CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT

Topic Click to ‘GO TO’ 

A New Kind of National Monument 

Planning for the Future 

Putting the Public in Planning 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Caring for Cultural Resources 

The Past is Part of the Future 

Saving America’s Treasures 

Interpreting Cultural Resources 

Making Archaeology Accessible 

Partners in Education 

Partners in Protection 

Recreation Projects 

Caring for the Land 

Land Acquisitions 

Managing Fire’s Role 

Helping Habitat 

Water in a Dry Landscape 

Managing Multiple Uses 

For More Information 

Canyons of the Ancients 

Our First Two Years 

As a National Monument 

Spring, 2003 

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Table of Contents 
Canyons of the Ancients 

Our First Three Years as a 

National Monument 

Spring 2003 

A New Kind of

National Monument

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument encompasses 

164,000 acres of federal land administered by the Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM) in the Four Corners region of southwest Colorado. 

The Monument was established June 9, 2000, to protect 

cultural and natural resources on a landscape scale. Unique 

archaeological and historical resources made this wide-open, 

high-desert country a popular candidate as one of BLM’s new 

National Monuments. 

Canyons of the Ancients contains the highest known archaeological density in the nation. Portions of the Monument 

have more than 100 archaeological sites per square mile - some 

individual sites cover 10 acres or more. The total number of 

cultural sites is estimated in the tens of thousands. 

The Monument has been used or inhabited by humans, including the Northern Ancestral Puebloan culture (or Anasazi), 

for 10,000 years, and continues to be a landscape used by 

humans today. Multiple uses – including recreation, hunting, 

livestock grazing, and energy development – have taken place 

for years on these BLM lands. 

The Resource Management Planning process now underway will decide how these uses will continue within the boundaries of the National Monument. The planning process will offer expanded opportunities for direct citizen participation 

through a Monument Advisory Council and other local collaborative groups. 

Photo Courtesy Cortez Journal 

The popular Sand Canyon Trail in Canyons of the Ancients. 

The National Landscape Conservation System 

Unlike the traditional National Monuments managed by the 

National Park Service (like nearby Hovenweep National Monument), Canyons of the Ancients is managed by the BLM as 

part of the agency’s National Landscape Conservation System. 

Canyons of the Ancients is one of 15 National Monuments 

administered by BLM. These Monuments were designated 

under the authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906, to protect 

objects of scientific and historical interest on federal lands. 

Nationwide, BLM manages more than 42 million acres in 

National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, and other 

areas designated for their scientific and ecological characteristics. This makes up about 15 percent of BLM’s total land 

base of 261 million surface acres, located primarily in 12 Western states. BLM lands, once remote, provide growing communities of the West with open space that gives the region much 

of its character. 

- Ann Bond, BLM External Affairs 

For information on Canyons of the Ancients

National Monument: 

www.co.blm.gov/canm/index.html

For information on NLCS: 

www.blm.gov/nlcs/index.html 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT 

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

The Outdoor Museum Concept

Since Canyons of the Ancients was proclaimed a National Monument three 

years ago, we’ve given much thought to the values that this rugged mesa-canyon 

country has to offer the 

American public. Its unique 

worth as an Outdoor Museum 

is one option we hope to 

explore. An Outdoor Museum 

focuses on allowing visitors to 

discover cultural artifacts in a 

natural setting. The essential 

components are artifacts, 

archaeological and/or historical 

sites, and responsible visitors 

who want to explore and learn 

on their own. 

The idea of an Outdoor 

Photo Courtesy Denver Post Museum isn’t new. It was first 

LouAnn Jacobson discusses her passion for discussed in 1907 by Edgar 

cultural resources. Hewitt, a renowned Southwest 

archaeologist, at Mesa Verde 

National Park. Hewitt’s plan, which was never implemented, was to place 

excavated artifacts in exhibits at cliff dwellings. 

In the 1970s, Fred Blackburn, then a ranger for the Grand Gulch Primitive 

Area in southeast Utah, proposed leaving artifacts in place for responsible visitors 

to find in remote cliff dwellings. However, the danger of theft sometimes 

necessitated artifacts be removed for safekeeping in museums. 

During the 1990s, Natural Bridges National Monument implemented the 

Outdoor Museum concept as an official agency-sanctioned practice. In order to 

preserve the integrity of fragile sites, white boxes are provided that contain 

messages asking visitors not to disclose the location of the sites. 

We have been able to document more than 6,000 archaeological and historical 

sites in the Monument; there may be 20,000 to 30,000 sites in total. A majority 

of these are rubble mounds that were once homes of Puebloan ancestors. Most 

visitors wouldn’t recognize these as cultural sites, especially when compared 

with the dramatic sites at Mesa Verde and Hovenweep. However, even rubble 

mounds have significant research value for archaeologists and religious and 

cultural value for Native Americans. 

The goal of our planning process is to balance the need to protect sites from 

vandalism and overuse with meeting the public’s enthusiasm for visiting heritage 

resources. We want to provide visitors with a remote, self-discovery experience. 

This is a significant challenge for us. More than 20 years ago, archaeologist/ 

author Bill Lipe made this prediction: 

“We are moving into an era of managed remoteness, of planned romance. 

I think that is probably how it has to be if we are to preserve the qualities of the 

area at all in an increasingly mobile and exploitive society. The challenge is to 

have an effective management that does not itself overwhelm the values it is 

designed to protect. We shall see...” 

(Lipe, William D. 1980 “Grand Gulch: Three Days on the Road from Bluff” in 

Camera, Spade, and Pen, Marnie Gaede, editor, The University of Arizona Press.) 

- LouAnn Jacobson, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Manager 

Planning Begins

A multi-year planning effort currently 

underway will result in a long-term Resource Management Plan (RMP) for 

the Monument. 

It will reflect public involvement from 

interested parties inside and outside 

Colorado, in addition to tribal, state, 

and local governments. 

A Notice of Intent to prepare the RMP 

was published in the April 2002 Federal Register.The BLM, Forest Service, 

and planning contractor, Jones & 

Stokes Associates, met in November 

2002, to assemble an Interdisciplinary 

Team. 

Work continues on determining cooperating-agency status, organizing 

and developing data, and developing a 

public-participation plan. 

The process will focus on developing management strategies for values 

identified in the Presidential Proclamation, including: 

• Archaeological resources; 

• Geological resources; 

• Biological processes; 

• Historic uses; and 

• Current and future land uses. 

In the meantime, the Secretary of 

the Interior and BLM National and State 

Directors have provided interim guidance for maintaining existing policies, 

designations, and allocations, except 

where changes are necessary to comply with the Proclamation. 

During the planning process, BLM 

will offer expanded opportunities for direct citizen participation through a 

Monument Advisory Committee and 

other forms of local collaborative 

groups. 

A greater emphasis will be put on 

local governments, volunteer groups, 

and businesses to provide existing and 

new services, and upon partnerships 

to manage ongoing, activities, such as 

grazing, recreation, and other uses. 

- Steve Kandell, 

Monument Planner 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT 

PUTTING THE PUBLIC IN PLANNING

How to

Get Involved

To create a shared vision for the Monument, the Planning Team is using an interactive process to encourage citizen 

participation in developing future management direction. 

A formal scoping process is underway. 

Over the past months, BLM has solicited comments through the mail and over 

the Internet. 

Public scoping workshops will be held 

in Cortez, Durango, and Denver. Dates 

and locations will be announced through 

the local media, planning newsletters, 

Monument Web sites and the Federal 

Register. The deadline for submitting 

scoping comments will be 30 days after 

the last scoping workshop. 

A draft plan, expected in the winter of 

2003 or spring of 2004, will be followed 

by a 90-day comment period, and public 

workshops will again be held to provide 

information and answer questions. 

