MANAGEMENT GUIDE for the SANGRE DE CRISTO WILDERNESS · The Sangre de Cristo Wilderness was...

MANAGEMENT GUIDE for the

SANGRE DE CRISTO WILDERNESS

DRAFT USDA Forest Service and USDI National Park Service

2/22/2011

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Contents INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………….. 1

Purpose……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1 Background………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1 Relationship to Land Management Plans……………………………………………………………. 2

WILDERNESS MANAGEMENT DIRECTION………………………………………………. 3 NATIONAL FOREST – Wilderness Direction………………………………………………………. 4 Wilderness-wide Goals…………………………………………………………………………………. 4 Wilderness-wide Standards and Guidelines…………………………………………………………. 5 The Wilderness Recreation Opportunity Spectrum…………………………………………………. 8 Direction for Pristine Wilderness Settings………………………………………………………….. 10 Direction for Primitive Wilderness Settings………………………………………………………... 13 Direction for Semi-Primitive Wilderness Settings…………………………………………………. 16 Direction for High-Use Wilderness Settings……………………………………………………….. 19 NATIONAL PRESERVE – Wilderness Direction………………………………………………….. 23 Carrying Capacity Direction…………………………………………………………………………. 23 Management Zones…………………………………………………………………………………….. 23 Backcountry Adventure Zone…………………………………………………………………………. 24 Natural / Wild Zone……………………………………………………………………………………. 25 Regulations Specific to the National Preserve……………………………………………………... 27

MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES……………………………………………………………. 28 Guarding against Air Pollution……………………………………………………………………… 28 Restoring Natural Fire Regimes……………………………………………………………………... 31 Checking the Spread of Non-native Species………………………………………………………… 35 Managing Impacts From Recreational Activities………………………………………………….. 37 Maintaining Trails……………………………………………………………………………………… 42

MANAGEMENT ACTIONS…………………………………………………………………... 44 Campsite Conditions…………………………………………………………………………………… 44 Campsite Density……………………………………………………………………………………….. 46 Crowding………………………………………………………………………………………………… 47 Dogs under Control…………………………………………………………………………………….. 49 Recreational-Stock Use………………………………………………………………………………... 50 Noxious Weed Control…………………………………………………………………………………. 52 Other Management Actions…………………………………………………………………………… 53

WILDERNESS CHARACTER MONITORING………………………………………………. 57 LIST OF PREPARERS………………………………………………………………………... 63 WORKS CITED……………………………………………………………………………….. 64 LIST OF APPENDICES……………………………………………………………………….. 67

Appendix A – East Side Visitor Use…………………………………………………………………. 68 Appendix B – West Side Visitor Use……………………………….………………………………… 69 Appendix C – Allocated Outfitter Service Days……………………………………………………. 71 Appendix D – Map of Recreation Capacity by Compartment……………………………………. Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix E – Map of National Forest WROS Designations……………………………………... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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Appendix F – Map of National Preserve Management Zones…………………………………… Error! Bookmark not defined. appendices continued on next page Appendix G – Map of Visitor Use Levels…………………………………………………………… Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix H – Map of Social Encounters Exceeding Standards…………………………………. Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix I – Map of Campsites Exceeding Standards……………………………………………. Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix J – Map of System Trails Exceeding Standards………………………………………... Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix K – Map of Social Trails Exceeding Standards………………………………………... Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix L – Sangre de Cristo Wilderness Education Plan……………………………………… Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix M – Sangre de Cristo Air Quality Plan………………………………………………….. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Management Guide for the

Sangre de Cristo Wilderness San Isabel National Forest Rio Grande National Forest Great Sand Dunes National Preserve

INTRODUCTION

Purpose To guide wilderness managers in maintaining and restoring the comparatively pristine landscapes of the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness for the re-creation of human beings and the wholeness of the earth itself.

Background The Sangre de Cristo Wilderness was designated by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Clinton on August 13, 1993, as part of the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993. The Sangre de Cristo Wilderness encompasses a 70 mile long by 2 to 10 mile wide stretch of the Sangre de Cristo Range. Portions of the wilderness are located within the San Isabel National Forest, Rio Grande National Forest and the Great Sand Dunes National Preserve. Beginning in 1902, public lands in the Sangre de Cristo Range were reserved from homesteading to form the San Isabel Forest Reserve. The Reserve would later become the San Isabel and Rio Grande National Forests. In 2000, the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act;

• changed the designation of the Great Sand Dunes from a National Monument to a National Park, • authorized the purchase of the Luis Maria Baca Land Grant which greatly expanded the

boundaries of the National Park and added the 14,000 acre Baca Mountain Tract to the Rio Grande National Forest, and

• created the Great Sand Dunes National Preserve from roughly 42,000 acres of lands previously administered by the Rio Grande National Forest, including 40,000 acres of the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness.

Table 1.1 displays the acreage of the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness by its various administrative jurisdictions. Initially, the overall size of the wilderness was estimated to be 226, 455 acres. However, the final wilderness boundary description and maps of record (completed Feb 9, 2009) determined the total wilderness acreage to actually be 219,750 acres. The figures in Table 1.1 reflect these official (2009) calculations.

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Table 1.1. Official acreage of the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness by its various jurisdictions (2009) Administrative Jurisdiction

Acres Administrative Jurisdiction

Acres

San Isabel National Forest 93,990 San Carlos Ranger District (58,025) Alamosa County 22,802 Salida Ranger District (35,965) Custer County 45,152 Fremont County 33,135 Rio Grande National Forest 85,180 Huerfano County 15,703 Saguache Ranger District (68,115) Saguache County 102,958 Conejos Peak Ranger District (17,065) Great Sand Dunes National Preserve 40,580

Total Acres 219,750 Total Acres 219,750 The Sangre de Cristo Wilderness contains over 50 alpine lakes and at least 40 named peaks higher than 13,000 feet in elevation, six of which exceed 14,000 feet. Wilderness visitors can access these lakes, peaks and valleys via roughly 200 miles of system trails from 35 primary trailheads. The number of day-use visitors to the wilderness is increasing, while overnight use is comparatively stable. The exception is in those basins that flank popular 14,000-foot peaks, where both day-use and overnight camping are increasing. The long and narrow shape of the wilderness creates additional challenges for protecting the wild character of the area from nearby human influences that include: motorized incursions into the wilderness, low-level aircraft overflights, the spread of non-native species, disruption of wildlife migration patterns, and the heightened risks associated with allowing wildfires to play their ecological role in a wilderness area bordered by human improvements.

Relationship to Land Management Plans Overall guidance for the management of the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness is contained within the following land management plans for the three agencies that administer this wilderness:

• Land and Resource Management Plan for the Pike and San Isabel National Forests (1984) • Land and Resource Management Plan for the Rio Grande National Forest (1996) • General Management Plan for the Great Sand Dunes Park and Preserve (2007)

This Management Guide is intended to assist managers in further refining and implementing the goals, desired conditions, objectives, standards and guidelines outlined in these land management plans as they apply to the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. While, all of the guidance contained in this Management Guide equals or exceeds the standards and direction contained in the above land management plans; it has not received the analysis and public disclosure required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Therefore, the projects or actions identified in the Management Actions section of this document will need to satisfy all applicable NEPA requirements and procedures prior to being implemented.

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WILDERNESS MANAGEMENT DIRECTION What is Wilderness? Wilderness can mean many different things to a variety of people. The two main concepts are sociological or legal based. Sociologically, wilderness is a place where one can experience a recreational or social activity in a natural environment free from development. For a person from an urban environment with little experience in the natural environment, wilderness could be just about any forested area that is relatively undeveloped. The other main concept is wilderness as legally defined by the Wilderness Act of 1964;

“A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. An area of wilderness is further defined to mean in this chapter an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements of human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions and which (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man’s work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation; (3) has at least five thousand acres of land or is of sufficient size to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic or historical value.”

