CO/Pagosa USFS land exchange proposal

[elkduds]

Land Exchange for Wildlife and Public Access - Pagosa Springs Journal

Pagosa Ranger District Considers Land Exchange Proposal to Provide Critical Habitat for Wildlife and Increase Public Access Exchange includes public comment opportunity regarding Colorado Roadless Modification PAGOSA SPRINGS, Colo.,– The Pagosa Ranger District is considering a land exchange...

pagosasprings.com

The comment deadline is in a couple weeks. Proposal appears to offer gain of a large inholding (possibly future high fence "elk ranch") of improved extreme winter range and secured access to a Forest Service Road extending through that inholding, in exchange for loss of many small sections along boundaries of FS/private. It is close enough to New Mexico to impact seasonal elk migration there, unless that wall gets built.
I have not yet reviewed enough details form an opinion. This is for your consideration. Talk amongst yourselves...

 

[grizzly_]

I like it though they may need to alter the road plans in the Valle Seco section to protect habitat and hunting. That dang Parcel A is a donut hole in the middle of one of the few public landholdings in the unit that holds animals in the later seasons. There ends up being dozens of trucks parked at that gate and everybody hunts the borders around it. (Is that road even supposed to be gated where it hits that piece? Because it is.)

Might as well make it a contiguous piece to improve access and the experience.

PS. Love the wall comment

 

[elkduds]

I like it though they may need to alter the road plans in the Valle Seco section to protect habitat and hunting. That dang Parcel A is a donut hole in the middle of one of the few public landholdings in the unit that holds animals in the later seasons. There ends up being dozens of trucks parked at that gate and everybody hunts the borders around it. (Is that road even supposed to be gated where it hits that piece? Because it is.)

Might as well make it a contiguous piece to improve access and the experience.

PS. Love the wall comment

Parcel A is the main chunk that would become public land, the other is tiny Parcel B, on the northwest corner of this map:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/nfs/11558/www/nepa/112608_FSPLT3_4937434.pdf