Written comments can be sent to: 

Monument Planner, Canyons of 

the Ancients National Monument 

27501 Highway 184 

Dolores, Colorado 81323 

Comments may also be faxed to: 

970-882-7035 

or e-mailed to: 

Colorado_CanmScoping@co.blm.gov. 

- Steve Kandell 

Advisory Committee to Be Selected

In accordance with a directive from the Secretary of Interior Gail Norton, an 

Advisory Committee is being established to advise the Secretary and BLM 

on development and implementation of the Monument Plan. 

The Committee’s duties will include: 

• gathering and analyzing information; 

• conducting studies and field examinations; 

• hearing public testimony; 

• advising BLM on establishing priorities, goals, and objectives; 

• developing recommendations for implementation of ecosystem 

approaches to management; and 

• advising BLM on local collaborative management approaches. 

Names of nominees were forwarded to the U.S. Department of the Interior 

this fall from the BLM Colorado Acting State Director. BLM staff are awaiting 

the Secretary of Interior’s confirmation of nominees to serve on the Committee. 

Committee members will be selected based on their knowledge or special 

expertise in the category of interest they were nominated for, and will serve 

for four years. 

The 11-member committee will represent: 

• Dolores County Commission (one member); 

• Montezuma County Commission (one member); 

• Native American affiliated tribes (two members); 

• regional and local cultural-resource professionals (two members); 

• grazing permittees in the Monument (one member); 

• oil and gas industry (one member); 

• private landowners adjacent to the Monument, resource-conservation 

organizations, off-road-vehicle users, commercial recreation providers, 

or those with statewide perspectives who have no financial interest in 

the Monument (three members). 

For more information on the Monument planning process contact Steve 

Kandell, Monument Planner, 970-882-4811. 

- Steve Kandell 

Keep Tabs on the Planning Process 

Updated Information on the planning process is located on the Monument’s Web site at: 

www.co.blm.gov/canm/index.html 

The site includes the text of the Presidential Proclamation, Interim Guidance, Preparation Plan, 

and a photo gallery. Soon, there will be an Internet link, from the Web site, dedicated entirely to 

the planning process. Through this link, the public will be able to submit comments electronically, 

and view and download geospatial data. 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where can I go in the Monument? 

The backcountry is open to public access, but recreation facilities are limited. Visitors are encouraged to stop by the 

Anasazi Heritage Center for free brochures, maps and advice on the best access points. Please be a respectful visitor: 

• Ask for permission before entering or crossing private land adjacent to or 

within the boundaries of the National Monument. 

• Be careful near archaeological sites - they are very old and fragile. Do not 

step on walls or trash mounds. Never try to climb through doorways. 

• Leave artifacts where you find them for others to enjoy. Out of context, 

artifacts mean little to archaeological research. 

• It is against federal law to disturb or remove antiquities. Never dig in 

archaeological sites. Violators face federal charges. 

• Do not add anything to a site. Bringing offerings to a site confuses 

its original meaning and story. 

• Stay on existing roads and trails. Scars on the desert landscape 

heal slowly and increase soil erosion. 

Where can I camp in the Monument? 

Dispersed camping is allowed just about everywhere, but there are no developed campgrounds in the Monument. The only 

area specifically closed to camping is Lowry Pueblo, where only day use is allowed. Car camping is allowed in other areas, but 

campers must keep vehicles on established roads (roads are dirt or gravel) 

and out of areas closed to motorized use (Cross, Cahone, and Squaw/Papoose Wilderness Study Areas, Sand Canyon/East Rock area, and Mockingbird Mesa). There are no limitations on backcountry camping, but all campers are asked to Leave No Trace: 

• Plan ahead and prepare. 

• Travel on trails and camp on durable surfaces. 

• Bury human waste, and pack out all trash. 

• Leave what you find. Artifacts are protected by federal law. 

• Use campstoves instead of campfires. 

• Respect wildlife - for your safety as well as theirs. 

• Be considerate - yield to others on the trail, keep dogs under control, 

and moderate your noise levels. 

Where can I drive a motorized vehicle or ride a bicycle in the Monument? 

All types of motor vehicles must stay on established roads and trails until the planning process is completed and travel 

routes are designated. Additionally, motor vehicles are not allowed in closed areas (Cross, Cahone, and Squaw/Papoose 

Wilderness Study Areas, Sand Canyon/East Rock area, and Mockingbird Mesa). Bicycles must also stay on established 

roads and trails until the planning process is completed, and travel routes are designated. In addition, bicycles and other 

mechanized equipment are not allowed inside the Cross, Cahone, and Squaw/Papoose Wilderness Study Areas. 

Can I hunt in the Monument? 

Hunting is allowed with a current and valid Colorado hunting license, subject to Colorado state law and regulation. Hunters must keep 

all motorized vehicles on established roads. 

Does the Monument affect private property? 

Private lands are not subject to the provisions of the proclamation 

that established Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in June 

2000. The Antiquities Act of 1906 granted the President of the United 

States authority to proclaim National Monuments only upon “...lands 

owned or controlled by the Government of the United States.” 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT 

CARING FOR CULTURAL RESOURCES

Kiva Needs New Roof 

Plans are underway to replace the roof on one of the 

kivas at Lowry Pueblo National Historic Landmark. An 

environmental assessment, which includes public input, was completed in December. 

A new roof is needed to preserve the interior of the 

kiva, because the current roof is leaking. It will be replaced with a free-standing shelter that will completely 

cover the kiva and rooms adjoining it. 

Lowry Pueblo is a 1,000-year-old Ancestral Puebloan 

site with 40 rooms, eight kivas, and a Great Kiva. The 

area includes a toilet, parking lot, picnic area, and interpretive trail, all wheelchair accessible. 

Lowry was excavated in the 1930s and stabilized in 

the 1960s. The site was dedicated as a National Historic Landmark in 1964. The BLM and University of About 15,000 people visit Lowry Pueblo annually. New interpretive 

Colorado conducted additional work at the site in the signs will be installed along its trail this summer with funding from the 

1970s, including constructing the first roof over the kiva. BLM Deferred Maintenance Program and Colorado State Historical Fund. 

Lowry allows visitors to see an Ancestral Puebloan site 

in a quiet, unsupervised setting. - Laura Kochanski, BLM Monument Archaeologist 

Laws Help Protect

Cultural Resources

The oldest law protecting cultural resources 

is the Antiquities Act of 1906, which established 

penalties for those who take, dig, injure, or destroy any object or antiquity situated on federal 

lands. 

This law also sets up guidelines for federal 

land agencies to issue permits that allow qualified institutions to examine and excavate archaeological sites and gather objects of antiquity. Such permits can be assigned to colleges, universities, museums, and other 

educational institutions. Their activities must focus on increasing knowledge of cultural resources, and any artifacts they collect must be stored in federally approved 

museums. 

The Archaeological Resources Protections Act (ARPA) was passed in 1979 to 

support the Antiquities Act. It defined archaeological terms, clarified the definition of 

a prohibited act, and established specific penalties for those acts. 

There are two types of ARPA penalties: criminal and civil. Criminal acts include 

excavating, removing, damaging, altering, or defacing archaeological resources on 

public or Indian lands, unless such activity is under permit. 

ARPA defines archaeological resources as, “material remains of past human life 

or activities of archaeological interest, as determined under uniform regulations.” 

Protected items include pottery, basketry, bottles, weapons, projectiles, tools, 

prehistoric and historic structures or portions of structures, pit houses, rock paintings, rock carvings, intaglios, graves, and human remains. 

- Toni Kelly, Dolores Public Lands Visitor Information Specialist 

New 

Finds 

A recent inventory of Sand, East 

Rock, Woods, and Tozer Canyons indicates these areas have been occupied or used by humans for centuries. 

Woods Canyon Archaeological 

Consultants of Yellow Jacket, Colorado, discovered 917 archaeological 

sites in a survey of almost 10,000 

acres of the Monument. 