Primary direction for managing wilderness also comes from the Wilderness Act of 1964. The Act states that wilderness areas shall be administered;

“...for the use and enjoyment of the American people in such manner as will leave them unimpaired for future use and enjoyment as wilderness and so as to provide for the protection of those areas, the preservation of their wilderness character...”

and

“...wilderness areas shall be devoted to the public purposes of recreational, scenic, scientific, educational, conservation and historical use.”

and

“...there shall be no commercial enterprise and no permanent road within any wilderness area designated by this Act, and except as necessary to meet minimum requirements for the administration of the area for the purpose of this Act.... there shall be no other form of mechanical transport, and no structure or installation within any such area.”

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NATIONAL FOREST – WILDERNESS DIRECTION Wilderness-wide Goals

1. Maintain or enhance the following elements of Wilderness Character:

a. Untrammeled – wilderness areas are essentially unhindered and free from modern human control or manipulation.

b. Natural Quality – wilderness ecological systems are substantially free from the effects of modern civilization.

c. Undeveloped – wilderness areas are essentially without permanent human improvements or evidence of modern human occupation.

d. Solitude or Primitive Recreation – wilderness areas provide outstanding opportunities for solitude or for primitive and unconfined recreation.

2. Manage the wilderness so that changes in the ecosystem are primarily a consequence of

natural forces, or within a range of natural variability and succession.

3. Wildfires are a key agent of ecological change for nearly all of the ecosystems within wilderness.

4. Maintain wilderness in a natural and untrammeled condition while accommodating human uses.

5. Assist wilderness visitors in becoming knowledgeable about primitive skills and low impact techniques, such as the “Leave No Trace” program.

6. Inspire public citizens to become stewards of the wilderness in partnership with the National Park Service and Forest Service.

7. Protect and preserve historic and cultural resources found in wilderness

8. Use the Wilderness Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (WROS) as the framework for identifying, planning and managing recreational settings and activities within the Forests’ portion of the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness.

9. Wilderness planning, baseline data, and monitoring are in place and ongoing.

10. Research needs are identified, and information is being gathered and transferred.

11. Agency field presence is apparent and effective.

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Wilderness-wide Standards and Guidelines

Recreational Activities

1. Manage recreational use of wilderness areas in a manner that preserves the wilderness

character of the area. Visitor-permit systems or other measures should be implemented to manage recreational use levels or recreational activity patterns when social or environmental conditions are threatened or damaged due to an excessive number of visitors in a specific area.

2. The maximum party size should not exceed 15 persons.

3. The maximum party size for groups traveling with recreational livestock should not exceed 15 persons and the combined total of persons and livestock should not exceed 25 in number.

4. Grazing or confining recreational livestock within 300 feet of streams and lakes or within

riparian areas should be prohibited, except as justified by terrain or specific designs which protect the aquatic and riparian resources.

5. Where forage is limited, recreational livestock users who are camping overnight should

use processed feeds or hay that is free of viable noxious weed seeds to feed their stock.

6. Camping and campfires should be prohibited within 300 feet of streams and lakes or within riparian areas, unless exceptions are justified by terrain or specific designs which protect the aquatic and riparian resources.

7. Disposal of human waste or wash water should be prohibited within 300 feet of any water

source.

8. Campfires should be prohibited where use of wood for fuel is likely to; reduce vegetative diversity, cause noteworthy loss of soil nutrients, create erosion problems, or detract from the overall visual resource objectives for the area. Campfires should be prohibited in all alpine and Krummholz plant communities.

9. Pets should be prohibited from harassing wildlife or other people. Pets should be under

voice control or physical restraint at all times.

10. Use of wagons, carts or other mechanized transport is prohibited, except for persons using wheelchairs as a necessary medical appliance.

11. Competitive contests, group demonstrations, ceremonies, commercial filming and similar

events should normally be prohibited.

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12. Commercial services may be permitted to the extent necessary for those activities which are appropriate for realizing the recreational or educational purposes of wilderness.

13. Rock collecting, recreational panning, sluicing or dredging for minerals should not be

allowed.

14. The abandonment, storage or caching of equipment, supplies or other personal property should be prohibited.

15. The use of permanent climbing anchors should not be allowed: a). on existing climbing

routes that did not previously have permanent anchors; or b). where establishing new routes contributes to an unacceptable density of climbing activity; or c). near sensitive heritage resources or raptor nesting sites.

Fire Management

1. Naturally-ignited wildfires should be used to achieve wilderness management objectives;

including maintenance or restoration of the ecological composition, structure and functioning of fire-dependent ecosystems.

2. Adverse impacts arising from fire suppression activities should be minimized through the

use of minimum impact strategies and tactics (reference Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics in the Incident Response Pocket Guide – National Wildfire Coordinating Group).

Vegetation Management

1. Plant species that are not indigenous to a particular wilderness area should not be

introduced and should be removed or encouraged to depreciate where they already occur.

2. Pulling or other hand methods should be used when treating non-native invasive plant species in situations where hand methods are effective for controlling the target species. If non-native invasive plant species pose a substantial threat to wilderness values and hand treatment is not effective, chemicals or biological agents may be used after thorough evaluation of the risks to non-target species and the possible introduction of additional exotic species.

3. Native insect and disease outbreaks in wilderness areas should be controlled only when

justified by the predicted loss of values outside of the wilderness area.

Livestock Grazing

1. Commercial livestock grazing activities and facilities may be permitted in accordance

with congressional guidelines (reference P.L. 96-56, Sec.108, House of Representatives Report No. 96-617 dated 11/14/79).

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Wildlife and Fish Management

1. Fish and wildlife research and management activities may be permitted in accordance

with the guidelines adopted by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (reference “Policies and Guidelines for Fish and Wildlife Management in National Forest and Bureau of Land Management Wilderness” as amended June 2006).

2. Control of problem predator animals may be permitted in accordance with guidelines

contained in an agreement with the Animal and Plant Heath Inspection Service (reference “Memorandum of Understanding for Wildlife Damage Management Activities on National Forest System Lands” dated 2008).

3. Wildlife and fish species that are not indigenous to a particular wilderness area should not

be introduced and should be removed or encouraged to depreciate where they already occur, except as permitted by the “Policies and Guidelines for Fish and Wildlife Management in National Forest and BLM Wilderness”.

4. Stocking of fish in lakes or streams, that have not previously been stocked, should be

prohibited.

Air Resource Management

1. Air quality and related wilderness values should be protected from the adverse effects of

air pollution. Wilderness managers should work with Colorado State air regulatory agencies in evaluating potential air pollution impacts to the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness and issue adverse impact determinations as warranted.

Heritage Resource Management

1. Heritage structures or features which are not eligible for the National Register of Historic

Places should be removed or allowed to deteriorate naturally, unless they are deemed necessary for administrative or public purposes of the wilderness area.

2. Heritage structures, sites or features that are eligible for the National Register of Historic

Places may be enhanced or stabilized to protect their historic integrity in a manner that is compatible with the wilderness setting.

3. Interpretive signs or facilities should not be provided at heritage structures, sites or

features.

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Other Referenced Direction

Additional direction for management of wilderness areas is found in the:

Clean Air Act (1955) - (P.L. 84-159 as amended by P.L. 88-206 and P.L. 95-95 in 1977) Colorado Wilderness Act (1993) - (P.L. 103-77) Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (2005) - (P.L. 108-447) Wilderness Act (1964) - (P.L. 88-577 as amended in 1978) Wilderness and primitive area regulations (36 CFR 293) Wilderness area prohibitions (36 CFR 261.18 and 261.57) Planning regulations (36 CFR 219) Mining operations in wilderness areas (36 CFR 228.15) Forest Service Manual 2300 – Recreation, Wilderness, and Related Resource

Management

The Wilderness Recreation Opportunity Spectrum Recreation opportunities can be expressed in terms of three principal components: the setting, the activities, and the experience. By managing the natural resource setting and the activities within it, forest managers provide for a range of recreation experiences. The Wilderness Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (WROS) is modeled after the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (USDA FS 1982), yet tailored to wilderness areas. The WROS is a means of classifying and managing recreation opportunities based on physical setting, social setting, and managerial setting. Each class is defined in terms of the degree to which it satisfies certain recreation experience needs, based on the extent to which the natural environment has been modified, the type of facilities provided, the degree of outdoor skills needed to enjoy the area, and the relative density of recreation use. The WROS delineates variations in the degree of isolation from the sounds and influences of people, the amount of recreation visitor use, and management direction within wilderness areas in four general classes of recreation settings, Pristine, Primitive, Semi-Primitive, and High-use, as described in the following sections. Combinations of settings, activities, and experience opportunities are arranged along a continuum from “pristine” (with a very high probability to experience solitude, self reliance, challenge, and/or risk) to “high-use” (with a very high probability to experience social interaction with other hikers along popular trails and/or parking areas near wilderness boundaries). Refer also to Appendix E for a map showing the location of these WROS designations.

