The Planning Process Continues with a New Contractor 

It has been almost a year since the last planning newsletter for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument was 

published. During this time, a new contractor was retained to assist the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 

developing the Monument’s first Resource Management Plan and associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The 

initial planning contractor was let go, due to performance issues. Although this change in contractors slowed the planning

process, we are now moving forward as expeditiously as possible! 

The new contractor is Ecology and Environment, Inc. (E&E), a national consulting firm with an office located in Boulder, 

Colorado. To provide better familiarity with the Monument and surrounding communities, E&E has included three 

regional firms on its team: Ecosphere Environmental Services of Durango, Colorado; Alpine Archaeological Consultants 

of Montrose, Colorado; and Dunmire Consulting of Cahone, Colorado. Another subcontractor, addressing paleontology 

(i.e., study of fossils) issues in the Plan is Dr. Rod Scheetz of Provo, Utah. Both Ecosphere and Alpine have previous 

experience working in the Monument. 

On June 27, the E&E project manager attended a meeting of the Monument Advisory Committee to help him get up to

speed on the project. E&E officially began its work on the project with a kickoff meeting at the Anasazi Heritage Center 

on July 5th. On July 6, representatives of the BLM and U.S. Forest Service hosted a Monument field trip attended by the

core members of the E&E project team. The tour included stops at the Sand Canyon Trailhead in McElmo Canyon, a 

proposed oil and gas drilling site south of McElmo Creek, various archaeological sites in the area, a Kinder-Morgan 

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) processing and compressor facility, an abandoned CO2 location in the process of reclamation, and 

the Sand Canyon Pueblo. The field trip was followed by a tour of the Anasazi Heritage Center’s extensive collection of 

archaeological artifacts (approximately 3.3 million items). E&E personnel then visited the Escalante Pueblo and, the next 

day, drove to Lowry and Painted Hand Pueblos in the Monument and several sites in Hovenweep National Monument. 

Steve Kandell (center), Monument Planner, discusses 

planning issues at the Sand Canyon trailhead. 

A portion of the Painted Hand Pueblo complex, one of the 

most visited cultural sites within the Monument. 

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Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Planning Newsletter #3 

Where We Are in the Process 

As described in Newsletter #1, the preparation of a Resource Management Plan for the Monument is required by, and will

be completed in accordance with, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The previous Plan for BLM land within 

the Monument was completed in 1985, 15 years before the Monument was established by Presidential Proclamation. A 

Resource Management Plan is a major federal action affecting the environment as defined by the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA), which therefore requires BLM to prepare an EIS to evaluate and disclose impacts to the cultural,

biological, physical, and human environments that could potentially result under the various planning alternatives. 

The planning process overview flowchart (below left) summarizes the major steps in the BLM planning process. We have

completed the Scoping and Issues steps and are nearing completion of the Management Strategies, Scenarios, and

Alternatives step. 

 

Newsletter #2 described the results of the Scoping process. Scoping describes the process by which federal agencies ask

the public for help in determining the “scope” of issues to be addressed in the planning process. The scoping comments 

table (above right) shows that more than one-half of the public comments dealt with mineral resources or transportation, 

while another one-fourth dealt with off highway vehicles (OHVs) or wilderness and other special resource areas. 

While these are clearly the issues about which the public is the most concerned, the table does not mean that the other 

items are not important. Indeed, public comments made it clear that the first four topics are of concern in large part 

because of their potential to adversely impact other Monument resources (e.g., cultural, biological, physical, and

recreational). 

Newsletter #2 listed 16 proposed planning criteria for the Monument, based on the results of the Scoping process, input 

from the Monument Advisory Committee, and the experience of the Monument Planning Team. Newsletter #2 requested 

public comments on the 16 planning criteria. BLM received a few public comments on the proposed planning criteria.

The final criteria are attached at the end of this newsletter. 

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Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Planning Newsletter #3 

The Next Steps in the Process 

The mandate for management of the Monument is the protection of objects (i.e., cultural, biological, geological, scientific) 

as set forth in the President’s Proclamation. This distinguishes the Monument from other areas managed by BLM. No

management alternative may run counter to that mandate. In addition, the Resource Management Plan and its EIS, and

the process by which they are developed, must comply with other laws and regulations (e.g., Endangered Species Act, 

Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act). 

In developing a proposed set of Monument management actions, both the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and 

NEPA require that BLM consider a reasonable range of alternatives in addition to “no action” (i.e., continuing current

management practices). BLM anticipates evaluating three alternative management scenarios in addition to no action. 

These alternatives will represent a range of different options for managing Monument resources, land uses, and land areas. 

Depending on comment and input from the Monument Advisory Committee and cooperating agencies, BLM’s preferred

alternative may involve combining some of the alternative components. In other words, the preferred alternative may not 

be one of the analyzed alternatives but a different combination of their components. 