Prehistoric sites, such as artifact 

scatters, processing areas, potteryfiring kilns, field houses, and large 

pueblos were found. Historic campsites attributable to Native Americans 

and Anglo Americans were also recorded. 

A report of the findings will be prepared by spring 2003. The information will help expand the Monument’s 

archaeological database and provide 

information for planning. 

- Laura Kochanski 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT 

CARING FOR CULTURAL RESOURCES

Vandalism Hurts Everyone

Perhaps the most distressing news we often have to publish about the Monument is information on reoccurring bouts of vandalism, unfortunately a serious 

and ongoing problem in the Monument. 

THE PRICE OF POTHUNTING 

Over the past two years, at least 

half a dozen incidents of illegal digging and vandalism to archaeological sites have been investigated. 

Cultural sites have suffered graffiti scratched into prehistoric masonry walls and adjacent sandstone 

clifffs, campfires built in masonry 

rooms and alcove sites, and illegal 

digging in trash middens, rooms and 

kivas. Even when the perpetrators 

are not pothunters, their activities 

damage sensitive cultural sites. 

“In one case, as a result of an Clues to a rich cultural past are scrambled 

apparent party, wall stones at a site and stolen by pothunters at a trash midden. 

were used to create a ring of chairs in a small cliff dwelling, a campfire built in a 

room in front of the rock shelter, and trash strewn around,” said Laura Kochanski, 

Monument Archaeologist. 

A SIGN OF THE TIMES? 

This fall, vandals spray-painted 

graffitti on the Monument entrance 

sign and informational bulletin board 

at the south end of the Sand Canyon 

Trail in McElmo Canyon. Sandstone, 

a highway sign, and both lanes of 

County Road G were also sprayed 

with graffiti. Vandals have also been 

using Monument signs for target 

practice.Multiple 

What Can Be Done?

Perpetrators of crimes face federal 

charges of vandalism to government 

property, which can carry up to a oneyear prison sentence and a $100,000 

fine. Currently, two BLM law enforcement officers monitor the Monument. 

“We try to avoid patrolling in a predictable pattern to increase our 

chances of being at the right place 

when someone wants to do the wrong 

thing,” said Keith McGrath, Monument 

Law Enforcement Ranger. ”I suspect 

that the signs are often vandalized at 

night, but the majority of use in the 

monument is during the daytime.” 

“These acts of vandalism show disrespect for Native Americans whose 

ancestors lived here and to everyone 

who values these irreplaceable natural and cultural resources,” said 

LouAnn Jacobson, Monument Manager. “We have to spend thousands of 

taxpayers dollars to repair and replace 

signs that are continually vandalized 

– signs that are placed to help guide 

people to places in the Monument we 

want to share with public.” 

If you see suspicious or illegal activity taking place in your National 

Monument, call 970 882-4811. 

- Ann Bond 

Another Monument sign falls victim to shotgun blasts at 

vandals. close range recently mangled a 

new sign near Sand Canyon Pueblo. Law enforcement officials believe the incident happened in December, 2002. 

In spring 2002, another Monument sign near Burro Point 

was vandalized, and the register box and bulletin board at 

Sand Canyon Pueblo Trailhead were used for target practice. 

ILLEGAL OFF-ROAD SCARS 

BLM officials recently discovered extensive damage to 

natural resources in Risley Canyon from illegal off-road vehicle activity. Multiple tire tracks were found leaving a main 

road and climbing up a fragile wash bed. Large portions of 

juniper trees were cut off to clear a path, rocks were smeared 

with rubber marks from spinning vehicle tires, and tire tracks 

were cut through wash banks. Monument regulations prohibit motorized travel off designated roads to protect the fragile desert backcountry. - Ann Bond 

(At left) 

cut away to make way for 

vehicles along an illegal offroad route in a wash in the 

Monument. 

(At right) Illegal offroad vehicle use has 

turned a fragile wash 

into an illegal road. 

Juniper trees were 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT

THE PAST IS PART OF THE FUTURE

Native Americans

Have Close Ties

As part of the planning effort, the BLM initiated consultations with Indian tribes that claim cultural affiliation with 

the Monument. 

In 2002, Two Rivers Consultants and SWCA Environmental Consultants submitted the results of a year-long 

Cultural Affiliation Survey for the Monument. 

Individual meetings were held with the Laguna, Acoma, 

Pojoaque, Nambe, Isleta, Zia, Picuris, San Juan, Taos, 

Santa Domingo, Santa Ana and Santa Clara pueblos of 

New Mexico. Personal visits were also made to the 

Jicarilla Apache, Southern Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, Northern Ute, Hopi and Navajo reservations. 

The consultation helps document evidence supporting 

tribal-affiliation claims to the Monument, and gathered 

tribal input for planning and management. Each tribe expressed its views on its ties to the people who lived in the 

area in the past. 

The consultations will also help the Anasazi Heritage 

Center resolve cultural-affiliation issues in relation to the 

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. 

The information will be used to address the final disposition of human remains and associated funerary objects 

now curated at the Center. 

BLM officials met with the tribes again this summer in 

Santa Fe to discuss the results of the cultural affiliation 

study and set the stage for Native American involvement 

in the planning process. 

All tribes and pueblos received a draft of the study for 

review, and a final report was submitted in December. 

- Susan Perlman, Two Rivers Consultants 

A reconstruction of daily life at Lowry Pueblo, 

circa the 12th Century AD. 

Cattle ranching has been a part of the history of the area that 

Photo Courtesy Dolores Star 

includes the Monument for generations. 

Local History Plays Vital Role

Sometimes it seems the prehistory of the Southwest overshadows the history of the area. But the BLM will try to balance this by 

collecting oral histories as part of the cultural information included in 

the upcoming Monument planning process. 

Local interviews from selected Southwest Colorado residents will 

help document the role that individuals and communities have played 

in the economic and social development of the area from 1600 to the 

present. 

“Oral histories - the cultural information passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth - can bring the past to life 

and help us plan for the future,” said LouAnn Jacobson, Monument 

Manager. 

The effort will be part of a landscape-scale overview of historic 

resources to document immigration events, learn how places were 

named, chart social and economic development, and record hardships, successes, and important family and community events. In 

addition, the information will be used to help define: 

• the nature and distribution of historic properties; 

• National Register of Historic Places eligibilities; 

• areas of special significance; 

• historic uses of public and private properties; 

• threats to the integrity of historical sites; and 

• strategies for resource management and protection. 

The oral history survey will incorporate folklore, music, and eyewitness reports of historical events that have taken place on public 

lands within the boundaries of the Monument. Information from adjacent areas may also be used to help characterize historic contexts. 

- Ann Bond 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT

SAVING AMERICA’S TREASURES

Storing Antiquities an

Important Job

Originally built to store the one million artifacts recovered in 

the area now flooded by McPhee Reservoir, theAnasazi Heritage 

Center now houses three times as many cultural objects. 

The Center serves as the repository for collections and 

archives not only from the Monument, but also from three BLM 

field offices - the San Juan, Gunnison, and Uncompahgre. 

It also houses collections for the Bureau of Reclamation, 

San Juan National Forest, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Crow 

Canyon Archaeological Center, Anasazi Historical Society, More than three million cultural objects are stored at the AHC, 

and several contract archaeology firms. occuping more than 7,000 cubic feet of storage space, with 

Collections are available through public tours that allow 1,800 linear feet of associated documentation. 

hundreds of visitors to learn how artifacts are processed, stored, 

and shared. Photos, archives, and artifacts are loaned out for exhibition at other museums, to 

researchers for analysis, and to educators for use in interpretive and educational projects. 

The curation staff conducts artifact-identification workshops for law enforcement personnel, 

BLM and National Forest cultural resource staff, and site-steward volunteers. Curation is currently 

overseeing conversion of the entire Collections Management Database, numbering over 800,000 

records, to a new system. This will allow for more efficient data input, the ability to incorporate 

digital images with object records, greater ease in running searches, and improved ability to 

import and export data. 