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Table 2.1. Comparison of guidelines for recreational activities by WROS setting

Encounters or Evidence of other Visitors by Wilderness Setting

Wilderness Setting

Pristine Primitive Semi-primitive

High-use Destinations

Trail Encounters with other groups

Less than 1 per day

Less than 6 per day

Less than 12 per day

Less than 30 per day

Occupied campsites within sight or sound of a visitor’s camp

None No more than 1

No more than 2

No more than 2

Maximum density of campsites

1 site per 10 acres

1 site per acre or

4 sites per mile of trail

2 sites per acre or


4 sites per acre or


Campsite Condition (norm)

Cole Condition Class 1 or 2

Cole Condition Class 2 or 3

Cole Condition Class 3, 4 or designated 5

Cole Condition Class 3, 4 or designated 5

Table 2.2. Comparative allocation of WROS designations within the National Forest portions of the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness

Administrative Area Pristine (%)

Primitive (%)

Semi-primitive (%)

High Use (%)

San Isabel National Forest 7 69 24 ? Rio Grande National Forest ? ? ? ? Both Forests combined ? ? ? ?

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Direction for Pristine Wilderness Settings Desired Conditions for Pristine Wilderness Settings Pristine Wilderness (PrW) settings are characterized by extensive, unmodified, natural environments. Natural processes and conditions have not been measurably affected by the actions of users. These areas are managed to be as free as possible from the influences of human activity. Terrain and vegetation allow for extensive and challenging cross-country travel. What types of transportation can I use? Foot and horse transportation is generally permissible for cross-country travel. There are no established trails. Motorized vehicles and wheeled vehicles are not permitted. Access for people with disabilities is extremely difficult. What types of activities can I engage in? Primary summer activities include cross-country hiking, backpacking, and horseback riding; mountain climbing, wildlife viewing, hunting, fishing and backcountry tent camping. Primary winter activities include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and winter mountaineering. What does the area look like? Ecological processes, such as natural succession, fire, forest insects and disease function with no apparent human influence. There is no lasting evidence of camping activity or other human uses of the natural environment. How many other people will I encounter? There are outstanding opportunities for solitude and isolation. Encounters with other groups or individuals are rare. What type of experience can I expect to have? Independence, closeness to nature, tranquility and self-reliance through cross-country travel and outdoor skills are available in an environment that offers a very high degree of challenge and risk. The size of PrW settings (typically larger than 5,000 acres in area) gives a very strong feeling of remoteness from the sights and sounds of humans. PrW settings provide a variety of recreational opportunities, including:

• Single and multi-day challenging recreation activities and adventures; • Off-trail scenic backcountry experiences; and a • High degree of self-discovery, solitude and challenge in natural areas.

How much development and what type of amenities will be present? Facilities for dispersed recreation activities are not provided. Visitors are expected to have basic orienteering skills. Directional signage is non-existent. User-created trails or game trails may exist, but they are not maintained or identified on maps or trail guides.

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Management Strategies for Pristine Wilderness Settings Managers monitor conditions and implement management strategies to ensure that PrW settings are retained at their current level of naturalness, or restored as needed. PrW areas are managed to protect and perpetuate their essentially “untouched” natural conditions. Plant species are indigenous to the immediate area; exotic (non-native) plants are extremely rare. Naturally ignited wildfires are not suppressed, but instead managed as a natural ecological force. Activities are regulated primarily to protect natural and cultural resources, or to protect the quality of recreational settings and experiences. On-site signage and controls are non-existent with regulations primarily communicated outside of the PrW area. PrW areas should not be highlighted in guidebooks, brochures or on maps for public distribution. Trails are not constructed or maintained in PrW settings. Visitor travel should be managed so that travel routes are not readily apparent or appear to be wildlife trails. Increasing demand for recreational opportunities should not be accommodated through the expansion of trails in PrW settings. Established campsites should be rare. Campsites may be closed, repaired, rehabilitated, but not hardened when unacceptable environmental or social impacts occur. Facilities such as stock holding corrals are not appropriate in PrW settings. Areas receiving visitor use numbers sufficient that facilities are necessary to protect resources should not be classified Pristine, or use should be controlled to maintain pristine conditions. Pets may be banned from PrW settings to avoid impacts or disruptions to the pristine character of these areas. Scenic Quality

• The Scenic Integrity Objective (SIO) is Preservation.

Access and Travel Management • PrW settings are not suitable for the construction or designation of new trails. • PrW settings are not suitable for the maintenance of existing trails.

Fire and Fuels Management • PrW settings are suitable for Wildland Fire Use (WFU) strategies. • PrW settings are generally not suitable for fire suppression strategies and tactics. • PrW settings are not suitable for tree cutting measures or for prescribed fire treatments.

Other Activities and Uses

• PrW settings are generally not suitable for outfitter and guide operations. • Resource management activities, including livestock grazing, are not permitted in PrW

settings.

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Guidelines for Pristine Wilderness Settings

1. A very low incidence of contact with other groups or individuals should be provided within the following guidelines:

a. Cross-country travel encounters should not exceed 1 other party per day on 80 percent of the days during the primary use season.

b. No other occupied campsites should be within sight or sound of a given visitor’s camp on 80 percent of the days during the primary use season.

2. Manage campsites as follows:

a. Density of campsites should be very low, not to exceed 1 site per 10 acres. b. All campsites should be Cole Condition Class 1 or 2. c. Restore other campsites to Cole Condition Class 1 or 2 or close them.

3. No signs should be provided for resource protection or direction.

4. Trails may exist, but they should not be maintained or constructed, nor should they be

designated as National Forest System (NFS) trails. Where concentrated cross-country travel causes resource damage, take appropriate measures to protect the natural environment.

5. Soil compaction should not occur outside existing established campsites and travel

routes.

6. Campfires should be discouraged.

7. There should be no measurable change in water quality due to human activity.

8. Visitor use shall seldom and only temporarily displace wildlife populations.

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Direction for Primitive Wilderness Settings Desired Conditions - Primitive Wilderness Settings Primitive Wilderness (PW) settings are characterized by essentially unmodified, natural environments. Concentrations of visitors are low and evidence of human use is minimal. Visitors to these areas have a high opportunity for isolation, solitude, exploration, risk, and challenge. What types of transportation can I use? Foot and horse transportation is generally permissible both on NFS trails and for cross-country travel. Motorized vehicles and wheeled vehicles are not permitted. Access for people with disabilities is very difficult. What types of activities can I engage in? Primary summer activities include mountain climbing, hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, hunting, fishing and backcountry tent camping. Primary winter activities include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and winter mountaineering. What does the area look like? Ecological processes, such as natural succession, fire, forest insects and disease function with minimal human influence. There is some evidence of established campsites. How many other people will I encounter? There is a very high probability of experiencing isolation from the sights and sounds of humans. Interaction with other parties is very low and evidence of other visitors is minimal. Campsites are dispersed; usually one does not hear or see any visitors at adjacent campsites. What type of experience can I expect to have? Independence, closeness to nature, tranquility and self-reliance through outdoor skills are available in an environment that offers a high degree of challenge and risk. The size of PW settings (typically larger than 5,000 acres in area) gives a very strong feeling of remoteness from the sights and sounds of humans. PW settings provide a variety of recreational opportunities, including:

• Single and multi-day challenging recreation activities and adventures; • Non-motorized scenic backcountry experiences; and a • High degree of self-discovery, solitude and challenge in natural areas.

