In the past decade recreational pressure on the Lower Blue River has increased, resulting in detrimental impacts to natural resources, conflicts with private landowners, and dimishing quality or recreational values and experiences.

The Lower Blue River Management Plan is a cooperative effort to develop a strategic framework for protecting natural resources, managing public recreational activities, minimizing conflicts between river users, and protecting private property rights along the lower Blue River, from Green Mountain Reservoir to the confluence with the Colorado River.

The US Bureau of Land Management, the largest single land manager along the river corridor, is currently revising it's Resource Management Plan, which guides BLM management decisions for the next 20 years.  Through the RMP process,  BLM is deciding  how all public lands will be managed, and whether recreation is a primary management goal. The draft Lower Blue River Management Plan does not focus on recreation demand, but looks to protect public health and safety, reduce user conflics, and protect natural resources.

The draft plan, which is supported by BLM, reflects the cooperative mission and vision of stakeholders involved, and outlines 8 management sections, each with a guiding principle. Each guiding principle has a set of goals, and each goal will include a list of individual management actions.

Currently, the plan is lacking management actions for each goal within the 8 sections. These management actions will be subsequently developed with consideration of public comments received before March 13.

Paddlers are encouraged to comment on the cooperative management goals!

To submit comments, contributors are asked to please use the comment sheet. Including a section or page number and a subject with each comment will greatly facilitate compiling, sorting and accounting for all comments received. Electronic submission of comments via e-mail is preferred, by sending completed comment sheets to:  LBRcomments@co.summit.co.us

Paddlers can attend open houses for more information:
 
Tuesday, February 12, 2008   
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm    
Silverthorne Library    
Silverthorne, CO    
  

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Kremmling Chamber of Commerce

Kremmling, CO