Curation volunteers are also making progress on other projects, including artifact packing 

and storage, archives processing, and database entries. All contribute to establishing a 

baseline inventory, as well as enhancing the ability to retrieve collections for researchers. 

- Tracy Murphy, Heritage Center Museum Specialist 

In 2002, more than 17,000 

objects - like these maps - and 

90 linear feet of archives were 

added to the Heritage Center 

collection. 

Saving America’s Treasures 

More than 80,000 artifacts from earlier excavations in the Monument are now available for educational and research 

purposes at the Anasazi Heritage Center, thanks to a partnership with the University of Colorado and Anasazi Historical 

Society, with funding from Save America’s Treasures and the Colorado State Historical Fund. 

The grants allow the Heritage Center to confirm the location of federal collections stored in nonfederal repositories, 

evaluate the condition of artifacts, and retrieve the collections. The objects are repackaged to meet current standards, 

making them accessible to the public for education, interpretation, and research purposes. 

Over the past three years, staff have catalogued collections and research data from the Crow Canyon Archaeological 

Center, University of Northern Arizona (Ridges Basin Project), and Soil Systems, Inc. (Ute Irrigated Lands Project) into 

the database. 

The grants also funded a project to process and enter thousands of artifacts into the database that had been stored at 

the Center for decades. These included collections from surveys of Mockingbird Mesa conducted in the 1970s and 

1980s, and the Dolores Grazing District Survey in the 1960s. 

- Susan Thomas, Heritage Center Curator 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT 

INTERPRETING CULTURAL RESOURCES 

Heritage Center is First Stop 

All visitors to Canyons of the Ancients are encouraged to visit the Anasazi 

Heritage Center first to pick up maps and brochures about the area before 

venturing into the backcountry. 

The Center also serves as an interpretive center for the Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway and Four Corners region. The main gallery features a 

hands-on Discovery Area, reconstructed pit house, and exhibits on archaeology, local history, 

and Native American 

life styles. 

During the 360 days 

the museum was open Students gather last summer at the Anasazi in 2002, volunteers and Heritage Center for an Archaeology Discovery 

interpretive staff an- Program. 

swered questions and 

provided tours to more than 30,000 visitors. Educational programs were 

offered to schools, colleges, and dozens of other groups. 

In 2002, a new exhibit devoted to Canyons of the Ancients was installed. 

It includes historic and modern photographs of some of the more visible 

archaeological sites in the Monument and a kiva fragment from Lowry Pueblo. 

Display cases contain artifacts excavated from Sand Canyon Pueblo, and Visitors to the Heritage Center learn about Native text panels offer commentaries by modern Pueblo American lifestyles from modern-day tribal people. members. - Marissa Dominguez Karchut, 

Museum Specialist 

Teaching the Children Well 

Cortez area school children take notes 

during an educational field trip to Sand 

Canyon. 

Artwork from the Escalante Curriculum. 

Educational opportunities at Canyons of the Ancients are unlimited, 

but the trick is 

citizen owners. Local teachers are aided in this endeavor through a 

collection of experience-based lesson plans called the Escalante 

Curriculum. 

The Escalante Curriculum offers 10 different self-guided activities 

and is available free to teachers 

educational visits to the 

Heritage Center or National 

Monument. 

designed for fourth- through eighth-grade students visiting the Heritage 

Center. 

individual abilities or grade levels. 

Activities range from touring the Heritage Center gallery to more in 

depth activities focusing on themes from archaeology to bird watching. 

As a part of the program, a college-credit workshop for teachers 

interested in using the curriculum is offered each summer. 

Production was funded by the Colorado State Historic Fund and BLM 

National Fee Demonstration Project. 

- Victoria Atkins, Interpretive Education Lead 

to get kids personally engaged in the resources as 

and group leaders to help enhance 

The lessons are 

The activities are flexible enough to be adjusted to reflect 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT

MAKING ARCHAEOLOGY ACCESSIBLE

Learning Comes to Life

Educational opportunities at the Monument abound. Junior Explorer – 

Archaeology, a self-guided activity booklet, is designed for families with 

young children. This free booklet has coloring 

pages, games, and activities. 

Also in preparation is a new teachers’ guide 

and student activity booklet being produced 

by a Montana State University program known 

as The Watercourse, creator of Project Wet. 

It incorporates interviews with ranchers, farmers, archaeologists, Native Americans, wildlife biologists, and artists with ties to the Monument. 

Cultural Heritage of the Great Sage Plain is 

showing in the Heritage Center theater. This 

20-minute documentary incorporates interviews with archaeologists and Native Americans. It offers an updated interpretation of the history and landscape of 

the geographic area known as the Great Sage Plain, which includes Canyons of the Ancients. 

For those who want to explore virtual archaeology and ancient Pueblo 

life on their computer, there’s People in the Past, an interactive program 

about Lowry Pueblo. The program includes video interviews with archaeologists and modern Pueblo people. You can also travel back in time to 

daily life in the 12th Century at Lowry and walk through the rooms of the 

village. 

You can also travel in time back to daily life in the 12th Century at 

Lowry and actually walk through the rooms of the village. People in the 

Past runs on either a MAC or Windows platform and is on sale at the 

Heritage Center museum shop (with an optional classroom activity guide). 

- Victoria Atkins, Monument Interpretation 

and Education Lead 

Data at the Fingertips

Cultural resource professionals have typically relied on paper maps, survey reports, and site records 

for the information they need to perform their duties. 

Such valuable sources of information may never 

become obsolete, but Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology will soon allow Monument 

archaeologists to access most of this information 

with a few key strokes and mouse clicks. 

GIS is a computer system that allows digital 

maps to be integrated with information contained in 

a database. Although the technology is not new, in 

the past few years GIS has been used with increasing frequency as a cultural resource management 

tool. 

The Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic 

Preservation initiated the Monument GIS project in 

2000, under contract with the BLM. This agency 

manages cultural resource information for the entire 

state, including the records of archaeological and 

historic sites and surveys that are being used to 

build the Monument GIS. 

When the GIS project is complete, archaeologists 

will have a digital map that displays all archaeological sites and surveys within the Monument’s boundaries. Most importantly, the sites and surveys on 

the map can be linked with a database that contains a variety of relevant information. 

The GIS and associated database can both be 

updated as more recent data are acquired. The goal 

is to increase the efficiency with which cultural resources are managed and protected. 

- Chris Bevilacqua, Colo. Historical Society 

Brochures Benefit Visitors 

By Ann Bond 

BLM has produced two brochures for free distribution to help people get the 

most out of their visit to the Monument. One highlights four areas – Lowry, Painted 

Hand and Sand Canyon Pueblos, and Sand Canyon Trail. It offers a large fold-out 

map and information on cultural and natural resources. The brochure also includes safety tips and Leave No Trace suggestions, as well as an idea of conditions to expect in the backcountry. 

A new interpretive brochure on Lowry Pueblo, the only developed recreational 

site in the Monument, is also available to help visitors get the most out of their 

Free brochures are available at the visit to this National Historic Landmark. It includes background on the Ancestral 

Anasazi Heritage Center, San Juan Puebloan occupation, archaeological research, and tips on how to enjoy the site Public Lands Office, and Cortez without damaging the architecture. Brochures for Painted Hand and Sand Canyon Colorado Welcome Center. pueblos are also in preparation. 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT 

PARTNERS IN EDUCATION

Photo by Dennis Garland 

Colorado Division of Wildlife Manager 

Robin Olterman displays wildlife hides to 

students at a Field Day last year. 

Kids Consider

Castle Rock

Each spring Montezuma County fourth 

graders head to McElmo Canyon to learn 

about the natural and cultural landscapes 

of CANM. 