How much development and what type of amenities will be present? Facilities for dispersed recreation activities are rare, and are primarily provided to protect natural resources. While maintained NFS trails are present, visitors are expected to have basic orienteering skills. Directional signage is minimal. Informational and regulatory messages may be provided at trailheads.

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Management Strategies for Primitive Wilderness Settings Managers monitor conditions and implement management strategies to ensure that PW settings are retained at their current level of naturalness, or restored as needed. PW settings are managed to protect ecological conditions, the effects of human activity are minimized. Activities are regulated primarily to protect natural and cultural resources, or to protect the quality of recreational settings and experiences. On-site signage and controls are minimal with regulations primarily communicated outside of the PW area. Facilities will not be provided for user comfort or convenience. Only those facilities that are essential for resource protection and visitor safety are appropriate in the PW setting. Native or natural appearing construction materials will be used. Dispersed campsites are located outside of riparian zones and other sensitive resource areas. Campsites may be closed, repaired, rehabilitated, and/or hardened when unacceptable environmental or social impacts occur. NFS trails are generally present at low densities in this PW setting. Existing trails are managed to protect natural resources, mitigate user conflicts and maintain recreational experiences and challenges. Some user developed trails may exist, but are not encouraged for use and rarely upgraded to NFS trails. If user-developed trails become well established, management action should be taken to rehabilitate damage and discontinue use. Reroutes of existing NFS trails may be done to protect resources or to meet wilderness objectives. Construction of new trails in trail-less drainages or to new destinations is generally not acceptable in PW settings. Increasing demand for recreation opportunities is unlikely to be accommodated through the expansion of trails in PW settings. Scenic Quality

• The Scenic Integrity Objective (SIO) is Preservation.

Access and Travel Management • PW settings are generally not suitable for the construction and designation of new trails.

Fire and Fuels Management • PW settings are generally suitable for Wildland Fire Use (WFU) strategies. • PW settings are generally not suitable for fire suppression strategies and tactics. • PW settings are generally not suitable for prescribed fire treatments.


• Resource management activities, with the exception of livestock grazing, are not permitted in PW settings.

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Guidelines for Primitive Wilderness Settings

1. A low incidence of contact with other groups or individuals should be provided within the following guidelines:

a. Trail encounters should not exceed 6 other parties per day on 80 percent of the days during the primary use season.

b. No more than 1 other occupied campsite should be within sight or sound of a visitor’s camp on 80 percent of the days during the primary use season.


a. Density of campsites should be low, not to exceed 1 site per acre or 4 sites per linear mile of trail.

b. Many campsites at destination locations are Cole Condition Class 2 or 3, with some Class 4.

c. Restore Cole Condition Class 5 sites to a lower condition class or close them. 3. A minimal number of signs may be provided for resource protection and for direction at

trail junctions.

4. Bridges may be necessary for resource protection or user safety, but should not be provided merely for user convenience. Native materials should be used as much as possible in the construction of bridges.

5. There should be no measurable change in water quality due to human activity, except for

temporary changes that return to normal when the activity ceases. 6. Dead trees or dead, woody debris may be utilized for campfires in amounts that can be

replaced annually through natural accumulation. 7. Visitor use may temporarily displace wildlife, but should not displace wildlife from

critical habitat during critical periods (e.g. lambing and wintering ranges). 8. Outfitter-guide assigned campsites should not be authorized for longer than 14 days.

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Direction for Semi-Primitive Wilderness Settings Desired Conditions for Semi-Primitive Wilderness Settings Semi-Primitive Wilderness (SPW) settings are characterized by predominantly unmodified natural environments of at least moderate size. System trails and established campsites are present and there is evidence of other visitors. Some facilities may be present to reduce visitor impacts. What types of transportation can I use? Foot and horse transportation is generally permissible both on NFS trails and for cross-country travel. Motorized or wheeled transportation is not permitted. Access for people with disabilities is difficult. What types of activities can I engage in? Primary summer activities include mountain climbing, hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, mountain biking, wildlife viewing, hunting, fishing and backcountry tent camping. Primary winter activities include snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. What does the area look like? Ecological processes, such as natural succession, fire, forest insects and disease function with very little human influence. Evidence of established campsites is common near popular destinations. How many other people will I encounter? There is a high, but not extremely high, probability of experiencing isolation from the sights and sounds of humans. The concentration of visitors is low but there is often evidence of others on trails and near popular destinations. Other campers may be within visible or audible range of your campsite at popular camping areas. What type of experience can I expect to have? Independence, closeness to nature, tranquility, and self-reliance through outdoor skills offer a sense of challenge and risk. The size of SPW settings (typically larger than 2,500 acres in area) gives a strong feeling of remoteness from motor vehicles and from more heavily used and developed areas. SPW settings provide a variety of recreational opportunities, including:

• Single and multi-day challenging recreation activities and adventures; • Non-motorized scenic backcountry experiences; and • Self-discovery and challenge in areas with natural conditions and solitude.

How much development and what type of amenities will be present? Facilities provided for dispersed recreation activities are minimal, and are generally designed to protect natural resources. Travel is primarily along well-defined NFS trails. Trail tread is very evident and trails are normally cleared of downed timber. Directional signage is provided at trail junctions. Informational and regulatory messages are generally provided at trailheads.

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Management Strategies for Semi-Primitive Wilderness Settings Managers monitor conditions and implement management strategies to ensure that SPW settings are retained at their current level of naturalness, or restored as needed. Human uses and activities are evident within the area. Management emphasizes sustaining and protecting natural conditions. Activities are regulated primarily to protect natural and cultural resources, or to protect the quality of recreational settings and experiences. Directional and informational signage is in place in order to support sustainable dispersed recreation use. Facilities will be as natural appearing as possible or will be constructed out of native material. No facilities will be constructed for user convenience or comfort. Facilitates will be placed so as to concentrate heavy impact on areas previously impacted and on sites capable of withstanding high impacts. On-site controls and restrictions (i.e. signage and travel barriers) are present but subtle. Dispersed campsites are located outside of riparian zones and other sensitive resource areas. Campsites may be closed, repaired, rehabilitated, and/or hardened when unacceptable environmental or social impacts occur. New trails constructed in SPW settings will be designed to protect natural resources, mitigate user conflicts, or enhance recreational experiences and challenges. Increasing demand for recreation opportunities may be somewhat accommodated through limited opportunities for expansion of trails. New trails are constructed primarily through the active involvement of advocacy groups, partnerships and volunteers. Adequate maintenance and services at some sites and trails are sustained through the work of partners and volunteers. Scenic Quality

• The Scenic Integrity Objective (SIO) is Preservation. Access and Travel Management

• SPW settings may be suitable for the construction and designation of new trails

Fire and Fuels Management • SPW settings are generally suitable for Wildland Fire Use (WFU) strategies. • SPW settings are generally suitable for fire suppression strategies and tactics. • SPW settings are generally not suitable for prescribed burning.


• Resource management activities, with the exception of livestock grazing, are not permitted in SPW settings.

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Guidelines for Semi-Primitive Wilderness Settings

1. A moderate incidence of contact with other groups or individuals should be provided within the following guideline:


b. No more than 2 other occupied campsites are within sight or sound of a visitor’s camp on 80 percent of the days during the primary use season.


a. Density of campsites may be moderate to high, not to exceed 2 sites per acre or 8 sites per linear mile of trail.

b. Concentrate use in Cole Condition Class 3 and 4 sites. c. Manage Cole Condition Class 5 sites as either designated sites or restore to a

lower condition class. 3. Signs may be used for resource protection. Some regulatory signage may be posted at

key locations such as lakeshores and campsites to help gain visitor compliance. Posting of general information and regulations will be limited to trailheads. Directional signage will be provided at trail junctions.

4. Bridges may be necessary for resource protection or user safety, but should not be

provided merely for user convenience. Native materials should be used as much as possible in the construction of bridges.



replaced annually through natural accumulation. 7. Displacement of wildlife due to visitor use may be significant but should be of short

duration to assure a natural ecosystem is maintained. Visitor use should not displace wildlife from critical habitat during critical periods (e.g. lambing and wintering ranges).

