NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Foundation Document Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Colorado January 2017 Foundation Document Crestone Colorado Road T To 17 C a m in o B a ca G r an de l a Crestone Peak e R 14294ft o 4357m n i m a C Marble Mountain 13266ft 4043m W To 69 a Creek g o n Milwaukee Peak Falls W 13522ft h 4122m Crystal e e 119 l R SAN ISABEL o a d Creek NATIONAL od nwo tto Co Upper FOREST ey Ca Sand Creek el R m D in Music Mountain Lake ino o 13355ft m 11745ft Ca B 4071m Creek a 3580m c Creek a S Pass G r a RIO GRANDE A n Music Pass d Lower 11380ft Music e NATIONAL N Sand Creek Lake 3469m PRIVATE PROPERTY 11473ft G 3497m Grape FOREST Tijeras Peak 13604ft d a R 4146m Creek o R y E t r Snowslide Mountain e 11664 ft b i 3555m L Deadman Lakes D Cottonwood Cleveland Peak E Liberty Gate 13414ft Blueberry Peak (backcountry access) 4089m 12005ft 3659m Little Sand Creek Lakes C R North Muddy k Cree I S Creek k e C e an reek Alpine r Deadm C T O le Po M Hudson Branch O ek re C U rt N To 69 Sho Sand ek re C T 559 A Medano Lake Medano Pass I 11518ft 9982ft STORM WINDS 3511m 3043m N Mount Herard 13297ft 4053m S WATER GREAT SAND DUNES Creek NATIONAL PRESERVE Bruff Sand Creek Ra Middle mp Tr ail Cold National Preserve BACA National Park Many primitive campsites along road in this area. NATIONAL Creek High-clearance 4WD only. STAR DUNE COMPLEX WILDLIFE Pinyon Flats Creek campground to Medano Medano Pass 12mi 9km REFUGE k 8600ft no e 2621m a e ed r M Ask a ranger for C access information Road closed in winter Little Road e iv Sand t GREAT SAND DUNES i m i r P n SAN LUIS VALLEY yo an STORM WINDS C Mount Zwischen e rs 12006ft NATIONAL PARK s s o 3659m a H P S a n d o n a d e R S a M DUNEFIELD m p A T C r ast Creek a le i S l N Castle Creek Indian N Spring I D on ny Sand Pit a A C ill North May Point of wm C Sa re Creek Medano Pass Primitive Road T No Return ek 4-wheel drive beyond this point Overlook N S ek So Spring e u Star Dune Cr t U h height: 755ft/230m ESCAPE (tallest dune in park) k k M DUNES Buc ree H Big High Dune C a y height: 699ft/213m en O Pinyon Flats ard G Cr eek Amphitheater (tire air and RV dump available) M E Wellington Ditch Trail To 69 583 Creek E Montville Nature Trail ss Mosca Pa Trail O Mosca Pass Visitor Center Mosca Cree 9737ft k 2968m 8175ft T T ek 2492m Cre Dollar Lake Park tato Medano Headquarters S Po STORM WINDS I Cotton Lake National Preserve R National Park M or C ri WATER s Head Creek G k u e lc e Lake h r C S PREVAILING WINDSSpring n E pe As A Little D B Carbonate Mountain 12308ft 3751m E SAN LUIS K (Open April to October, RIO SAN LAKES privately owned) R GRANDE ISABEL STATE PARK H G Twin NATIONAL NATIONAL Lakes AND WILDLIFE N A 150 FOREST FOREST AREA A PRIVATE PROPERTY San Luis Lake S 7515ft THE NATURE CONSERVANCY 2308m Unpaved road Parking/trailhead Food service Picnic area Store Visitor Center 4-wheel-drive road to Mosca County Lane 6 North 23mi 37km Campground Gas station Hiking trail North Lodging Horse trailer 0 1 2 Kilometers Unimproved trail parking Visitor Center 0 1 2 Miles to 160 19mi 31km Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Contents Mission of the National Park Service 1 Introduction 2 Part 1: Core Components 3 Brief Description of the Park 3 Park Purpose 5 Park Significance 6 Fundamental Resources and Values 7 Other Important Resources and Values 10 Interpretive Themes 11 Part 2: Dynamic Components 12 Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments 12 Assessment of Planning and Data Needs 12 Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values 12 Analysis of Other Important Resources and Values 32 Identification of Key Issues and Associated Planning and Data Needs 35 Planning and Data Needs 39 Part 3: Contributors 49 Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve 49 NPS Intermountain Region 49 Other NPS Staff 49 NPS Partners 49 Others 49 Appendixes 50 Appendix A: Enabling Legislation and Legislative Acts for Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve 50 Appendix B: Related Federal Legislation 61 Appendix C: Inventory of Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments 62 Appendix D: Past and Ongoing Park Planning and Data Collection Efforts 71 Appendix E: Traditionally Associated Tribes 77 Foundation Document Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Mission of the National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world. The NPS core values are a framework in which the National Park Service accomplishes its mission. They express the manner in which, both individually and collectively, the National Park Service pursues its mission. The NPS core values are: · Shared stewardship: We share a commitment to resource stewardship with the global preservation community. · Excellence: We strive continually to learn and improve so that we may achieve the highest ideals of public service. · Integrity: We deal honestly and fairly with the public and one another. · Tradition: We are proud of it; we learn from it; we are not bound by it. · Respect: We embrace each other’s differences so that we may enrich the well- being of everyone. The National Park Service is a bureau within the Department of the Interior. While numerous national park system units were created prior to 1916, it was not until August 25, 1916, that President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act formally establishing the National Park Service. The national park system continues to grow and comprises more than 400 park units covering more than 84 million acres in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These units include, but are not limited to, national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House. The variety and diversity of park units throughout the nation require a strong commitment to resource stewardship and management to ensure both the protection and enjoyment of these resources for future generations. The arrowhead was authorized as the official National Park Service emblem by the Secretary of the Interior on July 20, 1951. The sequoia tree and bison represent vegetation and wildlife, the mountains and water represent scenic and recreational values, and the arrowhead represents historical and archeological values. 1 Foundation Document Introduction Every unit of the national park system will have a foundational document to provide basic guidance for planning and management decisions—a foundation for planning and management. The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park as well as the park’s purpose, significance, fundamental resources and values, other important resources and values, and interpretive themes. The foundation document also includes special mandates and administrative commitments, an assessment of planning and data needs that identifies planning issues, planning products to be developed, and the associated studies and data required for park planning. Along with the core components, the assessment provides a focus for park planning activities and establishes a baseline from which planning documents are developed. A primary benefit of developing a foundation document is the opportunity to integrate and coordinate all kinds and levels of planning from a single, shared understanding of what is most important about the park. The process of developing a foundation document begins with gathering and integrating information about the park. Next, this information is refined and focused to determine what the most important attributes of the park are. The process of preparing a foundation document aids park managers, staff, and the public in identifying and clearly stating in one document the essential information that is necessary for park management to consider when determining future planning efforts, outlining key planning issues, and protecting resources and values that are integral to park purpose and identity. While not included in this document, a park atlas is also part of a foundation project. The atlas is a series of maps compiled from available geographic information system (GIS) data on natural and cultural resources, visitor use patterns, facilities, and other topics. It serves as a GIS-based support tool for planning and park operations. The atlas is published as a (hard copy) paper product and as geospatial data for use in a web mapping environment. The park atlas for Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve can be accessed online at: http://insideparkatlas.nps.gov/. 2 Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Part 1: Core Components The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park, park purpose, significance statements, fundamental resources and values, other important resources and values, and interpretive themes. These components are core because they typically do not change over time.