Crow Canyon Archeological Center 

sponsors the program at Castle Rock 

Pueblo, an Ancestral Puebloan site at the 

south end of Sand Canyon Trail. 

Archaeologists, soil scientists, wildlife 

biologists, and educators lead students 

through experiential activities on soil composition, geology, and minerals. 

Students consider how these factors 

may have influenced the lives of the prehistoric people who lived there. They also 

learn about Ute, Navajo, and Anglo settlements in the area. 

The goal is to make children aware of 

archaeology’s contribution to Colorado 

history and of how they can help preserve 

cultural resources. Last year, Crow Canyon charged $3 per student to fund the 

project. The Colorado Historical Society 

and Berger Foundation helped with funding in the past. 

- Elaine Davis, Crow Canyon 

Archaeological Center 

Find out more : 

www.crowcanyon.org 

Lots to Crow About

in the Canyon

Crow Canyon Archaeological Center ducted fieldwork at the Castle Rock 

has been involved for several years in ex- Pueblo, which was a much smaller settlecavations, research, and protection of the ment than Sand Canyon Pueblo but ocancient pueblos that mark both ends of cupied at the same time. 

the popular Sand Canyon Trail. Crow Canyon’s research revealed that 

In the 1980s and ‘90s Crow Canyon the occupation of Castle Rock ended with 

excavated Sand Canyon Pueblo, at the a battle, and reconstruction of the event 

north end of the trail. The Center’s ongo- is one of the best-documented cases of 

ing research on social and political orga- Southwestern warfare. 

nization of the village has been published The artifacts, documentation and dain journal articles and books, and a final tabases from Crow Canyon’s excavareport is forthcoming.	 tions of Sand Canyon and Castle Rock 

Pueblos are curated at the Anasazi HeriThe southern terminus (above) of the 

Sand Canyon Trail is the site of the Castle 

Rock Pueblo. 

tage Center. 

- Mark Varien, Crow Canyon 

Archaeological Center 

Crow Canyon research established The northern terminus (above) of the Sand that Sand Canyon Pueblo was one of Canyon Trail is the site of the Sand Canyon the largest Ancestral Puebloan villages Pueblo. 

to be occupied in the final decades of 

occupation of 

the Mesa Verde 

region. 

Last summer, Crow Canyon helped install new interpretive signs 

and reroute 

trails that were 

impacting the 

cultural resources at the 

Sand Canyon 

Pueblo. 

Crow Canyon 

crews also conAn artist’s reconstruction of the Castle Rock Pueblo, provided 

for students in the Castle Rock Field Journal, helps them 

visualize what the ancient village looked like. 

Art by Paul Ermigiotti, Courtesy Crow Canyon 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT 

PARTNERS IN PROTECTION

Stability Saves Sites

Site steward Bill Hayes monitors an archaeological site 

in Canyons of the Ancients. 

Protectors of the Past

The ancient dwellings left by the Ancestral Puebloans are 

delicate, nonrenewable resources that face many dangers. 

Looters dig up sites, not just robbing them of artifacts, but 

forever scrambling archaeological information. Vandals scratch 

graffiti over petroglyphs. 

Visitors unintentionally cause damage by stepping on walls, 

climbing through doorways, placing oily hands on fragile pictographs, piling artifacts on rocks, and trampling vegetation. 

Two years ago, when the Monument was created, community leaders, business owners, educators, tribal leaders, and 

public land managers got together to search for possible solutions to these problems. One alternative was creation of the 

Southwest Colorado Cultural Site Stewardship Program, a volunteer organization funded by the Colorado State Historical 

Fund, San Juan Public Lands Center, and Four Corners Heritage Council. 

Over the past two years, 85 volunteers have been trained as 

archaeological site stewards to watch over 65 prehistoric and 

historic sites on public lands, 45 of which are in the Monument. The stewards become the eyes and ears of the BLM, 

watching for damage caused by vandals or by unintentional, 

but overzealous, visitors. 

“It’s an incredible experience. We visit our site once a month, 

and two other stewards monitor it, as well,” said Jigger Staby 

of Durango, who, with her husband, Paul, has been a site steward for two years. 

“We’ve definitely seen changes at our site – erosion, rock 

fall, and signs of possible digging by hand. Once you’re trained 

to look for evidence, you see it.” 

Site stewards attend training workshops and conferences 

and go out in the field with agency archaeologists. They also 

help with site restoration projects, such as Public Lands Day 

events. 

- Ann Bond 

You can’t limit impacts to archaeological sites until you 

know where they are located and what condition they are in. 

That’s why the McElmo Canyon Research Institute (MCRI) at 

Kelly Place and Crow Canyon Archaeological Center have conducted surveys for the BLM in the area over the past decade. 

Much of the work was funded by a grant from the Colorado 

Historical Society and Service Elderhostel Program. A survey 

of 1,600 acres identified 73 newly recorded, and 29 previously 

recorded, sites. Of these, 52 were recommended as eligible 

for the National Register of Historic Places. 

The next step has been to protect the most threatened areas. Over the past four years, Elderhostel volunteers, under 

the supervision of MCRI archaeologists and BLM specialists, 

have stabilized six sites. This involved long hikes while carrying materials, ladders, scaffolding, and tools. Kelly Place and 

Mesa Verde Back Country Horsemen supplied water to the 

workers on horseback. 

Stabilization of a site is not the same as restoration. The 

aim is to preserve the site as is, not to rebuild or restore it to 

what it may have looked like when it was occupied. The process involves filling in cracks and spaces between stones 

caused by erosion of the mud mortar. The goal is to have the 

ordinary visitor not be able to tell the difference. 

Much time was spent analyzing and identifying the type, 

color, and consistency of the original mortar to match the new 

mortar to the original, so that the sites look untouched by modern 

hands. 

Documentation, such as maps, photographs, and drawings, 

will help future surveyors distinguish the original construction 

from the stabilized area. 

- Jim Colleran, McElmo Canyon Research Institute 

Photo Courtesy McElmo Canyon Research Institute 

Elderhostel volunteers hike stabilization gear into the Vision 

House site last year. 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT 

RECREATION PROJECTS 

More Feet = More Impact 

In the late 1980s, a few hundred people visited Sand Canyon each year. Today, some 

17,000 hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders use the Sand Canyon Trail annually. A result of the increased use has been a cobweb of user-made trails heading off the 

main trail. These unsightly “braided” trails encourage damage of archaeological sites, 

and leave trampled vegetation and biological soil crusts in their wake. 

The BLM continues to work to erase these user-made trails to prevent further damage. 

In 2002, Southwest Youth Corps crews blocked 20 such user-made paths with dead 

trees and transplanted native cactus. They then built official spur trails to allow people to 

access cultural sites off the main trail. Often, a single spur trail replaced several usermade paths leading to the same site. 

Crews then installed new signs marking where each spur trail left the main trail. In 

addition, signs reading “Fragile Area, Please Stay On Trail,” were erected to remind 

visitors to limit their impacts. 

Previously, during a cleanup day at the Sand Canyon Trailhead in McElmo Canyon, 

New signs are cedar with hand- crews dismantled equipment in an old pump house and burned the structure to the 

routed lettering and piled rock bases ground. The well pipe was sealed to protect groundwater from contamination, and old 

to be unobtrusive and conform to the boards, fencing, metal, and wire were removed. New “No Motor Vehicles” signs also were 

backcountry character of Sand installed at access points to the 8,750-acre Sand Canyon Archaeological District. 

Canyon. - Penny Wu, Outdoor Recreation Planner 

Managing Recreation

By Penny Wu 

To say recreation facilities are limited in Canyons of the 

Ancients is an understatement - there are no developed 

camping facilities, no paved roads, and few signs. Lowry 

Pueblo National Historic Landmark, a day-use facility, is 

the only developed recreation site. It is also the lone fully 

excavated and interpreted archaeological site. 