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Direction for High-Use Wilderness Settings

Desired Conditions for High-Use Wilderness Settings High Use Wilderness (HUW) settings are characterized by predominantly unmodified environments; however, the concentrations of visitors may be moderate to high at various times. These high-profile backcountry destination areas include: the routes and alpine basins leading to wilderness peaks that exceed 14,000 feet in elevation and scenically spectacular lake basins or meadows that are less than a day’s hike from trailheads. These areas may also have a large number of day users who are often mixed with overnight and long-distance travelers on trails near trailheads and wilderness boundaries. What types of transportation can I use? Foot and horse transportation is generally permissible both on NFS trails and for cross-country travel. Motorized or wheeled transportation is not permitted. Access for people with disabilities is difficult. What types of activities can I engage in? Primary summer activities include mountain climbing, hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, mountain biking, wildlife viewing, hunting, fishing and backcountry tent camping. Primary winter activities include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and winter mountaineering. What does the area look like? Ecological processes, such as natural succession, fire, forest insects and disease function with very little human influence. Evidence of established campsites is common near popular destinations. How many other people will I encounter? There is a low to moderate probability of experiencing isolation from the sights and sounds of humans. The overall concentration of visitors is moderate but there is frequently evidence of others on trails and near popular destinations. Other campers are frequently within visible or audible range of your campsite at popular camping areas. What type of experience can I expect to have? Independence, closeness to nature, tranquility, and self-reliance through outdoor skills offer a sense of challenge and risk. HUW settings provide a variety of recreational opportunities, including:

• Single and multi-day challenging recreation activities and adventures; • Non-motorized scenic backcountry experiences; and • Self-discovery and challenge in areas with natural conditions.

How much development and what type of amenities will be present? Facilities for dispersed recreation activities are primarily designed to protect natural resources. Travel is primarily along well-defined NFS trails. Trail tread is very evident and trails are normally cleared of downed timber. Directional signage is provided at trail junctions. General informational and regulatory messages are provided at trailheads. Some regulatory signage may be posted at key locations such as lakeshores and campsites.

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Management Strategies for High-Use Wilderness Settings Managers monitor conditions and implement management strategies to ensure that HUW settings are retained at their current level of naturalness, or restored as needed. Despite high visitation levels, HUW settings will be managed to provide high quality backcountry experiences with acceptably low levels of resource impact. Sustaining these HUW settings requires relatively intensive maintenance of trails, campsites, lakeshores and mountaineering routes. Additionally, research and patrol activities are necessary to establish, monitor and regulate the recreational and environmental carrying-capacities of these HUW settings. Visitor experiences in HUW settings will stress immersion in undeveloped natural landscapes with access to the inspiration and challenge that wilderness provides. Despite high visitation, opportunities for solitude, contemplation and reflection are nonetheless outstanding in relation to everyday life. In addition, HUW settings provide opportunities for initial exposure to wilderness settings, development of backcountry skills, and opportunities for outdoor education. Activities are regulated primarily to protect natural and cultural resources, or to protect the quality of recreational settings and experiences. HUW settings absorb much of the demand for wilderness recreational experiences. Comparatively high levels of visitation will be permitted in identified HUW settings. Resource impacts will be confined spatially so that the overall impacted area of even high-use sites is minimized. Dispersed campsites are located outside of riparian zones and other sensitive resource areas. Campsites may be closed, repaired, rehabilitated, and/or hardened when unacceptable environmental or social impacts occur. Directional and informational signage is in place in order to support sustainable dispersed recreation use. Wilderness ranger patrols and administrative contacts with visitors will occur most frequently in the HUW setting, particularly on weekends and at popular destination points. Facilities will be constructed out of native materials or will be as natural appearing as possible. No facilities will be constructed for user convenience or comfort. Facilitates will be placed so as to concentrate heavy impacts on areas previously impacted and on sites capable of withstanding high impacts. On-site controls and restrictions (i.e. signage and travel barriers) are present but subtle. Personnel involved in project work and monitoring activities are regularly present in HUW settings. Major work projects should be implemented during low visitor use periods. Work groups should conform to wilderness party size limitations and be sensitive to their potential impact on visitor experiences. New trails constructed in HUW settings will be designed to protect natural resources, mitigate user conflicts, or enhance recreational experiences and challenges. Increasing demand for recreation opportunities may be somewhat accommodated through the hardening of existing trails, climbing routes and campsites.

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New trails are constructed primarily through the active involvement of advocacy groups, partnerships and volunteers. Adequate maintenance and services at many HUW sites and trails are supported through the work of partners and volunteers. In addition, recreation permit or fee systems may be instituted at some HUW locations to regulate visitor use and to subsidize maintenance, wilderness ranger patrols and ecological restoration activities. Pets and recreational livestock may be banned from HUW settings for protection of wildlife, the natural environment or other visitors’ wilderness experience. Scenic Quality

• The Scenic Integrity Objective (SIO) is Preservation. Access and Travel Management

• HUW settings are suitable for the construction and designation of new trails.

Fire and Fuels Management • HUW settings are generally suitable for Wildland Fire Use (WFU) strategies. • HUW settings are generally suitable for fire suppression strategies and tactics. • HUW settings are generally not suitable for prescribed burning.


• Resource management activities are not permitted, with the exception of livestock grazing which is generally not suitable in HUW settings.

Guidelines for High-Use Wilderness Settings

1. A high incidence of contact with other groups or individuals often occurs within the following guidelines:


b. No more than 2 other occupied campsites are within sight or sound of a visitor’s camp on 80 percent of the days during the primary use season.


a. Density of campsites may be high, but should not to exceed 4 sites per acre or 12 sites per linear mile of trail.

b. Concentrate use in Cole Condition Class 3 and 4 sites. c. Manage Cole Condition Class 5 sites as either designated sites or rehabilitate to a

lower condition class. d. Overnight camping may be restricted to designated sites. e. Campfires may be prohibited. f. Camping with recreational livestock may be prohibited.

3. Signs may be used for resource protection. Some regulatory signage may be posted at

key locations such as lakeshores and campsites to help gain visitor compliance. Posting

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of general information and regulations will be limited to trailheads. Directional signage will be provided at trail junctions.

4. Bridges may be necessary for resource protection or user safety, but should not be

provided merely for user convenience. Native materials should be used as much as possible in the construction of bridges.



replaced annually through natural accumulation. Prohibit campfires in areas where human removal of dead wood exceeds the natural accumulation or where damage to live trees from wood gathering is chronic.

7. Visitor use should not displace wildlife from critical habitat during critical periods (e.g.

lambing and wintering ranges). 8. Displacement and erosion of soil resulting from human activity will be limited to a rate

that approximates natural processes.

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NATIONAL PRESERVE – WILDERNESS DIRECTION

Carrying Capacity Direction The National Park Service defines visitor carrying capacity as “the type and level of visitor use that can be accommodated while sustaining desired resource conditions and visitor experiences in the park.” Carrying capacity does not necessarily involve identifying a “magic number” for visitor use, nor does it necessarily imply closures or use limits. This General Management Plan (GMP) for the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve addresses carrying capacity in the following ways:

• It identifies desired resource and visitor experience conditions for each management zone. • It identifies the principal resource and visitor experience concerns for each management zone

(and related indicators) so that park managers can collect baseline data that will assist with setting preliminary standards.

• For each resource concern, it lists potential management actions that might be used to address deteriorating trends or unacceptable conditions.

• It identifies specific geographic areas for special monitoring attention.

A wilderness management plan, tiered off the GMP, will provide more specific direction for addressing carrying capacity. With limited NPS personnel and budgets, park managers must focus carrying capacity efforts on areas where there are definite concerns and/or clear evidence of problems. This means that monitoring should concentrate on areas where: conditions violate standards (or threaten to), conditions are changing rapidly, specific and important values are threatened by visitation, or effects of management actions or visitation are unknown. Within the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, the Upper and Lower Sand Creek Lakes areas deserve special carrying capacity attention.

