- Canyons of the Ancients National Monument officials are working to improve parking at the Sand Canyon trailhead.
- Montezuma County commissioners urge Bureau of Land Management officials to amend their existing resource management plan to protect the Phil’s World bike trails.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument officials are working to improve parking at the Sand Canyon trailhead in McElmo Canyon, but only about 20 spaces will be available. Monument Manager Marietta Eaton told the Montezuma County commissioners Monday she knows that isn’t enough. She said in the long term the answer may be to provide other access points to the trail system. Commissioner Larry Don Suckla said websites are posting information on when local trails dry out and because Sand Canyon is usually one of the first spots, it draws crowds.
Also on Monday, the Montezuma County commissioners urged Bureau of Land Management officials to amend their existing resource management plan to protect the Phil’s World bike trails east of Cortez from possible oil and gas development. Tres Rios Field Office Manager Connie Clementson said a master leasing plan could add protective rules such as “no surface occupancy” to the Phil’s World area, or it could become an “area of critical environmental concern” through a plan amendment. Commissioner Keenan Ertel expressed concern that a master leasing plan could mean permanent rules that would prove “short-sighted and dictatorial” because they would not allow waivers if circumstances change. Clementson said the BLM is several months away from even deciding whether there will be a master leasing plan.
