El Camino Real Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail Comprehensive Management Plan/ Final Environmental Impact Statement VISION
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United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Bureau of Land Management El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail Texas New Mexico El Camino Real Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail Comprehensive Management Plan/ Final Environmental Impact Statement VISION El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro is recognized throughout the United States of America and Los Estados Unidos de México as a timeless route of trade and cultural exchange and interaction among Spaniards, other Europeans, American Indians, Mexicans, and Americans, that shaped individual lives and communities and affected settlement and development in the greater Southwest. Recognition of this route as an international historic trail will commemorate a shared cultural heritage and contribute in a meaningful way to eliminating cultural barriers and enriching the lives of people along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. EL CAMINO REAL DE TIERRA ADENTRO COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT PLAN AND FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Draft ( ) Final (X) The United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Park Service (NPS) Type of Action: Administrative Jurisdiction: Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, Sandoval, Bernalillo, Valencia, Socorro, Sierra, and Dona Ana Counties in New Mexico and El Paso County in Texas Abstract: The Proposed Comprehensive Management Plan and Final Environment Impact Statement (CMP/FEIS) describes alternative visions for managing the National Historic Trail between El Paso, Texas, and San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico. Three alternatives have been analyzed in detail: Alternative A (no action); Alternative B, with a focus on protection and off-site interpretation; and Alternative C (Preferred Alternative), emphasizing resource protection and coordinated programming and activities to enhance the visitor experience. Alternative C, the Preferred Alternative in the Draft CMP/EIS, was selected, with minor modification, as the Proposed CMP. The impacts of the three alternatives are presented in Chapter 4. Comments received on the Draft CMP/EIS resulted in the inclusion of additional information and clarifications. Public comments are summarized in Appendix J. For further information, please contact : Harry Myers, Sarah Schlanger, Long Distance Trails Group Office New Mexico State Office National Park Service Bureau of Land Management P.O. Box 728 P.O. Box 27115 Santa Fe, NM 87504-0728 Santa Fe, NM 87504-0115 505-988-6717 505-438-7454 Protests on the proposed plan must be filed within 30 days following the date that the Notice of Availability is published in the Federal Register. BLM Deputy State Director, Resources Santa Fe, New Mexico New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas Stephen P. Martin National Park Service Regional Director National Trails Office - IMR NPS Intermountain Region Santa Fe, New Mexico EL CAMINO REAL DE TIERRA ADENTRO NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL Comprehensive Management Plan/ Final Environmental Impact Statement Prepared by Long Distance Trails Group — Santa Fe National Park Service New Mexico State Office Bureau of Land Management April 2004 National Park Service Bureau of Land Management U.S. Department of the Interior Fort Cr ig, New Mexico on the C mino Re l. Fort Cr ig Photo EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Added to t e National Trails System in October GOALS 2000, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Royal Road of t e Interior) National Historic Trail Goals describing future conditions were devel- (NHT) recognizes t e primary route between oped for: t e colonial Spanis capital of Mexico City and t e Spanis provincial capitals at San Juan de • A ig -quality visitor experience Los Caballeros (1598-1600); San Gabriel (1600- • Coordinated interpretation and educa- 1609); and t en Santa Fe (1610-1821). T e NHT, tion as designated, extends 404 miles from El Paso, • Effective administration Texas, to San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico. Bureau • Active resource protection of Land Management (BLM) and National Park Service (NPS) are c arged wit joint planning and administration of t e trail. ALTERNATIVES T e El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National The Preferred Alternative Historic Trail Compre ensive Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement T e Preferred Alternative would implement t e (CMP/EIS) responds to t e trail’s congressional provisions of t e National Trail Systems Act and designation and t e requirements of t e it would also reflect t e public’s vision for t e National Trail System Act. T is document eval- administration and management of t e trail. uates strategies to address identified issues and to meet determined goals. Under t is alternative, an ambitious program of resource protection and visitor use would be implemented. Trail administration and partners ISSUES would work cooperatively to provide coordi- nated programming and activities t at integrate Initial scoping for t e plan identified issues, t emes, resources, and landscapes at certified w ic are summarized in t e following ques- sites on private land or protected sites on public tions: land. Resources t at best illustrate t e trail’s significance would be identified and protected • How will t e istoric, scenic, and natural on bot public and private land ( ig -potential resources of t e trail be preserved? istoric sites and segments). Certification prior- • How do people’s activities and uses ities would be placed upon sites and segments affect t e trail? supporting interpretive and educational pro- • How will trail management be integrated gramming and protecting significant resources. wit tribal and ot er government agency An auto tour route would be establis ed. A bi- and community plans? national approac wit Mexico would promote • W at opportunities are available to pro- activities suc as interpretation, events, and sig- vide visitor services, education, and/or nage. T e BLM’s Mimbres, W ite Sands, and recreation? Taos Resource Management Plans (RMPs) • How do we incorporate international would be amended to protect important scenic interest in t e trail? values. v Alternative A Tierra Adentro NHT would be provided and structured to promote public understanding T is is t e no-action alternative, w ic serves and appreciation of NHT-related resources. as t e baseline for evaluating t e c anges and Existing recreational opportunities t at are not impacts of t e ot er action alternatives. Under trail-related, but are provided by private Alternative A, federal agencies would continue landowners and various agencies and organiza- to manage t eir lands (t roug w ic t e trail tions, would continue. An auto tour route passes) based upon t eir existing management would be establis ed. plans. T ere would be no overall administration or coordination of t e NHT. Coordination of Actions Common to All Alternatives: t e activities of an NHT association, private Grandfat ered and valid existing rig ts would landowners, and federal, state, and local agen- be recognized on public lands. T e cies and resource protection would be limited International Heritage Center would serve as a to efforts of t e International Heritage Center focal point for interpretation and education. and ot ers, subject to funding. Current visitor and recreational activities commemorating or Joint NPS/BLM administration of t e trail interpreting t e trail would continue. would occur, involving budget, staffing, trail marking standards, and encouragement of vol- Alternative B unteers, partners ips, and an advisory council. International relations would be establis ed Collaborative efforts by trail administration and wit Mexico to exc ange trail information and partners would be directed toward t e protec- researc , to foster trail preservation, to foster tion of trail resources ( istorical, cultural, and educational programs, and to cooperate in t e natural) on bot private and public land. Active potential bi-national designation of El Camino stewards ip and certification priorities would Real de Tierra Adentro International Historic protect t reatened trail resources. A coordinat- Trail. Cooperation wit tribal organizations and ed visitor experience along El Camino Real de entities would be encouraged. vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES Preferred Alternative Alternative A Alternative B CONCEPT Visitors would understand the trail’s Current management would be Trail resources (historical, cultural, significance and appreciate its histo- maintained. Interpretive and recre- natural, and viewsheds) would be ry and cultural heritage through ational opportunities, and access to protected through on-going stew- participation in coordinated pro- physical resources related to the trail ardship efforts. Visitors would have gramming and activities that inte- would be limited to those devel- the opportunity to experience trail grate themes, resources, and land- oped by the International Heritage resources in an off-site setting. scapes at certified or protected Center and others. components. Resources that best illustrate the Management of federal lands Trail resources (natural, cultural, his- trail’s significance would be identi- would continue the present course torical, and viewsheds) would be fied and protected on both public of action. Certification of sites on identified and protected on federal and private land (high-potential his- non-federal lands would not occur. land. Significant trail resources on toric sites and segments). Integrated Sharing of interpretive and educa- private land would be protected interpretive and educational pro- tional information would be limited through certification,