Management Zones Management zones define specific resource conditions, visitor opportunities, and management approaches to be achieved and maintained in each area of the park and preserve. Similar to city or county zoning, management zones provide predictable expectations for the condition of areas of the park and preserve. Two management zones, the Backcountry Adventure Zone and the Natural / Wild Zone, have been identified for those portions of the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness within the Great Sand Dunes National Preserve. Refer to Appendix F for a map of National Preserve Management Zones.

Table 2.3. Management zones within the National Preserve portions of the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness

Administrative Area Backcountry Adventure Zone

(% of Admin. Area)

Natural / Wild Zone

(% of Admin. Area) Great Sand Dunes National Preserve

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Backcountry Adventure Zone Overview These are natural landscapes with a few facilities, such as designated trails, backcountry campsites, and backcountry patrol cabins. Encounters with other hikers are common on trails during busy visitor periods, but solitude can always be found in off-trail areas. Hiking, backcountry camping, and horseback riding are common activities. Resources may be manipulated, when necessary, to restore damaged areas, to preserve or maintain cultural resources, or to direct visitor use to avoid resource impacts. The Backcountry Adventure Zone occurs in both wilderness and non-wilderness areas. Resource Condition Natural systems and processes prevail, with minimal human alteration. Segments of the natural landscape may be altered (e.g. campsites defined, water bars and privies installed) to protect resources from negative impacts. Resources may be manipulated when necessary to restore damaged areas, to preserve or maintain cultural resources, or to direct visitor use to avoid resource impacts. Alterations are designed to blend with the natural landscape. Visitor Opportunities Travel is by foot or horseback. Visitors have a sense of being in the natural landscape and opportunities to view, access, and experience some of the park’s prime resources. Encounters with other visitors are common on trails during park busy periods, but solitude can always be found in off-trail areas. Visitors are somewhat self-reliant and need basic outdoor skills. There are some opportunities for adventure and discovery. Visitors have opportunities to experience natural soundscapes and lightscapes. There may be limits on numbers of visitors, length of stay, group size, and overnight use to protect resources or visitor experience. A visitor permit system may be implemented if needed to protect resources. Facilities and Activities Common visitor activities include hiking, backpacking, hunting (in the preserve only), fishing, backcountry camping, and horseback riding (bicycles are not permitted). Visitor access is by foot or horseback. Appropriate kinds of facilities include primitive or maintained trails, trails marked by cairns or markers, backcountry campsites, backcountry privies, and patrol cabins. In designated wilderness, management is consistent with NPS wilderness management policies. Appropriate commercial services include guided activities: hunting and fishing, hiking, horseback riding, pack animal trips, photography, bird/wildlife viewing, and mountaineering/climbing. Carrying Capacity Principal resource concerns and indicators for the backcountry adventure zone: There is concern about invasive nonnative plants becoming established, especially in more accessible areas of the expanded national park that are newly open to public use (e.g., the northernmost portion of the national park, and Deadman and Sand Creek corridors). Possible indicators: incidence of such plants in new areas. Possible management actions to address this concern: require use of weed-free hay, increased education, and other visitor-oriented measures to limit spread of weed seeds.

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There is concern about soil compaction, social trails, erosion, vegetation trampling and loss, and tree damage in areas of heavy visitor/ equestrian use (e.g., around Upper Sand Creek Lake) and in areas of new visitor use (e.g., northernmost portion of the national park). This is also a visitor experience concern. Possible indicators: linear feet of social trails, number and size of problem sites (e.g., denuded areas, wide muddy spots on trails), number of damaged trees. Possible management actions to address this concern: rehabilitate disturbed areas, create designated campsites, install planking across wet areas, require “leave-no-trace” practices, allow stoves only (no wood fires), require backcountry permits, limit number (or duration of stay) of horses. There is a human waste problem— a health, water quality, and visitor experience concern—from visitors who do not adhere to the park’s sanitary regulations, particularly in the Upper and Lower Sand Creek lakes area. Possible indicators: fecal coliform counts in nearby lakes and streams, toilet tissue “counts” or surveys. Possible management actions to address this concern: provide primitive toilets in problem areas, require visitors to pack waste out, expand education efforts. Wildlife concerns include bears becoming habituated to humans, declining bighorn sheep numbers (unknown cause), and fishing impacts on reestablished native fish populations. Possible indicators: fish surveys, number of human/ bear encounters, bighorn sheep population size/health. Possible management actions to address these concerns: require use of bear canisters/lockers for food (under way); fishing restrictions designed, in consultation with the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW), to protect native fishes, bighorn sheep research conducted jointly by the National Park Service and CDOW. Principal visitor experience concerns and indicators for the backcountry adventure zone: In this zone, solitude is a desired condition in off-trail areas, but the zone allows for frequent encounters along trails during busy visitor periods. The Upper and Lower Sand Creek lakes areas are of particular concern; use is increasing so that it’s difficult at times to find solitude and good camping locations. Possible indicator: proportion of visitors who saw or heard too many other visitors in off-trail areas (exit survey). Possible management actions to address this concern: tighter restrictions on camping around lakes, create designated campsites, require visitor permits, work cooperatively with the USFS regarding capacity and management in large areas with a common boundary.

Natural / Wild Zone Overview This is the wildest zone. It protects natural resources and provides opportunities for physical challenge, adventure, and solitude. These are relatively remote, trailess, natural areas that provide great opportunities for challenge and adventure. The expectation for solitude is high and can be found in most of this zone. Hunting (preserve only), hiking, backcountry camping, and horseback riding are common activities. Natural and cultural resources are generally unaltered and unaffected by human influences. This zone occurs in wilderness or nonwilderness.

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Resource Condition Natural systems and processes prevail, and natural and cultural resources are generally unaltered and unaffected by human influences. Evidence of recreational use is not readily apparent. Resource inventory and monitoring activities help to identify and protect resources. Rare or special plant communities receive management emphasis for preservation and protection. Archeological sites are protected in place. Natural soundscapes and the dark night sky predominate. Visitor Opportunities Visitors explore and enjoy relatively remote areas in a natural setting by foot or horseback. Opportunities for solitude, independence, closeness to nature, and adventure are readily available. Expectation for solitude is high and it can be found in most areas of this zone; there are few encounters with other people. Visitors are self-reliant and require good outdoor skills because these areas are without comforts or conveniences. Visitors have opportunities to experience natural soundscapes and lightscapes. There may be limits on numbers of visitors, length of stay, and overnight use. A visitor permit system may be implemented if needed to protect resources or visitor experience. Facilities and Activities Common visitor activities include off-trail hiking, backcountry camping, horseback riding, guided or unguided hunting (within the national preserve only), and fishing. Visitor access is by foot or horseback (bicycling is not permitted). Overnight use may be limited in certain areas. Management activities include research and monitoring, and stabilization and restoration of natural and cultural resources. There are generally no facilities (examples of exceptions: unmaintained historic structures, research plots, and monitoring wells). In designated wilderness, management is consistent with NPS wilderness management policies. Occasional administrative use of mechanized tools or transport may be used, as necessary, outside of wilderness. Appropriate commercial services include guided activities: hunting and fishing, hiking, horseback riding, pack animal trips, photography, bird/wildlife viewing, and mountaineering/climbing. Carrying Capacity Principal resource concerns and indicators for the natural/wild zone: Same as for the backcountry adventure zone. Principal visitor experience concerns and indicators for the natural/wild zone: In this zone, a desired condition is that solitude can be found and there are few encounters with other people. The Upper and Lower Sand Creek lakes areas are of particular concern; use is increasing so that it’s difficult at times to find solitude and good camping locations. Possible indicator: proportion of visitors who saw or heard too many other visitors in off-trail areas (exit survey). Possible management actions to address this concern: tighter restrictions on camping around lakes, require visitor permits, work cooperatively with the USFS regarding capacity and management in large areas with a common boundary.

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Regulations Specific to the National Preserve The following are regulations are applicable to public use and visitation for that portion of the Sangre De Cristo Wilderness within the Great Sand Dunes National Preserve:

• Pets must be on a leash, no longer than 6 feet long, at all times except that dogs may be loosed only while engaged in legitimate hunting activities.

