New Bangs Canyon Trails, that’s right “New Trails”

The Stay The Trail trailer was on hand, for what was a very successful weekend of multi-use groups, working together. Working to mark and ribbon, in this case, new single track trails. Building new trails to provide OHV recreation opportunities is not something you see everyday and the BLM is to be congratulated for seeing this as an important use of public lands.

The following article was written by George Vonesh.

OHV and Mountain Bike Enthusiasts Team-Up with the BLM to Create

New Sustainable Trail Systems near Grand Junction

“Ouch!” – came the cry from somewhere in the trees. “Yikes!” – echoed the voice behind the rocks. “Now I know how the name “Cactus Park” came to be,” said another shadowy figure moving through the scrub oak. No, this wasn’t a paintball war taking place in some remote area on the Front Range. These were members of a large contingent of volunteers from off-highway vehicle and mountain bike organizations who jumped at the chance (and jumped from the cactus) to assist the Grand Junction Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) with the rare opportunity to locate and flag over 26 miles of new single-track trails. The fun took place in Area 6 of the Bangs Canyon Special Recreation Management Area, which is a large and rugged area about five miles south of Grand Junction, bounded on the east by Highway 141 and the Unaweep Canyon; on the west by the Colorado National Monument; and on the north by Highway 50 and the Gunnison River.

The Bangs Canyon recreation trail system is a major component of the BLM’s overall resource management plan for the area, which is geared to protecting its outstanding resources while providing recreation opportunities. The trail system implementation plan includes closing, relocating, and/or reclaiming some existing roads and trails and designing and constructing new roads and trails. The system will include trails and roads that can be used by all modes of off-highway transportation, as well as some that will be restricted to specific uses such as foot, motorcycles, bicycles, ATVs, four-wheel drive vehicles, or compatible combinations of these uses. The trails will at times wind through dense piñon and juniper while occasionally, and often unexpectedly, opening up to spectacular vistas of the Grand Valley, the Book Cliffs, the Grand Mesa, and the Uncompahgre Plateau.

In order to enlist the participation and help of the user groups in the design and construction of the trail systems, the BLM entered into cooperative agreements with the COHVCO Foundation and Bicycle Colorado while they continue to dialogue with other interest groups. These agreements set out the tasks and cost sharing responsibilities for each entity. Before anything actually happens on the ground, the requirements of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and other applicable laws and regulations must be carefully followed and documented.

Local affiliates of the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO) and the Bicycle Colorado, including the Western Slope ATV Association, The Book Cliff Rattlers Motorcycle Club, the Motorcycle Trail Riders Association, and the Grand Mesa Jeep Club, have already participated in the planning and construction of some new bicycle, ATV, and four-wheel drive roads and trails in Bangs Canyon. Gates, cattle guards, limiters, kiosks and other facilities have also been installed.

The late September trail flagging in Area 6 along Snyder Flats Road was a great example of different user groups helping each other out. Even though these will be single-track trails, members of the Grand Mesa Jeep Club helped ferry volunteers to and from the starting and end points of the proposed new trail segments. Close to forty motorcycle and bicycle enthusiasts from both the Western Slope and the Front Range participated in the event. The BLM supplied encouragement, maps, flagging ribbon, and plenty of water and sport drink to keep the teams hydrated. An unusually heavy rainstorm on Saturday night and well into Sunday prevented the teams from completing the trail flagging. Still, only 2–3 miles remained when the large group finished on Saturday, proving once again that many hands make light work. Plans call for the Bangs Canyon project to be completed by 2009. When finished, it will join Rabbit Valley, near the Utah border; the Book Cliffs open riding area north of Grand Junction; and the North Fruita Hills recreation area north of Fruita, all combining in a patchwork of outstanding trail systems and riding opportunities for OHV, mountain biking, and other outdoor aficionados on public lands in Mesa County. In the summer, when the heat of the high desert becomes too unbearable to ride, the high elevation trails and roads of the nearby Grand Mesa provide a cool respite.

The BLM’s Grand Junction Resource Area has seen increased use and pressure from the growing number of off-highway vehicle users, including those from the Front Range who like to come over in the fall, winter, and spring when the high country trails are snowed in and cabin fever is rampant. The BLM has responded with a balanced and effective plan to accommodate the increased demands of multiple uses on the public lands.

The Responsible Recreation Campaign is the flagship program of the COHVCO Foundation, along with its two key elements: Stay The Trail and The Colorado Trail Patrol. It is expected that these educational programs will be incorporated, as appropriate, into the ongoing management of the OHV trail systems in the BLM’s Grand Junction Resource Area.

 

So, thanks to all who have given of their time, dollars and support to help with these important projects to date. Stay tuned for information regarding additional opportunities in 2008 to help with the remaining work on these important trail systems.