But you can also say that recreation is unlimited in the 

Monument’s 164,000 acres of rugged mesa-canyon 

backcountry. Dispersed camping and hunting are allowed 

just about everywhere (as long as motorized vehicles are 

kept on roads). 

Conversely, there are 25,000 acres of Wilderness Study 

Areas (WSAs) and some other areas, where motor vehicles 

and bicycles are prohibited. 

BLM has been gathering data on recreation for use in the 

planning process. A grant from the Colorado State Parks 

funded a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) inventory of all 

travel routes to record: 

• routes (primary, secondary, reclaimed, single track); 

• surface composition (gravel, natural); 

• type of use (4wd, 2wd, ATV, horse, hiking, biking); 

• amount of use; 

• width of route and road number (if applicable); 

• whether a route accesses a destination, i.e., vista, 

campsite, garbage site, or range improvement. 

BLM is also developing an inventory and maintenance 

schedule for all signs, including the new entrance signs. 

Portable traffic counters have been installed in both remote 

and heavily used areas to count foot and vehicular traffic. 

Monitoring has been increased in the Cross Canyon, 

Cahone Canyon, and Squaw/Papoose WSAs, where motorized and mechanized travel, and construction of new 

roads or facilities, are 

prohibited. Volunteers help BLM patrol 

the WSAs, watching 

for vandalism and illegal off-road-vehicle 

activity, and recording 

visitation levels. 

BLM plans to improve public access, 

enhance boundary 

and trailhead signs, 

and address illegal 

motorized access. 

“No Motorized Vehicles” signs have Photo Courtesy Denver Post been installed at key Recreation staffers Rick Ryan and WSA access points. Penny Wu discuss visitor impacts in 

Sand Canyon with reporters. 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT

CARING FOR THE LAND

Volunteers Do the Dirty Work 

The San Juan Mountains Association 

(SJMA) has coordinated with the BLM for the 

past two years to hold Public Lands Day events 

in the Monument. This nationally observed 

event began in 1994 with 700 volunteers working in three locations. Today 70,000 volunteers 

donate time at 500 locations annually. Photo Courtesy Cortez Journal In fall, 2002, our local Public Lands Day was 

SJMA volunteers help haul off moldy hay held at Little Dog Pueblo, an archaeological 

at the Little Dog Pueblo in 2002. site on 160 acres recently acquired by the 

BLM. Little Dog, part of the very large community surrounding Lowry Pueblo, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was 

first excavated in the 1930s, when archaeologists discovered dwellings of sandstone and 

adobe had been built on top of earlier constructed pit houses. 

“This site was occupied at least three different times over hundreds of years and built Volunteer Mike Andrews of Durango 

builds fence at Painted Hand Pueblo upon twice,” said Laura Kochanski, Monument Archaeologist. in 2001. The unique archaeological values of the site made the acquisition an important 

addition to the Monument, but the property needed some cleanup. A wooden tower sat on top of the midden pile, an ancient 

landfill of the Ancentral Puebloans who lived there. The volunteers tore down and removed the structure, trash, and a gate. 

- Kathe Hayes, SJMA Volunteer Coordinator 

‘Boundary Archaeology’ (At right) 

boundary stone 

from original 

surveys in the 

1880s 

with 

etchings. 

Photos by Randy 

Bloom 

(At left) A brass 

disc on a steel 

pipe is set in 

place of an 

original stone

monument. 

An archaeologist tries to reconstruct the life and customs of past 

civilizations by examining the physical evidence left behind in ancient 

ruins. A boundary archaeologist, on the other hand, tries to reconstruct 

original land surveys by examining the written record and physical evidence left behind. 

Of course, the term boundary archaeology is not an official title; the 

proper term is cadastral survey. A cadastral survey (derived from the 

Latin “cadastre,” referring to a registry of lands) is the art and science of 

determining land boundaries. A cadastral resurvey, such as the one conducted in the Monument, reestablishes the position of the lines of an 

original survey, according to the best available evidence. 

BLM cadastral surveyors have been exploring the Monument in search 

of the lost and elusive boundary markers from the Public Land Survey 

System, dating back to the 1880s. They have unearthed old plats and 

field notes in dusty filing systems, and hiked across the desert in search 

of marked stones and trees, pits, blazed lines, and old fence lines. 

When a marker from the original survey was found, its location was 

noted, it was buried in place, and a new marker placed beside it. Finding these clues proved difficult, but not impossible 

(see photos above at right). Results will help create a boundary map of the Monument showing the exact location of 

federal and private interests. 

In the course of the work, BLM cadastral surveyors contacted more than 30 landowners to alert them to the purpose 

of the survey and ask for permission to cross private lands. Surveyors personally spoke with as many landowners as 

possible and did not receive any negative responses. Definite and fixed boundaries will be of significant commercial 

value to adjacent landowners and allow the government to manage the land properly in the public interest. 

The BLM Branch of Cadastral Survey is the sole agency entrusted by the federal government to determine all federal 

and Indian land boundaries. 

- Randy Bloom, BLM Cadastral Surveyor 

A 

carved 

historic
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT 

LAND ACQUISITIONS 

Local Family Conveys Site Rancher Proposes Exchange 

A 40-acre parcel of 

land and important archaeological site acquired by the BLM two 

years ago from a local 

Cortez family is now 

part of the Monument. 

The Ansel Hall 

Pueblo covers 15 acres 

of the property. Its 

kivas, Chacoan Great 

House, towers, and 

rooms were excavated 

in the 1940s. Although 

the site has no standing walls, it has great 

research potential. 

“It’s a significant site 

that needs long-term 

protection,” said Bill 

(Left-right) Monument Manager 

LouAnn Jacobson and BLM Realty 

Specialist Charlie Higby receive the 

deed to the Ansel Hall Pueblo from 

Merrie and Bill Winkler, with help from 

Mark Pearson, Wilderness Land 

Trust. 

Winkler, who with his wife, Merrie, conveyed the property to 

the BLM. “We looked after it for 50 years. It’s time to assure 

its future.” 

Merrie’s father, Ansel Hall, originally purchased the property, recognizing its archaeological value. The Ansel Hall Pueblo 

was entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. 

In 2000, the Winklers sold the property to the Wilderness 

Land Trust, a nonprofit land conservation group, which conveyed it to the BLM for appraised fair market value. The Colorado State Historical Fund provided financial support. 

“Our plans are to continue the outstanding stewardship and 

preservation at the site by Ansel Hall and the Winkler family,” 

said LouAnn Jacobson, Monument Manager. 

- Ann Bond 

An area rancher has proposed a land trade that would allow 

the BLM to add a 1,000-acre ranch to the Monument. In exchange, the rancher would acquire four isolated BLM parcels 

next to his ranch near Pagosa Springs, which BLM has 

desigated for disposal because of a lack of public access. 

The Pagosa rancher has a contract to purchase a ranch in 

Yellow Jacket and Bridge canyons, which the BLM would acquire in the exchange. The ranch has been used for sheep 

ranching. BLM acquisition would allow public access to lands 

with unique natural and cultural resources, including a natural 

bridge. 

The property is also near the McElmo Research Natural Area, 

an area within the National Monument designated for reptile 

research. Few federal cultural inventories have been done on 

the ranch, but significant archaeological sites have been found 

on nearby BLM land. If the proposal is pursued, the BLM will 

study benefits to the public in an environmental assessment. 

- Clyde Johnson, BLM Realty Specialist 

An area rancher has proposed a land trade in which 

BLM would acquire this 1,000-acre ranch surrounded by 

and adjacent to the Monument. 

Laws Guide Exchanges and Acquisitions 

Private lands are not subject to provisions of the proclamation that created the Monument. Locally, the BLM is interested in acquiring inholdings within the Monument’s boundaries, but property owners must initiate a transaction. 