• Camping is not allowed within 200 feet of trails except within campsites that were established by popular use before 11/22/2000. Camping is also not allowed within 100 feet of streams except within campsites that were established by popular use prior to 11/22/2000. These sites are marked by a Carsonite© stake with camping symbol decal affixed. Camping is not allowed in krumholtz tree zones and above.

• Fruits, nuts, and berries may be collected for personal use only in a quantity not to exceed 1 quart each. Mushrooms may be collected in a quantity not to exceed 2 pounds. Dead wood on the ground that is less than 4 inches in diameter may be collected for campfires. Otherwise, all natural products including rocks and minerals, antlers or other wildlife parts, plants, etc, may not be collected and removed.

• Human waste and wash water must be disposed of at least 100 feet from any stream or body of water.

• Caching of supplies and equipment is permissible provided that the NPS is notified in advance of when and where the cache will be made. Caches may be set in no sooner than one week in advance of the trip and must be removed within one week after the trip concludes. Caches must be stored in a wildlife proof manner and without digging or otherwise altering natural conditions.

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MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES The primary challenges to protecting the wilderness values associated with the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness are: 1) guarding against air pollution, 2) restoring the natural fire regimes, 3) checking the spread of non-native invasive species, 4) managing the impacts from recreational activities, and 5) maintaining trails. These challenges in sustaining the area’s wilderness character are summarized in the following section.

GUARDING AGAINST AIR POLLUTION Refer also to Appendix M - Air Quality Plan for the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness.

Acid deposition Acid deposition is the result of gaseous emissions of sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides that undergo complex reactions in the atmosphere resulting in the formation of sulfuric and nitric acid, respectively. The major source of sulfur dioxide is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, fuel oil and diesel. The predominant sources of nitrogen oxides are motor vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions. Acids accumulate in the snow pack over the winter and are released in the first 10-20% of snowmelt in a phenomenon known as the acid pulse. Some species of fish, salamanders and other aquatic life that are breeding around the time of the pulse may be adversely affected. In high elevation lakes, rising nitrogen deposition substantially increases their phytoplankton biomass, making them susceptible to eutrophication (depletion of oxygen needed by fish and other aquatic animals). High altitude lakes and ponds in Colorado tend to be very sensitive to acid deposition as they are poorly buffered (Musselman and Slauson 2004). A 1993-95 study examined all high elevation lakes within the wilderness for their susceptibility to the effects of acid deposition. Approximately 25% of the lakes in examined in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness were found to be sensitive to acidification (Musselman and Slauson 2004). The Forests have participated in the high mountain lake-testing program (for acid deposition) within the Rocky Mountain Region since 1995. Three lakes in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness; Upper Little Sand Creek, and Upper and Lower Stout Lakes, are currently sampled three times a year. Tables 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 summarize the significant trends for Acid Neutralizing Capacity (ANC), Nitric Acid (HNO3) and Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4) at Upper Stout Lake, Lower Stout Lake and Upper Little Sand Creek Lake. Table 3.1. Acid deposition trends at Upper Stout Lake (1996-2007) ANC – 33 observations NO3 – 33 observations SO4 – 33 observations

Sig.

Trend?

Sen’s Slope

(units/yr) Conf. Level

Sig. Trend?

Sen’s Slope


Sig. Trend?

Sen’s Slope


Outlet Trend Questionable

+1.62 80% Yes +0.027 90% Yes +0.056 99%

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Table 3.2. Acid deposition trends at Lower Stout Lake (1996-2007) ANC – 33 observations NO3 – 33 observations SO4 – 33 observations

Sig.

Trend?

Sen’s Slope


Sig. Trend?

Sen’s Slope


Sig. Trend?

Sen’s Slope


Outlet No Trend

-0.339 --- Yes +0.049 99% Yes +0.085 99%

Table 3.3. Acid deposition trends at Upper Little Sand Creek Lake (1996-2007) ANC – 30 observations NO3 – 30 observations SO4 – 30 observations

Sig.

Trend?

Seasonal Slope


Sig. Trend?

Sen’s Slope


Sig. Trend?

Seasonal Slope


Outlet No +5.782 --- Yes -0.059 99% Yes +0.056 99% As the tables above show, all three lakes are experiencing significant upward trends in SO4. Upper and Lower Stout Lakes also show a significant upward trends in NO3, while Upper Little Sand Creek Lake shows a downward trend in NO3. For more detailed information on acid deposition at these lakes refer to the following report: “Water Chemistry Review of Acid Neutralizing Capacity, Nitrate, and Sulfate for Upper Stout Lake, Lower Stout Lake and Upper Little Sand Creek Lake in the Sangre De Cristo Wilderness” (Gauthier and Mebane 2008). Nitrogen deposition Increased nitrate concentrations (NO3), from urban and industrial pollution sources, have been measured in alpine ecosystems along the Front Range in the late 20th century. Long-term studies in Rocky Mountain National Park show nitrogen levels 15-20 times higher than estimated natural background levels. Measured levels of deposition have been rising about 2.5% per year over the past 20 years (Bowman et al. 2002). The biogeochemistry of some alpine ecosystems along the Front Range is now outside the historic range of variability (Veblen and Donnegan 2005). Tundra communities are particularly susceptible to atmospheric deposition from air pollution due to their low capacity to buffer atmospheric inputs. While, some alpine plants respond to greater nitrogen availability by increasing vegetative production, this increase creates changes in the species composition of the tundra community. Many of the dominant alpine species do not respond to additional nitrogen. Subdominant species, typically grasses, some forbs, and nonnative invasive species disproportionately increase in abundance when nitrogen availability is increased and eventually out-compete the dominant flowering plants (Fenn et.al. 2003). The amount or effects of nitrogen deposition on alpine communities in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness are unknown at this time. Changes in Visibility Visibility is a measure of how clearly distant objects can be seen. This impairment to visibility is commonly called haze. Haze results from the scattering and absorption of light by particles and gases in the air. Visibility impairing pollutants increase the absorption and scattering of light, which thereby

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reduces the clarity and color of what we see. Visibility is the biophysical condition related to air quality that is most sensitive to changes in human sources and activities. Long before changes are detected in other biophysical processes, such as nutrient cycling, visibility measurements will show change in both degradation and improvements. Air pollutants can degrade scenic vistas and visitors perception of the wilderness experience. Visual air quality measurements provide a direct link between the concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere and the degradation of natural clean air in the wilderness. This natural condition has been estimated for all areas of the country as part of the Environmental Protection Agencies’ regional haze tracking program. Today the average visual range in most of the western United States, including wilderness areas, is 60-100 miles. This is about 50 to 65% of the natural visual range that would exist in the absence of air pollution (National Research Council 1993). The nearest visibility monitoring site to the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness is located at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. The data collected from this visibility-monitoring site, is shown in Table 3.4.

Table 3.4. Measurements of visibility impairment at Great Sand Dunes (US EPA 2007) Monitoring Year

(bold text indicates peak years for visibility

impairment)

Annual Mean for Aerosol Impairment

Units

Monitoring Year (bold text indicates

peak years for visibility impairment)

Annual Mean for Aerosol Impairment

Units

1991 15.16 2004 1992 13.75 2005 1993 13.90 2006 1994 15.96 2008 1995 12.11 2010 1996 13.10 2011 1997 13.29 2012 1998 15.50 2013 1999 13.59 2014 2000 17.46 2015 2001 14.04 2002 16.95 2003 14.88

Mean for the measurement period

14.81

Get data through 2010 if possible.

Mean for the measurement period

The data show a relatively stable trend for visibility impairment since 1991. The peak years for visibility impairment all coincide with large wildfire events that occurred upwind of the monitoring site. Light Pollution Radiant light from distant Front Range metropolitan areas and local sources has elevated the sky brightness by only 1-10% over the natural background for most parts of the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness (Albers and Duriscoe 2001). Night sky measurements at Great Sand Dunes National Park show very little degradation of the night sky viewing quality. The mean Zenithal Limiting Magnitude at Great Sand Dunes is 7.00 zlm., which places the park in Shaaf Class 7 (excellent) for night sky viewing.

