(FULL DRAFT) Eldorado Canyon State Park Management Plan
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DRAFT Eldorado Canyon State Park Management Plan April 2021 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Developing the Eldorado Canyon State Park (ECSP) Management Plan was a collaborative planning process that would not have been possible without the support of the following staff, partners and those that participated in the public involvement process. Management Planning Team John Carson, Park Manager Jeff Thompson, Resource Stewardship Program Coordinator Kacie Miller, Planning Manager Northeast Region ECSP Staff Windi Padia, Deputy Region Manager Mike McHugh, Park Resource Technician Dustin Bergman, Ranger Scott Roush, Deputy Region Manager Lisa Gill, Senior Ranger Mark Leslie, Region Manager Ben Plankis, Melissa Mills, Jason Clay, Robin Strelow, Katie Lanter, Mike Quartuch, Jonathan Boydston, Jody Kennedy, Sarah Burton, Matt Schulz and many other CPW staff reviewed draft documents, created maps and web materials, assisted with public meetings and provided support to the planning team. Major Partners and Stakeholders Melissa Belmar (Collective Ecological Consulting) and Ellie Wachtel (SE Group) were always willing to help and addressed numerous rounds of edits and questions. SE Group (Gabby Voeller and Tyler Ford) and Keystone Policy Center (Julie Shapiro, Jonathan Geurts, Tori Thompson) were committed to ensuring an open and well run engagement process for all. The Interagency Team, especially Kacey French, Marni Ratzel and Alex Hyde-Wright provided valuable insights throughout the planning process and continued a partnership that will benefit all agencies and stakeholders. The members of the Task Force were willing to ‘take a seat at the table’, discuss concerns and ideas, listen to each other and understand different viewpoints. CPW Leadership Team Dan Prenzlow, Director Reid DeWalt, Assistant Director for Aquatics, Terrestrial and Natural Resources Heather Dugan, Assistant Director for Field Services Justin Rutter, Chief Financial Officer Lauren Truitt, Assistant Director for Information and Education Jeff Ver Steeg, Assistant Director for Research, Policy and Planning Cory Chick, Southwest Region Manager Brett Ackerman, Southeast Region Manager JT Romatzke, Northwest Region Manager Mark Leslie, Northeast Region Manager 1 Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION Park Description ........................................................................................................................ 7 Purpose of the Plan ................................................................................................................... 7 Desired Future Conditions ..................................................................................................... 9 Park Goals ........................................................................................................................... 10 Future Plan Updates ............................................................................................................ 11 Public Input .............................................................................................................................. 12 Interagency Team ................................................................................................................ 12 Eldorado Canyon State Park Visitor Use Management Plan Task Force ............................ 12 Public Meetings and Online Comment Form ....................................................................... 13 Visitor Surveys ..................................................................................................................... 14 Influences on Management...................................................................................................... 16 Management Considerations ................................................................................................... 17 2.0 REGIONAL PLANNING CONTEXT Climate .................................................................................................................................... 19 Physical Setting ....................................................................................................................... 20 Eco-Regional Setting ............................................................................................................... 22 Adjacent Land Use and Land Ownership ................................................................................. 22 Regional Recreation and Tourism Trends, Opportunities and Challenges .............................. 24 3.0 PARK SETTING & RESOURCES Natural Resources ................................................................................................................... 32 Significant Features ............................................................................................................. 32 Wildlife ................................................................................................................................. 35 1 Vegetation ............................................................................................................................ 40 Sensitive Species ................................................................................................................ 44 Threats to Habitats and Wildlife ........................................................................................... 50 Hydrology ............................................................................................................................. 53 Geology & Soils ................................................................................................................... 54 Cultural Resources & Paleontological Resources .................................................................... 59 Scenic Resources ..................................................................................................................... 59 Recreation Resources .............................................................................................................. 60 Trails .................................................................................................................................... 60 Rock Climbing ...................................................................................................................... 61 Picnicking ............................................................................................................................. 61 Sightseeing and Wildlife Viewing ......................................................................................... 61 Other Recreational Resources ............................................................................................ 62 Interpretation and Environmental Education ......................................................................... 62 Facilities and Infrastructure ................................................................................................... 64 Park Administration and Special Functions ............................................................................. 69 Park Budget and Finances ....................................................................................................... 70 4.0 VISITATION Access & Parking .................................................................................................................... 74 Visitor Demographics & Patterns ............................................................................................ 76 Visitation Trends ...................................................................................................................... 76 Overall Visitation .................................................................................................................. 76 Length of stay and group size .............................................................................................. 79 Trail Usage .......................................................................................................................... 79 2 Quality of Visitor Experience ................................................................................................... 82 Visitation Capacity ................................................................................................................... 83 5.0 MANAGEMENT ZONES Description of Management Zones ......................................................................................... 86 6.0 MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES 6.1 Health, Safety & Staffing ................................................................................................... 91 6.2 Natural & Cultural Resource Protection ............................................................................ 92 6.3 Communication (Outreach, Marketing, Environmental Education and Interpretation) ...... 94 6.4 Access and Parking ........................................................................................................... 95 6.4.1 Indicators of Success (Outcomes) .............................................................................. 98 6.4.2 Assessment Tools ...................................................................................................... 99 6.5 Trails and Picnic Area ..................................................................................................... 100 6.6 Other facilities and infrastructure ..................................................................................... 102 Strategies discussed but not recommended ......................................................................... 103 Tables Chapter