The Antiquities Act of 1906 grants authority to proclaim 

National Monuments only on “...lands owned or controlled by 

the Government of the United States.” The Act does not 

provide any authority for condemnation, so a landowner must 

willingly choose to exchange or sell land to the government. 

“We do not pursue anything unless a seller comes to us,” 

said LouAnn Jacobson, Monument Manager. 

Most BLM land exchanges and acquisitions are processed 

under authority of the Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act, 

state. Lands must be of equal value, although limited cash 

equalization adjustments are allowed. 

mine that “the public interest will be well served by making 

the exchange.” 

This is determinated through an environmental assessment, which includes public input on whether the transaction 

will enhance land management, consolidate ownership, and 

protect environmentally sensitive areas. 

Land exchanges are considered when they will help develop more effective work units, reduce administrative costs, 

and meet community needs. The goal is to trade isolated 

tracts of BLM land that are difficult to manage or which have 

low resource values, and to acquire areas with recreation, 

open space, scenic, and natural or cultural resource values. 

- Ann Bond 

which restricts exchanges to lands within the same 

BLM must also deter-
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT

MANAGING FIRE’S ROLE

Photo by Robert Winslow 

Crews use chainsaws to thin trees, brush, and 

dead material this fall at the Anasazi Heritage 

Center. 

Reducing Fire

Danger

Fire crews who spent the summer battling 

wildfires turned their focus this fall toward reducing the threat of future fires. 

The San Juan Hotshots and Dolores Public 

Lands Office Fire Crew spent several weeks 

thinning hazardous fuels on the federal land 

around the Anasazi Heritage Center to protect 

the interpretive museum and its archaeological resources from wildfire. 

“Our landscape looks pretty different but we 

will have a much safer environment for us and 

our neighbors,” said LouAnn Jacobson, Monument Manager. “One of our goals was to make 

this a fuels reduction demonstration area so 

our visitors can see how a thinned area looks.” 

Although hand thinning is labor intensive, it 

proved the perfect method at the Heritage Center because it allowed archaeologists to mark 

cultural sites to be avoided, and thinning crews 

to leave clumps of vegetation for wildlife habitat. 

Brush removed from under trees should help 

keep flames at ground level where fire is easier 

to control, and the additional spacing between 

trees will slow fire from spreading from tree to 

tree. 

The removal of dead pinyon pines killed in 

the recent Ips beetle outbreak not only reduced 

the fire hazard, but also made the area look 

more attractive. The leftover wood was given 

to Center volunteers to use as firewood. 

- Pam Wilson, 	Fire Information 

Specialist 

Helping Burned Areas Heal

Rehabilitation in areas of the Monument where wildfires have occurred is an 

ongoing process. Random plots have been established so that seeding success, recovery of vegetation, presence of noxious weeds, erosion and site 

stability, and success of rangeland protection measures can be tracked. 

Monitoring shows that if healthy native vegetation is present before a wildfire, 

recovery of native plants is very likely. If the pre-burn plant community was 

dominated by weeds and cheatgrass, however, the prognosis is not good, even 

with seeding. 

Reseeding efforts have seen limited success in the areas of the Bridge Fire 

near Hovenweep National Monument, and the Pedro Fire in the bottom of 

Hovenweep Canyon - two fires that occurred in the summer of 1998. 

Both areas were predominantly sagebrush with little understory vegetation 

before the fires, and are now dominated by cheatgrass, an invasive, non-native 

species. Herbicide treatments have prevented noxious weeds from moving in, 

but the threat of knapweed is nearby. 

Another case in point is the Hovenweep Canyon Fire, which burned at the 

head of the canyon in 2000. Although the area was reseeded, most of the seed 

washed off the steep slopes before it could sprout. Native forbs, grasses and 

shrubs are resprouting today, but cheatgrass and other weeds are also present, 

especially in the bottom of the canyon. 

This summer, volunteers removed musk thistle by hand, and other infestations were treated with herbicide. Because a good population of native plants 

existed prior to the fire, hopes are that the area will reestablish itself as a 

healthy native community with some weed management. 

- Leslie Stewart, Monument Ecologist 

Members of the Interdisciplinary Team who will help conduct the Monument’s 

planning process visit the site of the Hovenweep Fire this fall to assess the 

success of rehabilitation in burned areas. 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT 

HELPING HABITAT 

All Creatures Great and Small 

Many of the Monument’s treasures are hidden or hard to find, a distinction that 

adds to its mystery and appeal. One such gem is a resident population of diverse 

desert reptiles and amphibians. 

The Colorado Natural Heritage Program, a nonprofit organization that tracks and 

ranks Colorado’s rare and important species and habitats, will begin surveys this 

spring to document these exotic inhabitants of Canyons of the Ancients. 

Research is showing a global decline in amphibians and reptiles due to pesticides, habitat destruction, flash floods, drought, and introduced predators. 

“Reptiles have suffered a major decline in the Monument area within the last 30 

years,” says Dr.Albert Spencer, a retired Fort Lewis College zoology professor. The 

surveys will help determine whether local declines are due to climate changes or 

other impacts. 

At least 16 species of reptiles and Spencer has observed nine species of snakes, five species of amphibians, and 

amphibians, including the rare leopard 11 species of lizards in the Monument. He is aware of several other species in 

lizard above, have been found living in the nearby areas that he feels also exist within similar habitats nearby. 

McElmo Research Natural Area of CANM. Part of the Monument is set aside specifically for research of rare reptiles and 

their habitat. The 400-acre McElmo Research Natural Area (RNA) was designated 

in 1982 by the BLM and Colorado Department of Natural Resources. Its ecology, plant and animal species, and soils are all 

unique. The McElmo RNA includes three life zones: Great Basin sagebrush, pygmy-conifer woodland, and salt-desert shrub 

vegetation communities. This diversity is what accounts for the proliferation of reptile and amphibian species living at the fringes 

of their suitable habitat. 

Species known to inhabit the RNA and adjoining areas include the desert spiny lizard, king snake, coach whip snake, spade 

foot toad, Utah tiger salamander, western whiptail lizard, tree lizard, and yellow-headed collared lizard. 

The area also harbors the rare leopard lizard and the night snake, two reptiles known only in the desert areas of western 

Colorado. The uncommon Utah black-headed snake and other secretive snake species may also occur in the area. 

Well Pads Reclaimed

Kinder Morgan Company recently completed reclamation of four carbon dioxide wells that had not produced gas 

for two decades in the Monument. 

BLM requested that the company evaluate 15 wells that 

had not produced gas for several years. The company responded with a proposal to plug nine over the next three 

years, with tentative plans to reactivate the remaining six. 

“These wells were part of our early exploratory program 

and had been temporarily abandoned for years,” said Bob 

Clayton, Kinder Morgan Production Supervisor. “Improvements in our drilling program have reduced the necessity to 

drill as many wells as we originally planned. These pads 

are a great distance from our production facilities, so we 

decided to permanently abandon them.” 

Kinder Morgan currently has about 60 carbon dioxide 

wells in the National Monument. The four reclaimed sites 

are in the Risley Canyon area of the Monument. 

“One of our goals is to monitor the condition of well locations to ensure compliance with oil and gas regulations and 

move forward with reclamation of abandoned wells,” said 

LouAnn Jacobson, Monument Manager. 

- Charlotte Thompson, Wildlife Technician 

About 2.5 acres of Federal land wee reclaimed at each well 

site. 

Each pad was then fenced to exclude livestock grazing. 

The areas will remain fenced for two years or until vegetation is re-established. In addition to surface reclamation, 

Kinder Morgan sealed each well bore with cement to prevent the cross flow of groundwater. 

- Ann Bond 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT 

WATER IN A DRY LANDSCAPE

Because the Monument is such a dry landscape, knowing the source of 

every drop of water is important for management. 