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RESTORING NATURAL FIRE REGIMES Fire Management Policies In the early 1900s public concern for protecting the forests from fire ushered in a period of aggressive fire suppression, which has continued to the present. With suppression of all fires, both natural and human-caused, the fire regimes that occurred historically have been altered. Suppressing naturally ignited fires detracts from the character of the wilderness by failing to sustain fire-dependent ecological systems that are substantially free from the effects of modern civilization. Large and severe fires are part of the natural pattern for subalpine forests, and to a lesser extent upper montane forests. Large and severe fires in these forests usually coincide with extended droughts. Once a fire becomes established, the extreme environment under which large fires in these forests typically burn often overwhelms fire suppression efforts. Fire suppression strategies have focused on keeping all fires from becoming established, suppressing them while they are still small. However, allowing naturally occurring fires to play as large a role in these landscapes as is safely feasible, under low to moderate fire conditions, would create areas of reduced fuels and reduced fire severity during extreme fire events of the future. Forest Service policy for the management of fire in wilderness is found in FSM 2324.2. The objectives of fire management in wilderness areas are to:

1. Permit lightning-caused fires to play, as nearly as possible, their natural ecological role within wilderness.

2. Reduce, to an acceptable level, the risks and consequences of wildfire within a wilderness or escaping from wilderness.

While Forest Service and National Park Service policy states intent to manage lightning-caused fires within wilderness to achieve ecological objectives; until just recently, all potentially large fires within the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness had been suppressed. In ????, the Rio Grande National Forest amended its Fire Management Plan to allow for management of naturally-ignited fires. In ???? the NPS drafted a Fire Management Plan that authorized managing wildfires for natural resource benefits. During 2008 the Forest Plan and the Fire Management Plan for the Pike and San Isabel National Forests were amended to encourage management of lightning-caused fires for ecological objectives within the San Isabel N.F. portion of the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. The 2009 Guidance for implementation of the Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy allows any naturally-ignited wildfire to be managed for multiple objectives by following this decision sequence:

1. Provide for the safety of employees and the public. 2. Protect communities and infrastructure, natural and cultural resources. 3. Restore and maintain fire-adapted ecosystems.

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Restoring Natural Fire Regimes Wildfires are a key agent of ecological change for nearly all of the ecosystems within the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. Individual plants and plant communities have evolved with fire and have adapted to it in various ways. Fires occurred naturally at certain time intervals, which varied by vegetation and climatic conditions. These fires created and maintained a mosaic of different vegetative age classes and species mixtures across the landscape. Periodic fires were essential to maintaining the health and diversity of plant communities and sustaining proper functioning of most Sangre de Cristo ecosystems. Table 3.5 displays the results of fire history study of the Sangre de Cristo Range that was completed by Colorado State University in 1998. Table 3.5. Summary of historic1

fire frequency and fire extent for subalpine and montane forests on the east and west sides of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (Alington 2008)

Disturbance Size per Valley* (% of forested area)

Disturbance Size per Valley ** (hectares / acres)

Mean Fire Interval per Valley (years between major fire events)

Frequency of Fires (number of fires per 100 hectares per 100 years)

West side valley Subalpine forest

57 1130 / 2790 92 0.06

West side valley Montane forest

19 377 / 930 118 0.37

East side valley Subalpine forest

16 16 / 230 93 0.44

East side valley Montane forest

6 35 / 85 30 2.13

* Estimates are from the patch size / age distribution method ** Based on 1983 hectares of forested area in the average west side valley

and 588 hectares of forested area in the average east side valley A fire regime is the periodicity and pattern of naturally-occurring fires in a particular area or vegetative type, described in terms of frequency, biological severity, and spatial extent. The following fire regimes represent our best estimate of the “natural” ecological conditions that existed prior to Euro-American settlement. Fire regimes serve as a historical or natural benchmark for certain values, such as fire frequency, fire severity, forest structural stage and species composition. Fire Regime Groups have been created to group major vegetative cover types into categories with similar fire return intervals and fire behavior characteristics. Table 3.6 lists these Fire Regime Groups for the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, their associated primary cover types, and total acres in each group. Fire severity and burn characteristics are also integrated.

1 The reference period that was used for assessing the historic range of ecological conditions, prior to the Euro-American settlement period, extends from the 15th century through 1850.

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Table 3.6. Fire Regime Groups Fire Regime Group

Primary Cover Type(s) Fire Frequency (Mean Fire Return Interval); and Fire Type and Severity

Total Acres

1 Ponderosa Pine with grass

0 – 35+ years, (Frequent); Surface Fires and Mixed Surface and Canopy Fires

???

2 Montane shortgrass prairie and mountain shrubs

0 – 35+ years, (Frequent); Stand Replacement Fires

???

3 Douglas / White fir, Ponderosa Pine, Gamble Oak, and Mixed Conifer

35 – 100+ years, (Infrequent); Surface Fires and Mixed Surface and Canopy Fires

???

4 Lodgepole pine, Aspen and mountain sage and non-forested riparian areas

35 – 100+ years, (Infrequent); Stand Replacement Fires

???

5 Englemann Spruce, Englemann spruce/Sub-alpine fir type, Pinyon-Juniper, Bristlecone Pine and Limber Pine, and alpine communities

200+ years; (Rare); Stand Replacement Fires, with intervening Surface Fires and Mixed Surface and Canopy Fires

???

No Fire

Bare soil, rock, water None ???

Using the above Fire Regime Groups and LANDFIRE modeling techniques, it is possible to produce a rough estimate of the average annual acreage burned by wildfires prior to Euro-American settlement. This same methodology can be used to create basic projections, in Table 3.7 below, for the average annual acres of wildfire burning needed to begin restoring the historic / natural fire regimes in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. For comparison purposes, the fire frequency findings from Alington’s 1998 Fire History and Patterns in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains can be used to calculate similar projections. Table 3.7. Average annual acres of wildfire burning needed

to begin restoring natural fire regimes in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness Average Annual Acres Needing to be Burned,

by Fire Regime Group* FRG1 FRG2 FRG3 FRG4 FRG5 TOTAL

San Isabel National Forest 225 30 520 270 40 1085 Rio Grande National Forest ? ? ? ? ? ? Great Sand Dunes National Preserve ? ? ? ? ? ?

*Based on LANDFIRE modeling Check w/ Dennis on methodology, and if projections include NF lands outside wilderness and if it includes the Salida portion of the Sangres.

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Table 3.8 is intended to be used for active tracking of the burned acreage (post 2000) in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness by year, ignition source, acres burned by severity level, and fire management strategy employed. This will allow wilderness managers to periodically compare the actual burned acreage against the desired acreage needing to burn in order to restore natural / historic fire regimes. Table 3.8. Wildfire tracking by year, ignition source, acres burned by severity level and the fire management strategy employed (post 2000) Fire Name Year Ignition

Source Total Acres Burned

Acres Burned High Severity

Acres Burned Mixed Severity

Acres Burned Low Severity

Fire Mgmt. Strategy and Jurisdiction

????? ???? ??? Big Cottonwood 2007 lightning 300 200 100 SI - Confinement Medano 2010 lightning 6,000 ? ? ? GSD – Eco. Objectives

SI - Confinement

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CHECKING THE SPREAD OF NON-NATIVE SPECIES Maintaining or restoring the historical integrity of natural plant and animal communities is an integral part of wilderness management. The introduction and spread of non-native invasive plants, animals, pathogens, and fungi can cause degradation or loss of habitat for native species and significantly alter the composition, structure, and function of natural communities. Non-native invasive species, especially those that quickly increase in population size and distribution, directly compete with native species for nutrients, food, shelter and growing space. The non-native invasive species that pose the greatest threats to the natural plant and animal communities within the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness are listed in Table 3.9. The species in Table 3.9 were introduced by modern humans and are now directly competing with, and in some cases completely displacing, indigenous species and ecological processes within the wilderne

MANAGEMENT GUIDE for the SANGRE DE CRISTO WILDERNESS · The Sangre de Cristo Wilderness was...

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