After a year-and-a-half on the shelf, a proposal by the Kokopelli Bike Club to extend the nonmotorized trail system for 17 miles is being reviewed under the National Environmental Policy Act, reports Jeff Christenson, a BLM recreation planner for the Tres Rios office.<\/p>\n
A map of the plan, released Nov. 6, shows a new loop in the Stinking Springs Canyon area, and additional loops and trails to the north of the park, including around Cash Canyon and Simon Draw.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve kicked off the NEPA process, and are setting up field trips with staff to look at the proposed routes, hopefully before the snow flies,\u201d Christenson said. \u201cI like what the bike club has presented so far and appreciate their patience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recreation staff \u2013 along with an archeologist, wildlife expert and range conservationist \u2013 will begin conducting an Environmental Assessment this winter.<\/p>\n
If there is a finding of no significant impact, and the plan gains approval by BLM directors, volunteer trail builders could begin by summer 2014.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe group did a good job of developing trails that fit the landscape that do not require a lot of engineering,\u201d Christenson said. \u201cOur job is to view the plan through wildlife and archeology perspective; to make sure a trail does not go under a bald eagle\u2019s nest or through a ruin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most of the proposed trails will be accessible from the Ledges Trail new trailheads at county roads L and M. All new trails have directional designations.<\/p>\n
The park features 30 miles of trails through rolling pinon-juniper terrain, up and down mesas, and along technical rock outcroppings and slickrock.<\/p>\n
The single-track mecca of Phil\u2019s World begins across from the county fairgrounds off U.S. 160, and passes through state trust land before entering BLM.<\/p>\n
It was established in the late 1990s and has evolved into a popular mountain bike destination that draws locals and riders from Durango, Telluride, Farmington, and Moab.<\/p>\n
One of its original showcase features \u2013 the Rib Cage \u2013 launches riders through fast and burly whoop-de-doos, a section so fun there is a cutoff to do it again.<\/p>\n
To encourage the less experienced, a meadow loop was recently added; for the advanced, the Lemon Head, Ledges, and Stinking Springs sections.<\/p>\n
Christenson says the recreation area also demonstrates the multiple-use ethos of the BLM. Designated ATV and motorbike routes crisscross the area, and there are well-signed intersections where motorized and non-motorized trails bisect each other.<\/p>\n