Finding the Fountains of Life

The availability of water in the Monument’s high-desert landscape has 

historically shaped the lives of the people, animals, and plants that have 

subsisted here. Because water is such a limited commodity, locating 

riparian habitat often leads to discovering rare plants and animals. In 

addition, archaeologists often discover cultural sites near water sources. 

An inventory of water sources hasn’t been conducted in the area since 

the early 1980s, so BLM is resurveying springs, seeps, reservoirs, stock 

ponds, and wells with Global Positioning Satellite technology. The new 

studies will determine whether flow rates or vegetative conditions have 

changed and offer current data on water developments. 

Inaccessible areas overlooked earlier are being explored, and 13 new 

water sources previously missed have been recorded, including some 

large springs. Information is being collected by precipitation gauges. A 

precipitation gauge near Cross Canyon recorded 3.9 inches of rain between 2001 and 2002. Another near Cannonball Mesa recorded 4.2 inches 

of rain for the same time period. Compared to National Weather Service 

records collected in 

Yellow Jacket Canyon between 1952 

and the present, the 

area has received 

only about 36% of 

annual average precipitation. 

- Roy Smith, 

BLM State 

Water Rights/ 

Instream Flow 

Coordinator 

Yellowjacket Creek is one of the few perennial 

streams that flow through the Monument. 

Assessing Riparian

Health

In addition to documenting where water originates, BLM is gathering data on water that 

flows through the Monument. 

Pressure monitors have been installed to 

record water levels and flow rates, and thermostats are being used to record water temperatures. The data will be collected until at 

least 2005. 

Computer modeling will be used to identify 

flow rates that are needed to provide adequate 

fisheries habitat. Meanwhile, hydrologists are 

conducting surveys of fish species and populations in the creeks that drain Yellowjacket 

and Cross Canyons. 

The condition of streams and related wetlands is assessed. Efforts to date have focused 

on streams where livestock permits are up for 

renewal. 

A wetland is considered in Proper Functioning Condition when vegetation, landforms, and 

woody debris dissipate the stream’s energy 

at high water, reducing erosion and improving 

water quality. 

Large woody debris in the channel is important to filter sediment, capture bed load, 

and aid in floodplain development. 

These healthy conditions improve flood water retention and ground water recharge, and 

help trees develop roots to stabilize banks 

against cutting action. The associated riparian areas also support water fowl breeding. 

- Shauna Jensen, BLM/USFS Hydrologist 

Pools and channels provide water depth, 

duration, and temperature necessary for fish, 

such as this indigenous flannelmouth sucker. 

The associated riparian areas support 

waterfowl breeding. 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT

MANAGING MULTIPLE USES

Drought Affects Grazing

The Mockingbird Mesa area of the Monument is important for 

production of carbon dioxide gas. 

Monument Rich

in Many Ways

Development of oil and gas has been taking place for 

several decades on the BLM land now within the Monument’s 

boundaries. 

In fact, when Canyons of the Ancients was established, 

85 percent of the area was already leased for oil-and-gas 

development, and about a hundred existing wells were already in place. 

Billions of cubic feet of carbon dioxide and natural gas 

are produced annually in the Monument, along with hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil. New leasing is allowed 

only to promote conservation of oil-and-gas resources in a 

common reservoir produced under existing leases, or to protect against drainage. 

In addition to oil-and-gas development, there are an active building-stone quarry and two inactive mining claims. A 

county sand-and-gravel operation is next to Canyons of the 

Ancients, but not within its boundaries. The Monument Proclamation prohibits new gravel operations and mining claims. 

The National Historic Preservation Act requires that BLM 

consider impacts of surface-disturbing activities on cultural 

resources. An archaeologist must assess the site, recommend ways to reduce impacts, and submit a report to the 

State Historic Preservation Office. 

If the State concurs, a project is approved. If cultural sites 

cannot be avoided, mitigation is required. If mitigation is 

inadequate, excavation and curation are required. 

- Ann Bond 

Because of the ongoing drought, most livestock grazing allotments in the National Monument will be rested for the rest of the 

2003 grazing season. 

BLM range management specialists are meeting with permittees to draw up agreements for voluntary compliance. Precipitation over the last three years has been far below normal. Last 

spring, most permittees in the Monument reduced their numbers 

of livestock voluntarily. 

Drought conditions worsened over summer, and even with summer and fall rest, forage conditions still remain poor, and more 

rest is necessary. During periods of extended drought, perennial 

plants must use energy produced by their above-ground growth to 

maintain viable root systems. 

“Overall, whether allotments were grazed or not, there’s been 

little or no growth of perennial grasses and shrubs this season,” 

said Michael Jensen, Dolores Public Lands Range Management 

Specialist. “Even if we get above-normal moisture, grazing must 

be reduced to restore depleted root reserves and improve plant 

vigor.” 

Twenty-one area ranchers hold grazing permits on 28 grazing 

allotments, covering about 95 percent of the Monument. Although 

9,476 animals are under permit, actual use has been less than 

permitted use in recent years. As BLM permittees, ranchers must 

abide by grazing regulations and follow the terms and conditions 

of their specific grazing permit. 

BLM monitors the vegetation on allotments, requires permitees 

to submit use records, and conducts land health evaluations. This 

helps determine if livestock numbers and grazing seasons are 

appropriate. 

If monitoring indicates problems, BLM may adjust the grazing 

season, livestock numbers, or allotment boundaries, or cancel or 

not renew a permit. 

- Mark Tucker, Range Management Program Leader 

BLM range conservationists monitor the poor forage conditions in 

the Sandstone Canyon area this summer. 
CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT

BLM employees responsible for managing your

National Monument can be reached 

at the following offices and phone numbers: 

ANASAZI HERITAGE CENTER 

970 884-4811 

Victoria Atkins, Interpretation/Education


Suzan Craig, Education


Marilynn Eastin, Staff Assistant


LouAnn Jacobson, Manager


Steve Kandell, Planning


Marissa Karchut, Visitor Services


Laura Kochanski, Archaeologist


Deb Jensen, Collections


Keith McGrath, Law Enforcement Officer


Tracy Murphy, Collections


Susan Thomas, Curator


Michael Williams, Exhibits


DOLORES PUBLIC LANDS CENTER 

970 882-7296 

Mark Applequist, GIS Coordinator 

Dan Greene, GIS Coordinator 

Michael Jensen, Range Management 

Shauna Jensen, Hydrologist 

DOLORES (cont’d) 

Kevin Joseph, Fire Management Officer


Kathleen Nickell, Wildlife Biologist


Leslie Stewart, Ecologist


Ken Reed, Forester


Richard Ryan, Recreation Technician


Penny Wu, Recreation Planner


SAN JUAN PUBLIC LANDS CENTER 

970 247-4874 

Ann Bond, External Affairs


Mike Boeckman, Surveyor


Charles Higby, Realty Specialist


Clyde Johnson, Realty Specialist


Matthew Janowiak, Geologist


Helen Mary Johnson, Minerals Staff Chief


Daniel Rabinowitz, Petroleum Engineer


Kelly Shanahan, Hydrologist


Mark Tucker, Range Management


Loren Wickstrom, Geologist


FOR MORE INFORMATION 

Visit or write us: 

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument

27501 Colorado Highway 184, Dolores, CO 81323

970 882-4811 

Contact us via email: 

Colorado_CANM@co.blm.gov

Visit our Web sites: 

www.co.blm.gov/canm/index.html

www.co.blm.gov/ahc/hmepge.htm 

We are in the process of updating the National Monument’s mailing list, an important tool in the 

continuing effort to maintain communication with the public. Adding your name to the mailing list 

will help you stay informed about the ongoing resource management planning effort, and you’ll be 

notified of the availability of environmental compliance documents. If you would like your name 

added to the mailing list, we ask that you fill out a short questionnaire, available by calling the 

below phone number or emailing us at the address below. Thank you for your interest!