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BLM, Forest Service and county recreation staff report on projects, fees and outreach
Summary
Agency staff updated commissioners on projects including campground fee changes, a new amphitheater, fuels work, Browns Canyon dark-sky certification, and a new field-reporting app for recreation staff; the BLM plans to charge fees at Turtle Rock starting May 1.
Representatives from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service and county recreation staff provided a joint update on Jan. 9 covering ongoing projects and recreation management.
BLM and Browns Canyon: The BLM’s assistant field manager said the camping and travel management plan implementation has run for two summers with mostly positive feedback and that the agency is ordering more signs and kiosks. The BLM confirmed Turtle Rock Campground will transition from free to a fee site, with an anticipated May 1 start; the likely fee cited was $20 per night and the agency expects most reservations to be handled through recreation.gov with a limited number left first-come, first-served.
Forest Service and fuels: The Forest Service representative said Cleveland Mountain fuels-pile burning finished and that work northeast of Deer Vista at a railroad bridge site remains challenging because of steep terrain and seasonal access constraints. He also thanked CPW for assistance covering temporary field staff gaps.
County recreation projects and outreach: County recreation staff reported an amphitheater project at Salida East funded by a private donation (Strum family) and work on hardening the Collegiate Peak Stairway to address erosion. Staff said they are testing a smartphone reporting tool (Outweigh/Outweigh-type app) for field crews to report conditions in real time and coordinate with partners (USFS, BLM, CPW). County staff also asked for help finding a location to store a shipping container to hold personal flotation devices for a third-grade PFD distribution program.
Dark-sky designation: The BLM said Browns Canyon National Monument was certified as a dark-sky park; agency and partners are exploring programming and campground-focused dark-sky outreach.
Next steps: BLM and Forest Service staff said they will continue sign and kiosk installation, finalize Turtle Rock’s fee implementation details and share schedules with the county; county recreation will continue to pilot the field-reporting app and identify storage options for the PFD program.
