Down the Gunnison River to explore Dominguez-Escalante NCA. Photo by Brian Amstutz

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released its draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the 210,000 acres of rugged sandstone canyons, cascading waterfalls and primal wilderness that we call Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area (NCA).  This document will determine BLM management of these lands for the next 15-20 years!

WCC finds the Dominguez-Escalante RMP to be robust and comprehensive, showing how an NCA can successfully balance a wide range of resources. However, to ensure this balance is reflected in the final plan, it is crucial for us to provide feedback on how we want our public lands managed into the future.  Join us and speak up for quiet recreation, wilderness, Wild and Scenic Rivers, healthy landscapes, and all the resources WCC members have worked so hard to protect!

Please read our general impressions of the RMP here. For information relating to specific locations within the NCA, follow these following links at Conservation Colorado:

• The Hunting Grounds
• The Gunnison River
• Ninemile Hill & Cactus Park
• Dominguez Canyon Wilderness
• Wagon Park & Sawmill Mesa

Click here to submit your comments to the BLM.  Public comments are accepted through September 23, 2013.

Would you like to learn more about this RMP and how to participate in the comment process?

Join WCC and allies for a “Quiet Commotion” Comment Writing Workshop on September 17th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm in Hawthorn Park in Grand Junction.

We’ll have maps, information sheets, and paper copies of the draft RMP for attendees to use in crafting personal comments on the RMP. There will also be a number of knowledgeable individuals available to answer questions and guide you through the commenting process! For each comment you write, you’ll be entered and re-entered to win some great outdoor gear!

This is a joint effort of WCC, the Sierra Club, Great Old Broads for Wilderness and Conservation Colorado.  For more information, contact Emily Hornback at the WCC office at 970-256-7650.