After months of complaints, Ouray County adopts multi‑step plan to stabilize Upper Yankee Boy Road, enlist volunteers and work with USFS

The Ouray County Board of County Commissioners on April 15 adopted a multi‑step work plan to address damage, braiding and environmental impacts on the upper mile of Yankee Boy Road after a lengthy public work session and more than 70 pages of public comment.

The board’s agreed steps are: (1) a joint field visit this summer with Forest Service engineers, county road staff and representatives from motorized‑user groups (Western Slope 4 Wheelers, 6 Basins) to identify the official traveled way; (2) a prioritized inventory and road log to document drainage failures and user‑created braids; (3) targeted signage and public outreach to promote a “stay the trail” message and temper noise and excessive speed; (4) development and review of a right‑of‑way encroachment scope for volunteer‑led restoration and boulder/barrier placement; (5) conditional authorization for temporary closures while restoration work is actively underway; and (6) follow‑up public reporting to the commissioners as permits and work are authorized.

"We want to discourage that behavior. We want to protect the tundra," the Chair said as the board opened the discussion about limiting motorized travel only on the upper 0.98‑mile segment above the composting toilet. County Road and Bridge superintendent Ty Barger told the board his crew can implement engineering controls—boulders, buck‑and‑rail fencing, kiosks or type‑3 barricades—and that a simple gate is not always the best or most durable answer.

Dana Gardugno, Arroyo Ranger District (GMUG) of the U.S. Forest Service, told the board the Forest Service already considers visitor‑use impacts in Blue Lakes and that road‑management changes beyond existing travel‑management decisions require administrative review. She urged a pragmatic mix of signage, education, volunteer restoration and prioritized engineering: “Some signage in those areas I think would go a long ways,” she said, adding that the Forest Service can supply rangers, some signs and coordination but has limited seasonal staff for permanent enforcement.

Sheriff Perry confirmed the sheriff’s office will expand its Alpine Ranger presence this season and emphasized the joint, education‑first approach used last year: "We began our own alpine ranger program... It was an incredibly successful season," he said, while warning that law‑enforcement capacity remains limited across the backcountry and that severe rescue calls have occurred when vehicles become stranded.

Legal counsel Leo Casselli reflected on jurisdictional complexity: the road traverses private parcels and USFS land and appears to be a dual‑jurisdiction route; that complicates unilateral county closures. Casselli recommended pursuing remedial work and expedited county right‑of‑way encroachment permits for volunteer work, while coordinating closely with the Forest Service on any temporary closures or permanent changes.

Public comment included contrasting views. Several longtime local residents and outfitting professionals urged stricter controls or gates to protect wildlife, quiet and water quality, citing heavy dust, noise and lost wildlife sightings. Motorized‑use organizations widely offered to contribute volunteers, funding and technical support to restore the official route and re‑stabilize braided sections.

The board instructed staff to coordinate a summer field visit, invite stakeholder groups to refine a volunteer scope of work, update volunteer agreements with the Forest Service, and return permits and a refined work plan to the commission for transparency and any further action. No formal regulatory ban or permanent closure was adopted at the meeting.