FOREST ORDER CLOSURE: ORDER # PSICC-2022-15

TRIP LEADERS: Please read this closure notice if you are planning a trip into this area:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1060192.pdf

Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 C.F.R. § 261.50 (a) and (b), the following acts are prohibited on the
National Forest System (NFS) lands, waters, and trails in and surrounding the Bear Creek Watershed
of the Pikes Peak Ranger District, Pike National Forest, described below and shown on the attached
map incorporated into this Order as Exhibit A (the “Described Areas” and “Described Trails”).
The purpose of this Order is to implement requirements of the July 17, 2016, Final Decision Notice for
the Bear Creek Watershed Restoration Project designed to protect a unique population of greenback
cutthroat trout, a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

DESCRIBED AREAS AND TRAILS:
The Described Areas are located in El Paso and Teller Counties, Colorado, and are referred to as the
“Broader Bear Creek Area” within which is the “Bear Creek Watershed.”
The Broader Bear Creek Area is the NFS lands located in:
• Sections 20, 21, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33, Township 14 South, Range 67 West, 6th P.M.
• Sections 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 34, 35, and 36, Township 14 South, Range 68 West, 6th P.M.
• Sections 5 and 6, Township 15 South, Range 67 West, 6th P.M.
• Sections 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, and 12, Township 15 South, Range 68 West, 6th P.M.
The Bear Creek Watershed is the northern portion of the Broader Bear Creek Area and includes the
NFS lands and waters, including Bear Creek and any tributaries of Bear Creek, located in:
• Sections 20, 21, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33, Township 14 South, Range 67 West, 6th P.M.
• Sections 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 34, 35, and 36, Township 14 South, Range 68 West, 6th P.M.
The Described Trails, which are located in the Bear Creek Watershed, are the entire length of NFS Trail
666, Bear Creek Trail, and the portion of NFS Trail 776, Buckhorn Trail, beginning at its junction with
NFS Trail 666 and ending at its junction with NFS Trail 667.

PROHIBITIONS:
1. Being in the Bear Creek Watershed, except if on an NFS Trail or NFS Road. 36 C.F.R. §
261.53(a).
2. Camping within the Bear Creek Watershed. 36 C.F.R. § 261.58(e).
3. Entering or using Bear Creek or any tributary stream of Bear Creek, within the Bear Creek
Watershed. 36 C.F.R. § 261.53(a).
4. Possessing a dog, or any saddle or pack animal, in the water of Bear Creek, or in the water of
any tributary stream of Bear Creek, within the Bear Creek Watershed. 36 C.F.R. § 261.58(s).
5. Possessing a dog, unless it is on a leash six feet or less in length, or any saddle or pack animal,
unless it is harnessed or haltered with a lead rope or reins, on the Described Trails. 36 C.F.R. §
261.58(s).
6. Possessing or using an over-snow vehicle, as defined in 36 C.F.R. § 212.1, on any NFS Trail
within the Bear Creek Watershed or Broader Bear Creek Area. 36 C.F.R. § 261.55(b)
7. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, or stove fire in the Broader Bear Creek
Area. 36 C.F.R. § 261.52(a).

EXEMPTIONS:
Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order:
1. Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the
performance of an official duty.
2. Persons with a special use authorization or other Forest Service authorization specifically
exempting them from the effect of this Order.
This Order will be in effect on September 9, 2022, at 12:01 AM, and shall remain in effect until
September 8, 2027, at 11:59 PM or until rescinded, whichever event occurs first.
Done at Pueblo, Colorado, this 8th day of September 2022.