Mission

Assist in the development of the GMUG Forests winter Travel Management Plan.

Winter recreation including backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling is highly popular in GMUG Forests. Thirty years ago, the local community came together to build a collaborative winter recreation management plan. Today, we have an opportunity to utilize those experiences learned and the things that worked well to craft the next balanced recreation plan to carry us forward into the next thirty years.

This expansive stretch of winter landscape serves as crucial habitat and provides world-class recreation opportunities for all of western Colorado. Since this landscape is used by so many different user groups, active management is needed to promote minimal conflict and ecosystem integrity. We flew over the forest and snowmobile tracks. Snowmobiles are prohibited from the multiple Wilderness areas that dot this landscape, as well as some special management areas. However, as we could see from the air, topography and hazards like avalanche terrain also dictate travel, and it is important that future winter travel management decisions reflect this.

As winter recreation tourism increases and climate patterns change in our region, we need to be proactive in how we manage these places. Winter travel planning is a tool for land managers to balance different uses including motorized and non-motorized travel in winter recreation areas, and protect this sensitive winter ecosystem.

Click for photos from the flights, geo-referenced flight photos, and 360 GoPro Video