorize the year-round use and maintenance of the existing Farrow & Peterson ditch and diversion structure, including relocation of the headgate and an in-river cross-vane structure. Total surface area on the Forest would be about 1/2 acre.

Special Uses - Northwest Pipeline LLC, Pipeline Related Facility Permit Renewal

Proposal to renew and existing permit for another 30-years and include 434-feet of buried 4-inch perforated drain pipe used to aid in draining water in area just north of Hwy 160 and within and adjacent to Northwest Pipeline's gas line corridor.

Travel Management - Rico West Dolores Roads and Trails Project

Forest Service road and trail planning includes reviewing, changing or re-designating the road and trail system, including types and season of motor vehicle use, maintenance levels of open roads, and decommissioning un-needed routes.

Watershed - Red Mountain Pass Fen Restoration.

Restore hydrologic function of the fen complex by removing an old roadbed, stabilizing existing ditches, spreading mulch, and vegetating exposed ground.

Forest Health - Taylor-Stoner Mesas Vegetation Management Project

Proposal to treat 920 acres of mature aspen and 1700 acres of spruce/fir. Click on the comment/object link in right hand corner of this webpage to access a comment form or email comments to comments-rocky-mountain-san-juan-mancos-dolores@fs.fed.us

Forest Health - Vallecito-Piedra Integrated Vegetation Management Project.

Utilize a combination of mechanical treatment, hand treatment, prescribed fire and managed natural ignitions on approximately 80,334 acres for the purposes of improving ecosystem diversity and resilience, and for supporting fire on the landscape.

Fuels - Blanco Basin Vegetation Management Project

Thinning & fuels reduction on approx. 2,500 acres in the Blanco Basin Area in WUI and Condition Class II & III to increase the resilience of ponderosa pine & shrublands to insect & disease infestations & reduce potential for high intensity wildfires

Fuels - Pagosa District Prescribed Burning Analysis

The Pagosa Ranger District is proposing to conduct prescribed burning in the ponderosa pine and warm-dry mixed conifer on the Pagosa District. Burning would be low to moderate intensity surface fire when weather and fuel conditions allow.

Planning - Hermosa Creek Watershed Management Plan

Develop a management plan to guide the long-term management of the Hermosa Creek Watershed, including the Special Management Area, new wilderness, and project level travel management.

Special Uses - Dillinger Fish Creek Ditch Special Use Permit

Issue a special use permit for the Dillinger Fish Creek Ditch which crosses approximately 180 feet of NFS lands.

Special Uses - Missionary Ridge Communications Site

Authorize future construction and ground disturbing projects within the existing footprints and parameters as defined within the Comm Site Plan. Consists of four areas totaling about 4.75 acres.

Special Uses - Purgatory Ski Area Gelande Chairlift, Terrain Project, and Boundary Adjustment.

Approval of changed alignment for the Gelande Lift (previously-approved but not constructed). Realignment would result in the need to expand the ski area permit boundary and the corresponding Forest Management Area 8 boundary by about 26 acres.

Special Uses - Ranch Placer Private Road Authorization

Authorize the use of ~300 feet of NFS land for access to a private inholding, in the form of a 30 year authorization. An initial request to also snowplow the first 1/4 mile of FDR 587 has been dropped.

Range - Weminuche Landscape Grazing Analysis

Analysis of grazing, including domestic sheep, on 13 active or vacant allotments in the Weminuche Landscape:Burnt Timber, CanyonCrk, Cave Basin, E.SilverMesa, FallCrk, FlintCrk, JohnsonCrk, Leviathan, PineR, RockCrk, Spring Gulch, and Virginia Gulch.

Western Area Power Administration Right-of-Way Maintenance and Reauthorization Project

Update vegetation management activities along 278 miles of transmission lines located on NFS lands in Colorado, Nebraska, and Utah. These activities are intended to protect the transmission lines by managing for stable, low growth vegetation.

Fisheries - Spring Creek Culvert Replacement for Aquatic Organism Passage

Replace a culvert where FR547 crosses Spring Creek. The new culvert would include a bottomless arch to improve fish passage in Spring Creek.

Forest Health - Purgatory Vegetation Management Project

The project entails tree cutting to maintain stand health and vigor over 250 acres within the Purgatory ski area permit boundary. This work is being conducted in response to spruce budworm infestations and the potential spruce beetle epidemic.

Minerals - Elm Ridge Resources Five Goose Creek Gas Wells.

Determine conditions of approval for construction of 5 well pads and access roads with co-located pipelines.Total surface disturbance would be about 20 acres. Tiers to former landscape-scale EIS analysis.

Range - Livestock Corral near Purgatory

Construction of a pipe corral for use in conjunction with an existing grazing permit to facilitate livestock loading and unloading. Corral would cover approximately 2 acres.

Range - Thomas Mtn Reservoir and Oliver Reservoir on Lone Mesa Allotment

Proposal for construction of two new reservoirs on Hunt Creek to improve livestock distribution. Side benefit: providing water for wildlife.

Special Uses - Ditch Bill Easements - Group #10

Agricultural water facilities may be authorized under Public Law 99-545 ("Colorado Ditch Bill").