MORRISON, Colo. … The U.S. Forest Service has now made available for review draft alternatives developed for its Rampart Range Travel Management Project. This is the latest step in completing an Environmental Assessment (EA) for a road, trail and recreational use plan for the increasingly popular Rampart Range Recreational Area southwest of Denver. Substantive comments on the draft alternatives will be accepted until Jan. 28, 2005. Following that, the alternatives will be finalized and incorporated into the EA. The final EA is expected to be available for public review in Spring 2005.

The Rampart Range Travel Management Project area encompasses approximately 91,000 acres on the Pike National Forest within Douglas County. The project area is bordered generally on the north by Waterton Canyon, on the south by the Long Hollow Road (FR 348), on the west by the South Platte River and on the east by the Pike National Forest Boundary.

The project includes the completion of an Environmental Assessment and a Roads Analysis, both of which, when finalized, will emphasize developing a road and trail system that supports the area's general recreational activities and the ever-increasing popularity of Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) use. Of key concern in the project are the safety and environmental impacts resulting from the high volume of varied uses.

Scoping for the project was initiated in July 2004. Since that time more than 600 comments have been received during two open houses and two separate citizen workshops, in addition to the individual comments received throughout the scoping process. That input combined with researched and technical information was developed into planning concepts and ultimately into the draft alternatives.

Interested parties can gain additional information on the project and review the draft alternatives by going to the Forest Service district website at www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/spl: Click on Rampart Range Travel Management Project or call EDAW, Inc. at 970- 484-6073.

Substantive comments on the draft alternatives can be submitted by mail or e-mail. Comments concerning the Draft Alternatives should be submitted to:

EDAW, Inc.
Rampart Range Motorized Trail and Roads Analysis Team
Attention: Bruce Meighen
240 E. Mountain Ave.
Fort Collins, CO 80524
E-mail: RampartRT@edaw.com