South Rampart Travel Management Plan

The purpose and need of the South Rampart Travel Management Plan (TMP) is to determine which motorized roads and trails and non-motorized trails in the planning area (map at left) are necessary to provide a diverse, functional, and sustainable transportation system that balances resource protection, public safety, current and anticipated future recreational use demands, and public and administrative access needs.

The portion of the Rampart Range Roadless Area included in the TMP is shown in grey on the map.

You may View the current status of this planning effort at the consultant's web site.  From there you may click on the "Draft Alternatives" button on the left side of the screen.  This will take you to a page where you may view several alternative plans.

The Rampart Range Roadless Area committee has commented on the Alternative plans.  To read our position click here.  This comment period is closed, but there will be another opportunity to comment when the Environmental Assessment comes out.  Stay tuned!

March 16, 2010

Frank Landis
South Rampart Travel Management Plan
USFS- Pikes Peak Ranger District
601 S. Weber St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Thanks for sponsoring the South Rampart Travel Management Plan. The Rampart East Roadless Area Committee of the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) is interested in the Rampart East Roadless Area (RERA) because that is where the of the Rampart East Roadless Area Committee is active. The CMC has had a long standing interest in the Rampart East Roadless Area and has been recreating in that general area for over seventy years. We are hopeful that this unique area will be managed in a way that preserves for future generations the fauna, flora and human powered recreation opportunities.

The RERA is one of that last remaining large low/mid level elevation roadless areas near Denver and Colorado Springs and we believe that Alternative C, with modifications, would be the best way to manage this area. We base this decision , in part, on the South Rampart Travel Management Plan objectives and concepts. Being a key user group and an advocate for human powered recreation for our approximately 8,500 CMC members, we support many of the objectives and concepts as laid out in the TMP .

The first objective to " Provide a diverse, safe and high quality motorized and non-motorized recreational experience" is important as it acknowledges the importance of the non-motorized recreating public. In an area that has extremely high level of motorized recreation, this is significant because of the increased human powered usage this area has seen and will continue to see.

Another important concept to the Rampart East Roadless Area Committee is to "Create distinct and sometimes separate areas focused on improving the recreational experience for key user groups." The closure of some roads and trails, permitting only licensed vehicles on some roads and keeping off-road motorized activity on the west side of Rampart Range Road creates a strong separation line between hikers, horsemen, birders etc. and motorized activity. This will help preserve the more primitive nature of the RERA and will have a very positive impact of the natural systems in the area. Most importantly, it will greatly reduce the interaction between hikers and motorized vehicles. This in turn will reduce accidents and user conflicts. This will go a long way to minimize the enforcement of National Forest use rules and regulations and will thus keep our public safety officials safer and save the taxpayers a few bucks. That's always a good thing.

We are heartened to see that the Forest Service wants "To provide non-motorized trails to popular destinations" and we would be happy to partner with the Forest Service to help plan what destinations within RERA are most important. We would also be happy to do actual construction, maintenance or restoration of trials. Limiting off-road motorized users to the west side of Rampart Range Road and the closure of selected roads and trails meets another stated goal to "Concentrate user groups by area" and would help to "Efficiently manage the trails and road design". It makes sense to promote non-motorized activity in RERA as it is a 30,000+ acre oasis within a sea of highly motorized use. There is no better place to have human-powered activity dominate as this area is quiet, interesting, physically challenging and isolated from the off-road vehicles with the exception of those that use the area illegally. This, unfortunately, happens on a consistent basis.

Creating "a sustainable trail system" to "protect sensitive resources… domestic watersheds… and drainages " is another value we would like vigorously applied to the RERA. Honoring these natural resources will ensure a healthy forest that can be passed to the next generation without them having to pay for restoration or rehabilitation. This is most concretely demonstrated in Alternate Plan C by the absence of OHV Trail 12. That trail starts on the west side of Rampart Range Rd .,heads east and then crosses Rampart Range Rd. It then crosses a wetland, intersections with FR 327 and then crosses Stark Creek. It finally heads west and crosses Rampart Range Rd. again. This new motorized trail would violate the idea of creating a "sustainable trail system" and would encourage illegal use in sensitive wetlands, creeks and drainages.

As users of an area that is surrounded by heavy motorized use the CMC appreciates and supports the objective to "Manage conflicts between land uses" In particular, we support the goal to "Reduce motorized recreation use where it conflicts with the area's mission" In this case "Roadless Areas".

RERA is unique so closing trails, opening roads to licensed vehicles only and not building new trails such as OHV Trail 12 go a long way to honoring this concept.

Specific comments and suggestions:

1. The Forest Service maps do not show the correct southern boundary of the roadless area . The boundary should continue roughly south from the end of FR323, across North Monument Creek to FR322.
   
   
2. Close FR 327 at Rampart Range Road. Any part of FR 327 that would remain open should be used by licensed vehicles only or possibly only administrative use should be allowed.
   
   
3. FR300 as a clear dividing line between quiet use and off road motorized use .This concept should be acknowledged , promoted and enforced. This is most concretely demonstrated in Alternate Plan C by the absence of OHV Trail 12.
   
   
4. Close 324A north of 325A. This will be good, as there is unauthorized use continuing beyond the end of 324A. Closing 324B is a good idea too. It sees off-road use in many spots, and cuts into the heart of the wildest part of the roadless area.
   
   
5. FR 325 ends at the large parking area used by USAFA. There is nothing on the ground to indicate that this is the end of the road, as a clear route continues beyond the lake at Saylor Park. Either this route should be blocked, or that route should be added to the MVUM and the unauthorized use beyond its end blocked off.
   
   
6. FR 300D and E are restricted to licensed vehicles, so a road would have to be built to connect them. This is not a good idea. This road would have to be built, through a large wetland - creating a route that would be highly damaging to water resources and their drainages. We prefer that no road be built to connect FR 300D and FR 300E. Instead, FR 300D and E should be converted to camping spurs, and limited to licensed vehicles since there is unauthorized use off those road in several places.
   
   
7. Neither plan B or C adopts any of the hiking trails we have recommended. Two suggestions would be the trails to Storm and Chimney peaks. Parts of the Swank and Winding Stairs Trails already get significant use. The Swank/Sundance loop trails are recommended as National Forest system trials. Rehabilitating these trails would allow for better access and would help relieve crowding on other hiking trails in El Paso County.
   
   
8. Closing FR 323 is not helpful. It leads to beautiful campsites and overlooks, and has very limited potential for unauthorized use off it. This is also the current boundary to the RERA.
   
   
9. We would like to see Forest Roads 322, 320.C, 318, 314, 313, 311 and 307A converted to licensed vehicles only to minimize intermixing different recreational activities.

Thank you,

Phillip Kummer-Chairman
Rampart East Roadless Area Committee
Colorado Mountain Club