United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests DRAFT Forest Assessments: Land Status, Ownership, Use, and Access Patterns November 2017 View of a private mining claim in the Uncompahgre Wilderness acquired by the GMUG in 2015 (on right side of river). In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). 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Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: [email protected] (link sends e-mail). USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests DRAFT Forest Plan Assessments: Lands Contents Contents ........................................................................................................................................................ i Chapter 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 Key Issues ................................................................................................................................................. 1 Summary of Public Input ........................................................................................................................... 1 Use of Best Available Science .................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 2. Condition and Trends .............................................................................................................. 2 Ownership/Status Condition &Trends ....................................................................................................... 2 Landownership ....................................................................................................................................... 2 Land Status ............................................................................................................................................ 6 Conservation Easements ....................................................................................................................... 6 Access Conditions and Trends .................................................................................................................. 7 Conditions .............................................................................................................................................. 7 Trends .................................................................................................................................................... 9 Information Gaps ................................................................................................................................... 9 Use Trends .............................................................................................................................................. 10 Chapter 3. Sustainability .......................................................................................................................... 11 Environmental Sustainability of Land Status and Ownership, Use, and Access Patterns ...................... 11 Economic Sustainability of Land Status and Ownership, Use, and Access Patterns ............................. 11 Social Sustainability of Land Status and Ownership, Use, and Access Patterns ................................... 12 Chapter 4. Current Forest Plan and its Context within the Broader Landscape ................................ 12 Existing Forest Plan Management Direction ........................................................................................... 12 Landownership Adjustment and Rights-of-Way Acquisition ................................................................ 12 Non-Recreation Special Use Management ......................................................................................... 13 Issues in the Broader Landscape ............................................................................................................ 14 Chapter 5. Potential Need for Plan Changes to Respond to Land Status and Ownership, Use, and Access Pattern Issues .............................................................................................................................. 14 References Cited ....................................................................................................................................... 15 Appendix: Maps ........................................................................................................................................ 16 i USDA Forest Service List of Tables Table 1. Acres of private, state, and NFS ownership within the plan area ..................................................................... 3 Table 2. Acres of inholdings and NFS lands within wilderness and other designated areas .......................................... 4 Table 3. Count of isolated NFS parcels by size range ................................................................................................... 5 Table 4. Total acres of isolated NFS parcels by size range ........................................................................................... 5 Table 5. Segments of NFSR crossing non-NFS inholdings without documented rights-of-way on GMUG .................... 8 Table 6. Miles of NFSR crossing non-NFS inholdings without documented rights-of-way on GMUG ............................ 8 List of Maps Map 1. Basic ownership ............................................................................................................................................... 16 Map 2. Potential disposal parcels (San Juans GA) ...................................................................................................... 17 Map 3. Potential disposal parcels (Crested Butte) ....................................................................................................... 18 Map 4. Potential disposal parcels (Pitkin) .................................................................................................................... 19 Map 5. Open space and connectivity ........................................................................................................................... 20 Map 6. Major points of access...................................................................................................................................... 21 ii Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests DRAFT Forest Plan Assessments: Lands Chapter 1. Introduction This assessment describes how land status, ownership, use, and access patterns influence the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG, or plan area) and how management of the plan area may influence land use and access in the plan area and beyond. Key Issues The key issues related to land status and ownership, use, and access patterns within the plan area are prioritizing lands for acquisition or disposal to best meet the needs the forest and adjacent communities in light of limited resources to pursue these transactions, prioritizing and securing access to the plan area in the face of a growing trend of access across private inholdings being lost, ensuring that non-recreation special uses minimally encumber the forest and minimally restrict resource management options while still allowing important economic development, and resolving trespasses and encroachments in the plan area. Summary of Public Input Those most likely to be affected by or interested in this topic are municipalities or communities within or adjacent to the plan area, owners of private land within or adjacent to the plan area concerned with access and special uses, and members of the public concerned with access to the plan area. The planning team received public input with respect to access during the summer of 2017, including emails, electronic and