The E&E team will shortly begin preparing the Purpose and Need and Affected Environment portions of the Draft Plan

and EIS. These sections are based primarily on existing information and can be started without the alternatives having

been finalized. BLM is nearing completion of a background document—the Analysis of the Management Situation—

which E&E will use as the starting point in describing existing resources and management of the Monument. Typically, 

the Affected Environment section of the Plan and EIS supplements the Analysis of the Management Situation with

information available from a variety of federal, state, and local governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, 

the scientific literature, and other sources. 

Schedule 

Because of the lengthy process of terminating the previous contract and selecting a new contractor (E&E), a new project

schedule is being developed. Specifics of what is achievable, and when, are being discussed within BLM and with E&E. 

Much of the project schedule is driven by mandatory time periods for public review/comment on both the Draft and the 

Final Plan and EIS documents, and by the number and complexity of revisions that may be required to incorporate public, 

Monument Advisory Committee, and cooperating agency input. 

While BLM is unable to establish a firm schedule at present, we are aiming to have planning documents available to the 

public in the following general timeframes: 

■ Analysis of the Management Situation – Summer 2005 

■ Draft Resource Management Plan/EIS – Spring 2006

■ Proposed Resource Management Plan /Final EIS – Fall 2006 

■ Record of Decision (ROD) – Winter 2006-2007 

 

Neighboring Planning Efforts 

Major planning efforts continue for the National Park Service’s Hovenweep National Monument and BLM’s Monticello

Field Office in Utah. Four separate parcels or about 400 acres of Hovenweep are surrounded by Canyons of the Ancients 

National Monument. The Park Service has completed its draft range of alternatives and is currently working on

developing a preferred alternative for the Hovenweep National Monument general management plan. This plan will

provide a general framework to guide long-term park management decisions. 

BLM’s Monticello Field Office abuts the entire western boundary of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, and 

this office is also currently revising its resource management plan. The Monticello Office is also working on completing 

a draft range of alternatives and expects to distribute their Draft Resource Management Plan and EIS in March 2006.

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument planning staff continue to consult with both of these entities on the 

development of their plans. Consultation will continue throughout their respective planning processes to ensure

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Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Planning Newsletter #3 

coordination on a number of overlapping planning issues (e.g., transportation). For more information on these planning 

efforts, please visit their websites (which may be temporarily unavailable) or call them directly at: 

Hovenweep National Monument: http://planning.nps.gov/plans.cfm or 435-719-2100 

BLM Monticello Field Office: http://www.monticellormp.com or 435-587-1500 

Monument Advisory Committee 

The Monument Advisory Committee met on June 27 at the Dolores Public Lands office due to roof replacement at the 

Anasazi Heritage Center. The main purpose of the meeting was to update the Committee on the status of the planning

process, discuss Committee business (e.g., vacant Committee member positions, electing new officers), and to present

findings from the Reasonable, Foreseeable Development: Oil, Natural Gas, and Carbon Dioxide in Canyons of the 

Ancients National Monument (RFD) document. 

The Committee consists of eleven members living in, or within reasonable proximity to, southwestern Colorado. It

includes representatives from both the Montezuma and Dolores County Boards of County Commissioners, two 

tribal/pueblo representatives, two cultural resources representatives, a livestock grazing permittee, a fluid minerals 

development representative, a private landowner and two members at large. The purpose of the Committee is to provide 

recommendations to the BLM concerning the development and implementation of the Plan. 

One of the Committee’s main accomplishments to date has been submittal of recommendations to assist BLM in 

developing management alternatives. These recommendations have been very helpful and reflect a broad representation

of public and Committee input. The next Committee meeting is scheduled for September 6, 2005 (9:00 a.m. to 12:00

p.m.) at the Heritage Center. Committee meetings are open to the public and provide an opportunity for public input. 

The Four Corners Landscape 

Escalante Pueblo (below), located on a hilltop behind the Heritage Center, a pleasant 1⁄2-mile stroll on an accessible hardsurface trail. The sweeping vista from Escalante Pueblo and the trail includes a breathtaking view across Lake McPhee 

toward the La Plata Mountains. Hesperus Peak, the highest point in the La Platas, is one of the four Sacred Mountains of 

the Navajo (the “mountain of the north”). Other reference points visible from the hilltop and still significant to Native 

Americans today include the San Juan Mountains, Mesa Verde, Sleeping Ute Mountain, and Canyons of the Ancients in 

Colorado; the Abajo and La Sal mountains in Utah; and the Chuska and Carrizzo mountains in Arizona. 

Escalante Pueblo was occupied in the early AD 1100s. Its location, like many other Ancestral Puebloan sites, may have 

been selected because of its visual connection with the surrounding landscape. The pueblo is named after Father Silvestre 

Velez de Escalante, a Spanish missionary-explorer who passed through the area in 1776 as part of an expedition seeking a 

northern route from Santa Fe (New Mexico) to Monterey (California). 

