##### ![](media/image2.png){width="0.7097222222222223in" height="0.7895833333333333in"}

#####  SCOPING NOTICE

# Baca Mountain Tract Amendment #6

> **and the**

# Camino Chamisa Access Road

# Environmental Assessment

###### 

####### U.S. Forest Service -- Rio Grande National Forest

####### National Park Service -- Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

####### 

####### May 2008

**BACKGROUND**

Both the U. S. Forest Service and the National Park Service gained
adjoining portions of the Baca Ranch as a result of the Great Sand Dunes
National Park and Preserve Act of 2000. The Great Sand Dunes National
Park and Preserve (GSDNPP) completed their General Management Plan for
the Park in April, 2007. The General Management Plan provided a
motorized access corridor to the National Forest but left the final
designation for motorized public access to this future joint analysis
with the Forest Service. The Rio Grande National Forest (RGNF) began the
Baca Mountain Tract Amendment #6 project to amend its Forest Plan to
incorporate the newly acquired Baca Mountain Tract into the Plan. The
RGNF began scoping for the Baca Mountain Tract Amendment #6 in December
2006 and held a series of public meetings. That project was then put on
hold while Saguache County did a transportation analysis related to
access to the public lands. Both federal agencies recognized that the
actions of the two agencies are interrelated and would benefit from one
combined environmental analysis. The RGNF is the lead agency for this
project with the GSDNPP as a cooperating agency. Each agency will make
its own decisions for lands under its jurisdiction. Saguache County,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife
are also cooperating agencies.

**PROPOSAL**

The Rio Grande National Forest and the Great Sand Dunes National Park
and Preserve are preparing a joint Environmental Assessment (EA) on two
closely related projects; the Baca Mountain Tract Amendment #6 to amend
the Rio Grande Forest Plan, and the Camino Chamisa Access Road to
provide public motorized access to the National Forest across the
GSDNPP.

**Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve**

The GSDNPP is proposing to implement the General Management Plan by
constructing the Camino Chamisa, as shown on the attached Scoping Map to
allow motorized public access to the National Forest. The Camino Chamisa
would be an approximately three mile long primitive single lane road
with turnouts. The road would extend from the GSDNNP boundary to the
existing Liberty Road on the National Forest. Motorized public access on
the Liberty Road would terminate at a small parking lot on the Forest.
This motorized public access would also require approximately 800 feet
of road construction within Saguache County's Camino Real right-of-way.

**Rio Grande National Forest**

The RGNF is proposing to amend the Forest Plan by adopting the
Management-area Prescriptions for the Baca Mountain Tract shown on the
attached Scoping Map. These are the same Management-area Prescriptions
which govern the adjoining National Forest lands. The RGNF is also
proposing several actions related to the Forest Plan Amendment for the
Baca Mountain Tract. These include:

-   Travel management for the Baca Mountain Tract which would designate
    the existing roads shown on the attached Scoping Map within the Baca
    Mountain Tract, including the Liberty Road as Forest System roads
    but with motorized travel restrictions. The public would have
    motorized access on the Liberty Road only from the Park Service
    boundary to the proposed parking lot. The remaining roads would be
    gated and would have motorized vehicle restrictions, including no
    ATV use.

-   Construction of a primitive 15-vehicle Liberty Road parking lot in
    the vicinity of the asterisk on the attached Scoping Map.

-   Reconstruction of approximately 0.4 miles of the Liberty Road from
    the intersection of the Camino Chamisa to the proposed Liberty Road
    parking lot.

-   Prohibiting overnight camping at or near the proposed Liberty Road
    parking lot.

-   Restricting overnight camping along Deadman Creek.

-   Prohibiting ATV big game retrieval within the Baca Mountain Tract.

-   Closing the Baca Mountain Tract to livestock grazing except for
    recreational stock use.

**PRELIMINARY SOCIAL AND RESOURCE CONSIDERATIONS**

Information and public input from the Great Sand Dunes and Preserve
General Management Plan, the Sonoran Institute\'s Saguache North
Entrance Study Group, and the previous Baca Mountain Tract Amendment
scoping will be included in the analysis. The public input and
information developed from these efforts identified the following
preliminary concerns relating to the Baca Mountain Tract and Camino
Chamisa project:

-   Public Motorized Access to the Baca Mountain Tract

-   Compatibility With Neighboring Agency Management Objectives

-   Trespass Issues on Private Property Related To Public Land Access

-   Positive and Negative Impacts To Nearby Residents and Communities

-   Public Safety

-   Recreational Opportunities and Experience

-   Wildland Fire and Fuels Management.

-   Visual and Sound Effects

-   Cultural Resources

-   Vegetation (Non-Native & Invasive Species)

-   Water Quality

-   Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat including Elk

**HOW TO COMMENT**

An important part of the analysis for this project is scoping to
identify your concerns and

issues, and to involve you in the analysis process. We welcome and
appreciate your

comments on this proposal. Previous public comment will be included in
the analysis and need not be submitted again. Your input is encouraged
by **June 20, 2008** in order to be most effectively considered.

**Written comments** should be sent to the following address:

> San Luis Valley Public Lands Center
>
> Attention: Baca Mountain Tract Amendment/Camino Chamisa
>
> 1803 West Highway 160
>
> Monte Vista, CO 81144

**E-mail comments** may be sent to:

comments-rocky-mountain-rio-grande[@.fs.fed.us](mailto:mailroom/r2riogrande@.fs.fed.us)

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**FOR MORE INFORMATION**

This Scoping Notice and additional information on the project are
available on the following websites:

Rio Grande National Forest website at
http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/riogrande/projects

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve at
<http://www.nps.gov/grsa/parkmgmt/index.htm>

[]{.mark}

> National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment web
> site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/parks.cfm

For further information about this proposal, please contact:

Bob Dalrymple, Rio Grande National Forest at 719-852-5941

> or

Fred Bunch, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve at 719-378-6361

Thank you for your interest in your public lands and your participation
in the Baca Mountain Tract Amendment #6 and Camino Chamisa Access Road
project.

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> Please be aware that names and addresses of respondents may be
> released if requested under the Freedom of Information Act. Our
> practice is to make comments, including names and home addresses of
> respondents, available for public review during regular business
> hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home
> address from the record, which we will honor to the extent allowable
> by law. There also may be circumstances in which we would withhold
> from the record a respondent\'s identity, as allowable by law. If you
> wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this
> prominently at the beginning of your written comments. We will make
> all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals
> identifying themselves as representatives or officials of
> organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their
> entirety.

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San Luis Valley Public Land Center

1803 West Highway 160

Monte Vista, CO 81144