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Forest Service updates repairs, camping plan and road funding in Dolores County meeting
Summary
Forest Service representative Nick Lester told Dolores County commissioners that dozer-line repairs from recent fires are largely complete, closures at Stoner Mesa have been lifted, and staff will solicit public feedback on designated dispersed camping spots near Navajo Lake; the county also noted about $1 million for Cottonwood Road improvements.
Nick Lester, introduced by the board as the meeting’s first presenter, summarized recent firefighting and land-management work and asked commissioners for feedback on planned actions. "We have been busy repairing dozer line on the Stoner Mesa fire," Lester said, adding that closures related to that fire have been lifted and that work on Taylor Mesa dozer lines is complete. He said more work on Stoner Mesa may be needed next year.
Lester said staff will conduct an after-action review with the Westport Volunteer Fire Department and invited other stakeholders to participate. He described a planned process to install dozer lines adjacent to private lands ahead of prescribed burns "as an added layer of making sure that we keep fire where it can be beneficial," and said the county expects to sign a decision on that work in early December. Commissioners asked about working with private landowners; Lester said the state is typically the appropriate entity for private-land treatments but that "widen agreements" and cooperative arrangements are options if landowners agree.
Lester also flagged campsite proliferation and degradation at Navajo Lake in the Lizard Head Wilderness. "We're looking at this winter trying to solicit some public feedback to go to designated dispersed camping spots," he said, describing a first-come, first-served designation that would define where camping is allowed and where it is not. Commissioners and attendees discussed seasonal use patterns and the potential impacts on sensitive watershed areas.
On roads, Lester noted the county has roughly $1 million earmarked for improvements to Cottonwood Road and said work could occur next summer; that work could require short closures for bridge improvements, widening turnouts and other upgrades. The board indicated it will coordinate with emergency services and road-and-bridge staff before deciding whether to close the road this winter to limit search-and-rescue calls.
The board took no formal vote on these specific management proposals at the meeting; Lester asked for input and said staff will return with timelines and decisions as they are developed.