 

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Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Planning Newsletter #3 

Final Planning Criteria 

The following is a list of the final planning criteria for the Monument. These will guide and direct the development of the 

Plan and EIS. More specifically, the criteria will determine how the planning team will approach the development of

alternatives and, ultimately, the selection of a preferred alternative: 

1. The Plan will establish the guidance upon which the 

BLM will manage the resources and values in the

Monument. The Monument Plan will supersede the

existing 1985 San Juan/San Miguel Plan and will be 

integrated with provisions of existing management 

plans and policies for adjacent lands (e.g., 

Montezuma Comprehensive Plan). 

2. The planning process will include an Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) and culminate with the

issuance of a Record of Decision (ROD). 

3. The Plan will be completed in compliance with the

Federal Land Management and Policy Act (FLPMA), 

Endangered Species Act (ESA), National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and all other 

applicable laws, regulations, executive orders, and

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policies. 

4. The Plan will meet the requirement of the Monument 

Proclamation to protect the objects of geological,

archaeological, historical, and biological value within 

the Monument. 

5. The Monument Planning Team will work

collaboratively with the State of Colorado,

Montezuma and Dolores Counties, tribal 

governments, cooperating agencies, municipal

governments, other Federal agencies, the

Monument Advisory Committee, and all other 

interested groups, agencies, and individuals. 

6. Decisions in the Plan will strive to be compatible with 

existing plans and policies of adjacent local, state,

tribal, and federal agencies to the extent that they 

are in conformance with Federal law and regulation. 

7. The planning process will involve Native American

tribal governments and will provide strategies for 

protecting recognized traditional uses. 

8. The Plan will meet the requirement of the

Proclamation to not enlarge or diminish the

jurisdiction of the State of Colorado with respect to 

fish and wildlife management. 

9. The Plan will incorporate the Colorado BLM 

Guidelines for Recreation Management. It will set

forth a framework for managing recreational

activities in order to provide for the enjoyment and

safety of the visiting public consistent with the

Proclamation.

10. The lifestyles of area residents, including the 

activities of hiking, grazing and hunting, will be

considered in the Plan. 

11. Any lands or interests therein located within the 

planning area boundary, which are acquired by

BLM, will be managed consistently with the Plan,

subject to any constraints associated with the

acquisition. 

12. The Plan will meet the requirement of the

Proclamation to prepare a transportation plan that

addresses the actions, including road closures to

travel restrictions, necessary to protect the scientific 

and historic resources of the Monument. 

Furthermore, as required under the Proclamation, 

motorized and mechanized vehicle use off road will

be prohibited, except for emergency or authorized

administrative purposes. 

13. The Plan will not address Monument boundary

adjustments or proposals to change the

Proclamation.

14. The Plan will recognize valid existing rights within

the Monument and review how valid existing rights 

are verified. The Plan will also outline the process 

the BLM will use to address applications or notices 

filed after completion of the Plan on existing claims 

or other land use authorizations. 

15. The Plan will emphasize the scientific and historic

resources of the Monument. It will also identify 

opportunities and priorities for research and

education related to the resources for which the

Monument was created. In addition, it will describe

an approach for incorporating research into

management actions. 

16. The management of livestock grazing is governed

by existing laws and regulations. The Plan will 

incorporate the BLM Standards for Public Land

Health and Guidelines for Livestock Grazing in

Colorado. The Plan will layout a strategy for 

ensuring proper grazing practices are followed within

the Monument. 

5
Bureau of Land Management

Anasazi Heritage Center 

27501 Colorado Highway 184 

Dolores, Colorado 81323 

PRESORTED 

FIRST-CLASS MAIL 

POSTAGE AND FEES PAID 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

PERMIT NO. G-76

 

Anasazi Heritage Center 

The Anasazi Heritage Center serves as headquarters for Canyons

of the Ancients National Monument. The Heritage Center is a 

museum interpreting the history and culture of the Monument, 

the Trail of the Ancients Scenic and Historic Byway, and the

Four Corners region. The Center’s hands-on Discovery Area, 

interactive computer programs, education programs, permanent 

exhibits and films explore archaeology, local history, and Pueblo, 

Ute, and Navajo lifeways. Current special exhibits include

Navajo textiles and “Ancient Images and Pueblo Perspectives” 

about the Lowry Pueblo murals. The museum shop has books, 

teaching guides, videos, and educational materials about the 

ancient and more recent history of the Four Corners area. 

Before visiting the Monument, visitors should go to the Heritage

Center for information on road conditions and places of interest 

based on their desired experience. The Monument‘s planning

website (http://www.blm.gov/rmp/canm/index.html) may be

temporarily unavailable to the public. In the interim, or for those 

without internet access, copies of planning documents may be

viewed at the Heritage Center. 

The Anasazi Heritage Center is located on Colorado Highway

184, about 3 miles west of Dolores and 10 miles north of Cortez. 

It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. For more 

information call 970-882-5600. 

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